1. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America with all ages hitting the courts every day. According to Sportico, “Last year, 13.6 million people tried the sport. That’s a 52% increase from 2022.”
2. Pickleball is so popular that you can watch it 24/7 on various streaming services. There is a channel called Pickleball TV, where one can watch past tournaments.
3. Network sports channels carry many major tournaments. The major one is the Minto U.S. Open held in Naples Florida since 2016. Unfortunately, we missed it this year, it was held April 13-20. But you can look forward to the Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships to be held November 10-17, 2024 in Mesa Arizona.
4. Washington made it the official state sport. The game was invented by Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum and Bill Bell on Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1965. It is considered a combination of badminton, tennis and table tennis.
5. As of June 12, 2024, the average annual pay for a Pickleball Pro in the U.S. is $112,707 a year.
6. There are two professional pickleball tours: the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP), and the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA).
7. Tennis and golf thrive on international competition. Pickleball is trying to grow the game globally and pursuing Olympic inclusion. Not yet an Olympic sport, 2032 may be pickleball’s earliest opportunity to be included, but 2036 is more realistic.
8. The game is spreading worldwide, the Association of Pickleball Players (APP Tour) partnered with ESPN in 2023 to air tournament coverage in China.
9. There is an Asia Pacific international tournament called the “Race to Carmelina.” Eight tournaments are in Asia and four in Australia, with finals held at Carmelina Beach Resort in Vietnam.
10. Naples, Florida is vying for the honor of Pickleball Capital of the world. It is a city that is obsessed with pickleball as they have an abundance of pickleball courts, clubs, and tournaments.
