Highlights:
- Tennis stars like Jack Sock, Kaitlyn Christian, Sam Querrey, and Donald Young are transitioning to pickleball, signifying the sport’s remarkable rise in popularity worldwide.
- Jack Sock’s surprising retirement announcement from tennis at just 30 years old raises eyebrows, as seasoned players like Djokovic and Nadal continue to compete.
An increasing number of former and current tennis professionals, both from the United States and abroad, are opting to switch their focus to the rapidly growing sport of pickleball. This paddle-based game is seeing a meteoric rise in popularity, not only in the United States but also across the world. Notable American tennis figures such as Jack Sock, Kaitlyn Christian, Sam Querrey, and Donald Young have all made the move to join the Carvana PPA Pickleball Tour.
Also Read: 10 Best Pickleball Sets Of 2023 – The Ultimate Guide
Sock has said that he would stop competing in tennis after the 2023 US Open. Many people were shocked to learn that Sock, who is only 30 years old, is retiring from tennis while more seasoned players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are still competing.
Pickleball is less physically demanding than other sports, which is perhaps one reason people are switching. Pickleball’s popularity will eventually bring in sponsors and a large audience, reducing the disparity in pay between it and a sport like tennis.
When it comes to professional tennis stars coming to professional pickleball, ? the more the merrier! ? Let’s go @SamQuerrey! pic.twitter.com/bc4JO2EVf7
— Carvana PPA Tour (@PPAtour) August 27, 2023
Carvana PPA Pickleball Tour:
The 2023 Carvana PPA Pickleball Tour, to which the tennis players have transferred to play pickleball, has a total prize pool of $5.5 million. Good money with less effort is unquestionably a huge draw for tennis players who are nearing the end of their careers.
In addition, the 2023 Carvana PPA Tour’s official website guarantees that top male and female players would receive equal play and pay.
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a unique amalgamation of tennis, table tennis, and badminton, with its inception dating back to 1965. This sport takes place on a rectangular court measuring 44 feet by 20 feet, employing flat paddles and a perforated plastic ball. The net, which bisects the court at its centre, stands at a height of 34 inches.
It accommodates both singles, with two players, and doubles, with four players, making it one of the most rapidly expanding sports in the United States.
The serve must be delivered in the game from behind the base line and hit underhand. The opposite team’s service court should receive the ball as it falls cross-court. The receiving player must wait at least one bounce after receiving the serve before returning the ball to the other side of the court. Additionally, the returning ball must first bounce before the serving team can make contact with it.
The double bounce rule applies here. A team scores points when the opposing team tosses the ball wide past the side-lines after the volleying has begun. A team loses a point if they are unable to recover the ball before it bounces twice in their half of the court. A point is given to the opposing team if they score with a goal-scoring attempt.