Pickleball is the sport of the future. Pickleball is going to eventually surpass tennis in popularity. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America and you NEED to come play some time.
Those are all real things that you have probably heard from someone you know in the last year or so and some of it is true! A sport that was once kept mostly to retirement communities and high school gym class is skyrocketing in popularity. There is no sport in the United States that has gained more steam since 2021 than pickleball.
It’s a lot of fun to play. It’s less taxing on the body. Anyone, of any age or gender, can be good at it.
However, that same notion of equality is what casts doubt on the sport from a viewership standpoint. One particular point from the Carvana PPA Tour Celebrity Showdown on Wednesday is especially embarrassing for the legitimacy of pickleball.
Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked professional golfer in the world, partnered with Anna Leigh Waters for the match. She is the top-ranked female pickleball player in the world.
They faced John Isner and Ben Johns. The latter is the top-ranked male pickleball player in the world.
Scheffler — who does not play pickleball professionally — absolutely worked Johns in a hands battle. Sure, it was only one point. Sure, the point itself was pretty electric to watch.
But put the result in perspective for a moment…
Scottie Scheffler, a golfer, dominated the top-ranked pickleball player in the world at his own sport.
Imagine the top-ranked golfer in the world playing against LeBron James in basketball. The result would be ugly.
Put Scheffler on a tennis court against Novak Djokovic. He wouldn’t be able to return a single serve.
And yet, in pickleball, Scheffler made the top-ranked player in the world look like a chump! To make matters worse, he lost to Dirk Nowitzki in the next match.
Yes, that is part of what makes pickleball such a popular sport. Anyone can compete with anyone.
On the flip side, having the sport’s best player get worked by a golfer is tough.