Rising Popularity of Pickleball

Pickleball is rapidly growing in popularity as a new favorite sport among the urban middle class, taking over from frisbee which became an instant hit in 2022. Public data shows that the average annual growth rate in the number of people participating in frisbee sports has been over 25% in the last three years. However, the craze for frisbee did not last long and experienced a sharp decline, while pickleball continued to heat up.

Pickleball originated in Seattle, the United States and its playing style is similar to that of table tennis, badminton, and tennis. The court size of a pickleball court is the same as a badminton court, which is 6.1 meters by 13 meters. The pickleball racket used by athletes can be considered a larger version of a table tennis racket, generally made of mixed materials or carbon fiber. The diameter of a pickleball is 74mm, which is similar in size to a tennis ball, but the material of a pickleball is usually hard plastic and hollow.

Compared with table tennis and badminton, pickleball can stretch the body more, but does not require as strenuous movement as tennis. Therefore, after its introduction, pickleball quickly became popular among the middle-aged and elderly middle class in the United States.

With the participation of celebrities such as Bill Gates, Kim Kardashian, and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as the convenience of pickleball courts and equipment, many young people in cities have also begun to take up the sport.

According to the USA Pickleball Association, the number of people participating in pickleball in the United States increased by 85.7% YoY to 36 million in 2022, and the average age of athletes is 33.6 years. Pickleball has also been included in the performance program at the 2024 Paris Olympics. According to several foreign media reports, if pickleball performs well at the Paris Olympics, it is likely to become an official event at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Currently, the global pickleball market has surpassed 100 million USD in size. The industry estimates that for just one product, the pickleball racket, its market size is expected to reach about 256 million USD in 2028.