Andy Roddick dismisses James Blake's invitation to play pickleball with him, John Isner, and Jack Sock
Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick dismissed James Blake's invitation to play pickleball alongside him, John Isner, and Jack Sock.
Blake recently showcased his skills in the Major League Pickleball final, where he rallied his team to victory after trailing 20-21, winning three consecutive points.
Taking to Twitter, Blake expressed his delight at having had a fun time with his team at the event.
"So fun to play. A great final and my team kept picking me up. We certainly had the coach of the year with Jorja Johnson. @MajorLeaguePB," read his tweet.
Reacting to this, Roddick joked that pickleball is easy and that his long time friend Blake is fast.
"Yes. Cause Pickleball is easy and Blake is fast," he wrote.
@JRBlake @MajorLeaguePB Yes. Cause pickleball is easy and James is fast
Blake opined that Roddick is fast as well as he invited the former US Open champion to play pickleball alongside him and his American counterparts John Isner and Jack Sock.
"You are fast too. Let's get on a court soon and play some. Maybe get @JackSock92 and the weak link @JohnIsner out there," he tweeted.
@andyroddick @MajorLeaguePB You are fast too. Let’s get on a court soon and play some. Maybe get @JackSock92 and the weak link @JohnIsner out there.
However, Roddick amusingly rejected the invitation with a one-word reply.
"No," said Roddick.
@JRBlake @MajorLeaguePB @JackSock92 @JohnIsner No
Rennae Stubbs, the former Australian professional who has been critical of pickleball and the buzz surrounding the sports in the tennis world, reacted to the whole conversation with a tears of joy emoji.
@andyroddick @JRBlake @MajorLeaguePB @JackSock92 @JohnIsner 😂😂
Andy Roddick has admitted in the past that pickleball lacks the learning curve, movement, spin, and speed of tennis. However, he approves the sport as a "blast to play".
"I can admit when I'm wrong. My official amendment is that pickleball is like tennis w not nearly as much learning curve, movement, spin or speed. It's a blast to play though," Roddick tweeted.
I can admit when I’m wrong. My official amendment is that pickleball is like tennis w not nearly as much learning curve, movement, spin or speed. It’s a blast to play though. Watch us be average at it live at noon today on @espn @pickleballslam @AndreAgassi twitter.com/Pickleheadpod/…
Andy Roddick featured at the 2023 Pickleball Slam alongside Andre Agassi and John McEnroe
Andy Roddick partnered alongside former tennis players Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, and Michael Chang in the 2023 Pickleball Slam event.
The Pickleball Slam was held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, the event featured singles and doubles matches, with a lucrative $1 million prize for the winners. Roddick and Agassi emerged victorious, defeating McEnroe and Chang 3-1 to claim the substantial purse.
The Pickleball Slam garnered impressive TV ratings, surpassing viewership numbers of 13 nationally televised MLB games, seven NBA matches, and five NHL games. The event was broadcast live on ESPN in the United States.