Tennis players Jack Sock and John Isner are set to compete in the Pickleball Team Championships.
With the pickleball vs tennis feud growing by the day, the participation of the two American players is sure to ratchet things up even further.
The Pickleball Team Championship will have four teams participating. Each team consists of three women and four men and will go head-to-head in a round-robin format. This will be followed by two semi-final fixtures that will eventually decide the finalists.
Several tennis personalities have voiced their disapproval of the newly emerging sport. Some even fear that the rising popularity of pickleball could represent a threat to tennis’ fanbase.
World No. 41 Isner has already taken part in a charity pickleball doubles match in Dallas, where he paired up with NBA star Dirk Nowitzki. They squared off against Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler of the Professional Golfers’ Association.
What tennis players have said about pickleball
Tennis players, past and present, have been polarized in their opinions of the newly emerging sport of pickleball. While Serena Williams and James Blake have voiced their support for the sport’s growth, Reilly Opelka and Rennae Stubbs, among others, have repeatedly made their disapproval of pickleball clear via social media.
During a conversation on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Williams provided her views of the sport.
“I love pickleball. Isn’t it fun? And I love that it’s everywhere now. It could be a second career of mine,” she said.
Former World No. 4 James Blake is the co-owner of the Major League Pickleball (MLP) team, The Lions. He has been closely associated with the sport ever since his retirement.
Reilly Opelka, however, took a sarcastic dig at the nascent sport, tweeting:
“Pickleball is the new bingo.”
Former doubles No. 1 Rennae Stubbs also made her views clear, stating that she would rather watch paint dry than a game of pickleball.
“Just to let everyone know, I will NOT be investing in a Pickleball franchise & will never turn a tv on to watch Pickleball. I would rather watch pain(t) dry. Why all these tennis players think Pickleball is worth investing in & not the game that made them all the $$$ is beyond me,” she tweeted.
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