Novak Djokovic Expresses Concerns Over Tennis’ Future Amidst Pickleball’s Rise

Tennis icon Novak Djokovic, 37, is currently on a mission to win his eighth Wimbledon men’s singles championship, which would also mark his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.

As the No. 2 seed in this year’s tournament, Djokovic is preparing to face Holger Rune, the No. 15 seed from Denmark, in the Round of 16 on Monday at the prestigious All England Club.

While Djokovic continues to impress with his exceptional skills, it was his comments after his third-round victory that drew significant attention from the racquet sports community, particularly from pickleball enthusiasts.

The Serbian star voiced his concerns about the current state and future of tennis, the sport that has defined his illustrious career.

“Now we have padel tennis, which is growing and emerging. People enjoy it and say: ‘Yes, but tennis is tennis’. Tennis is the king or queen of all racquet sports, that’s true,” Djokovic stated. “But at the club level, tennis is in danger. If we don’t take action, with the growth of padel in Europe and pickleball in the United States, we’ll see more tennis courts being converted to padel and pickleball courts because they are cheaper.

“You can fit three padel courts into the space of one tennis court … do the simple math. It’s much more financially viable for a club owner to have that set-up.”

The ongoing debate between tennis and pickleball is well-documented, with community leaders and parks and recreation departments continually negotiating the best solutions for court access for both sports. Djokovic accurately points out that you can fit 3-4 pickleball courts in the space needed for one tennis court.

The bottom line is that even one of the greatest tennis players of all time acknowledges that his sport is quickly losing ground to pickleball.

About Novak Djokovic: Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. With numerous accolades, including 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill, resilience, and sportsmanship. He holds records for the most weeks as the world No. 1, among many other achievements, and has been a dominant force in tennis for over a decade.