"Pickleball is not taking over tennis; That's a very dramatic take"- Influencer Rachel Stuhlmann weighs in on the clash of the two racquet sports

Influencer Rachel Stuhlmann has dismissed the opinion that pickleball is taking over tennis.

Pickleball dates back to 1965, when it was created by former US Congressman Joel Pritchard along with his two friends, Barney McCallum and Bill Bell. However, the racquet sport has yet to achieve tennis' popularity. Things though, particularly in the US, have been slowly but surely changing.

In 2018, the US Pickleball National Championships found a new home at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which is also the iconic location for the annual Indian Wells Masters — one of tennis' most prestigious events outside the Grand Slams. In early 2024, USA Pickleball, the sport's national governing body in the US, reported that at the time, there were over 50,000 pickleball courts in the country across 11,885 locations.

Several tennis players have also contributed to pickleball's growth. For instance, Jack Sock and Eugenie Bouchard have embraced the sport. Former players such as John McEnroe and Andre Agassi are also doing their bit to promote pickleball. In late 2023, Agassi also became a co-owner of pickleball equipment manufacturer Komodo Pickleball.

However, this has created a divide, with many tennis purists being of the opinion that pickleball is taking over tennis. Recently, tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann, who likes playing pickleball, shared her opinion on the matter.

"No, it's (pickleball) not "taking over tennis." That's a very dramatic take lol. There's room for both sports to thrive. And I don't mind the sound," Rachel Stuhlmann wrote in an Instagram post.

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Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf won Pickleball Slam 2 against John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova

Steffi Graf (L) and Andre Agassi (R) at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2015

Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, arguably tennis' most famous power couple, recently featured in the Pickleball Slam 2, which was held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The duo led a team that also featured Jack Sock. They were up against a team led by John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova, which also included James Blake.

Team Agassi-Graf took an early lead at the event as it won the opening doubles match. The second match went their way as well, which put them 2-0 up overall. The final match featured Agassi and Graf locking horns against McEnroe and Sharapova.

Once again, it was the Agassi-Graf duo that came out on top with an 11-7, 13-11 scoreline, making the overall score 4-0 (the final match carried two points). The couple's success saw them take home $1 million in prize money.