"You can feel successful rather quickly, unlike tennis, which takes a long time not to suck" - Martina Navratilova on pickleball's newfound popularity
Tennis great Martina Navratilova has weighed in on the growing popularity of pickleball. The paddle sport has gained a lot of attention in the tennis world, particularly because of its closeness to the sport and the recent interest from tennis players in some form or another.
Navratilova, who won an incredible 59 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles throughout her illustrious career, recently shared her thoughts on pickleball. She believes that players can "feel successful rather quickly" in the paddle sport, as compared to tennis.
The 66-year-old used a quote from tennis reporter Joel Drucker to further highlight the difference between tennis and pickleball.
"Biggest reason pickle ball is so popular, IMNSHO, is that you can be decent and feel successful rather quickly. Unlike tennis, which- in the words of my friend Joel Drucker- takes a long time not to suck," Martina Navratilova wrote on Twitter.
Biggest reason pickle ball is so popular, IMNSHO, is that you can be decent and feel successful rather quickly. Unlike tennis, which- in the words of my friend Joel Drucker- takes a long time not to suck nytimes.com/2022/10/21/sty…
The tennis vs pickeball debate gained more steam with the recent involvement of tennis players in the paddle sport. American player Noah Rubin recently announced his retirement from tennis to make his entry into pickleball.
One of the reasons for the 26-year-old for favoring pickleball at this stage of his career is in line with Navratilova's recent comments on pickleball's newfound popularity.
"The tennis court is just way too big and there's way too much ground to cover," Rubin said in an interview with ESPN. "I recently came across the pickleball court and it clicked, this is where I belong, this is home now. And in this sport, size doesn't matter."
Kim Clijsters also entered the pickleball space, albeit as a team owner. Clijsters joined the likes of Tom Brady and LeBron James in the ownership group of pickleball teams competing in the Major League Pickleball (MLP) 2023.
"Let them build their own courts" - Martina Navratilova on pickleball players
In a tennis vs pickleball controversy earlier this year, a few tennis courts in an American town were almost turned into pickleball courts, much to the dissatisfaction of the tennis community. Navratilova reacted to the incident and took a dig at pickleball, suggesting that if the sport is so popular that pickeball courts could replace tennis courts, they could even build their own courts and not hinder tennis.
"I say if pickleball is that popular let them build their own courts," Martina Navratilova wrote on Twitter.
I say if pickleball is that popular let them build their own courts:) twitter.com/echeath/status…
Replying to Navratilova's comments, a fan asked her if she had tried her hand at the paddle sport. The Czech-American tennis great was clear in her response, stating that she tried playing pickleball once but would rather stick to tennis.
"Tried it once but not with great players. I will stick to tennis for now," she wrote.
@kmantey08 Tried it once but not with great players. I will stick to tennis for now:)