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Pickleball has emerged as a strong rival to tennis. The former sport is less strenuous on the body and doesn't require as much financial investment compared to the latter. Thus, its popularity has not come as a surprise to anyone.
Many tennis pros are actively promoting the sport. The Major League Pickleball is one of three pickleball leagues in the sport. The League has expanded to 16 teams from its initial roster of eight. Active tennis players Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios co-own one of the teams, while Tom Brady, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are among some of the other celebrity owners.
Pickleball is largely dominated by tennis players, who see it as an opportunity to continue their careers in a different manner. Quite a few notable names have taken up the sport in recent years. With that in mind, here are five tennis players who have become active pickleball players in recent years:
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#1. Jack Sock
Sock had an illustrious tennis career. He won the Paris Masters 2017, along with three more singles titles and peaked at No. 8 in the rankings. He tasted considerable success in doubles as well, winning three Major titles in men's doubles and another in mixed doubles, along with a gold medal in the discipline at the Rio Olympics 2016.
Sock's days as a tennis player came to an end with an appearance at the US Open 2023. However, he embarked on a new chapter in his life as a pickleball player. Following his retirement from tennis, he signed on to play pickleball full-time with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). He has since cracked into the top 10 of the rankings and bagged a mixed doubles title.
#2. Eugenie Bouchard
Bouchard had a breakthrough season in 2014, finishing as the runner-up to Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon and reaching another couple of Major semifinals. However, she struggled to maintain that level of success after 2015. Loss of form, coupled with injuries, derailed her career.
After a shoulder surgery in 2021, Bouchard attempted a comeback in late 2022 with modest success. She helped Canada win the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023. However, she hasn't done anything else of note apart from that.
While Bouchard hasn't completely distanced herself from tennis, she has become rather active on the pickleball circuit. She currently competes on the PPA Tour and promotes the sport by taking part in various exhibition events. She even scored a win over No. 6 Lea Jansen on the pickleball tour.
#3. John Isner
Isner had a successful run as a tennis player before eventually retiring in 2023. He peaked at No. 8 in the rankings, won 16 career titles including the Miami Open 2018, and made the Wimbledon semifinals. He also scored 29 wins over top 10 players, including two wins over Novak Djokovic when he was ranked No. 1. He has also beaten Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
A year after his retirement from tennis, Isner slowly started dipping his toes into the world of pickleball. He made his debut on the PPA Tour at the Texas Open 2024 in men's doubles. He has been competing on and off since then. While he isn't as active on the pickleball circuit compared to the other pros, he's not skipping it either.
#4. Sam Querrey
With 10 career singles titles and a career-high ranking of No. 11, along with a semifinal showing at Wimbledon 2017, Querrey had a memorable career. He called it quits in 2022, but after competing for so long, staying at home doing nothing wasn't his cup of tea.
Pickleball proved to be the answer for Querrey, and he took up the sport in 2023. He has won a mixed doubles title while competing on the PPA Tour. He's also a member of the Atlanta Bouncers Major League Pickleball team.
#5. Donald Young
Young almost had a fairytale send-off from tennis. Competing in the final tournament of his career at the US Open 2024, he reached the final in mixed doubles alongside Taylor Townsend. However, the duo lost to the Italian pairing of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.
Apart from that, Young peaked at No. 38 in the singles rankings and reached the fourth round of the US Open on two occasions. He also made the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and the Miami Open in 2017.
Young didn't waste any time in moving on from tennis and immediately joined the PPA Tour following the conclusion of his tennis career. He's the latest tennis pro to enter the pickleball club. He has been active on the tour for a few months now and has peaked at No. 24 in the singles rankings.
