via Brandon Wenerd / BroBible
Pete Wentz is bringing punk-rock energy to a sport better known for quiet claps and country club exclusivity. On Saturday, the Fall Out Boy bassist hosted his second-ever Pete Wentz Tennis Club event in Los Angeles, following the debut of Lucky Losers in Chicago during Riot Fest earlier this year. His mission? To break down tennis’s centuries-old reputation as an elitist pastime and make it something everyone—yes, even you with the garage-sale racket—can enjoy.
It’s a little Royal Tenenbaums with shades of Richie on the court, a little emo, and a little anti-country-club rebellion—like swapping a string quartet for a garage band.
For Wentz, tennis isn’t just a hobby—it’s personal. “I love tennis. I grew up with it. Tennis has enriched my life,” he told BroBible in an interview at the LA event. “But it also has this air of being impenetrable. It’s not just elitist; it feels like something only certain people are allowed to be part of. The goal of this club is to change that. To make tennis accessible, interesting, and even a little rock-and-roll. If you want to try it, you should try it.”
Breaking Down the Walls
Wentz is a man who’s been smashing boundaries his whole life, whether it’s through music, fashion, or now, tennis. His vision for the PW Tennis Club, which boasts over 5,000 followers on Instagram, isn’t just to challenge the literal fences around the sport but also the mental walls we build for ourselves.
“There’s another wall we all face: the wall we build for ourselves,” Wentz explained to the crowd in Los Angeles. “‘I’ve never done this before. This is outside of my comfort zone.’ Stepping out of your comfort zone is amazing. It can be weird, even scary, but it’s worth it. Trying something new today is better than waiting until tomorrow.”
The LA event at Balboa Courts in Encino perfectly captured this ethos, with free bagels from Yeastie Boys Bagels, Liquid Death water for hydration, and a crowd that ranged from first-time players to die-hard fans of both tennis and Wentz.
Infinity On High, Tennis All Year Round
The first Pete Wentz Tennis Club in Chicago was, by Wentz’s own admission, a little chaotic.
“We were kind of inventing it as we went,” he said in the BroBible interview. “You know how you’re adding to a recipe, but you can’t really take anything out? That’s what it felt like. The coolest part, though, was watching people who had never picked up a racket before give it their all. Stepping outside your comfort zone is hard, and seeing that was the coolest part to me.”
The LA event, however, had a polish only Southern California could provide.
@brandonwenerd I interviewed @Pete Wentz from @Fall Out Boy about his mission to make tennis more inclusive and get people out of their comfort zones with his Lucky Losers PW Tennis Club. It was a great afternoon for tennis in Los Angeles! Story on @BroBible dot com
“I didn’t understand how incredible it is here until I moved to LA while we were making Infinity on High,” Wentz told the crowd. “People talk about traffic and Erewhon and all that stuff, but they don’t tell you the real secret: you can go outside all year round. There’s this giant hit of dopamine waiting for you, right outside your front door.”
A Rock-and-Roll Spin on Tennis
Wentz has been open about his love for tennis for years. Earlier in 2024, Fall Out Boy landed a Dillion Francis remix of “Heartbreak Feels So Good” on the 2K TopSpin tennis video game soundtrack, cementing his connection to the sport. He was also named the franchise’s first-ever Off-Court Ambassador. But with the Pete Wentz Tennis Club, he’s turning that love into action.
“Tennis has this stereotype of being elitist,” Wentz said to the crowd on Saturday. “But to me, the coolest people in tennis have always been the outsiders—Agassi, McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, Serena Williams, Kyrgios. They all brought something different to the game. That’s what this club is about: breaking down those walls and inviting everyone in.”
Fans and attendees have embraced the mission. One Instagram commenter called the Chicago event “the absolute coolest experience,” sharing that her son was so inspired he now wants to sign up for tennis lessons. Another fan wrote, “This was so much fun—really cool to see all levels of experience give it a go and have a good time.”
Big Dreams, Big Ambitions for the PW Tennis Club
When asked about his dream for the club, Wentz didn’t hesitate. “Aryna Sabalenka—she’s the greatest. I’d love to get her to stop by at some point. But honestly, I’m always surprised by how many people casually play. They’ll notice your shoes or something and say, ‘Oh, I play too!’”
For Wentz, it’s about mixing a love of the game with something meaningful. As he continues to evolve the Pete Wentz Tennis Club, his mission remains clear: to make tennis more inclusive, more accessible, and just a little louder. And if the enthusiasm at his events is any indication, he’s already winning the match.
And as one Instagram fan summed it up back in September: “This was one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of. So f***ing cool.”