Pickleball has grown increasingly popular over the last several years among older and younger generations.
A recent study by Apple revealed that people are playing pickleball longer than tennis. Apple reports that “pickleball workouts were slightly longer than tennis workouts on average — 90 minutes versus 81 minutes, respectively — and saw greater variability in time played.”
Macon contributes to this popularity as it is home to Rhythm and Rally, which is the largest indoor pickleball facility. The former Belk’s department store is now home to 32 courts where tournaments are frequently hosted.
Ameya Subramanian, a college student, plays both tennis and pickleball, but said he has noticed pickleball’s increasing popularity over tennis.
“Tennis has a really steep learning curve,” Subramanian says. “You can’t just kind of pick up a tennis racket and play well on day one, where you can kind of do that with pickleball a little bit easier.”
Across the nation, thousands of tennis courts have been converted into pickleball courts or shared spaces. This trend has caused the creation of 26,000 outdoor pickleball courts over the past seven years.
A study by the New York Times also shows that at least 14 pickleball courts are being built or developed each day. These pickleball courts often bring increased traffic to courts that may have been previously abandoned.
Subramanian thinks that tennis’s difficulty is what keeps new players from trying tennis instead.
“Tennis is a lot different than a lot of racket sports as far as scoring goes, so you have to think about that,” Subramanian says.
Pickleball also offers a great opportunity for socialization in your community.
“I play pickleball more socially,” Subramanian says.“So if I’m asked to go play, I’ll go play. But tennis, I try to play at least once or twice a week because I’m actively learning and I want to improve and get better.”
Pickleball’s growth has not totally diminished tennis’s popularity. The New York Times study shows that after the pandemic, the number of tennis players increased.
Subramanian personally prefers tennis over pickleball, but understands it’s not as approachable for new players.
“I think it’s more entertaining to watch and it’s just a lot more fun to play,” he says.
Many tennis players are switching to pickleball because of its simplicity and sociability. Professional players and coaches alike are becoming more drawn to pickleball over tennis. Pickleball is easier on the body than tennis, as it requires less physical exercise because of the smaller court.
“I think it’s interesting that a lot of retired tennis pros are now jumping into pickleball and joining the competitive scene there,” Subramanian says, “it shows how easy of a sport it is to pick up for someone who’s played another racket sport at a higher level.”
Additionally, pickleball has grown in popularity among high school and college students. The sport provides exercise and socialization to the younger generation.
The sport is expected to increase in popularity this year. This is especially seen in Macon, as the 2025 Southern Championships will be held at Rhythm and Rally at the end of the year. Last year, 1,200 players registered for this event, and an estimated 2,000 in 2025.
