Reilly Opelka on pickleball: "Only sport where team owners are better than actual athletes"

Taking a dig at pickleball, professional tennis player Reilly Opelka has remarked that those athletes who own teams in the Major League Pickleball were actually better than those who are going to play the sport.

Pickleball has been getting bigger in the United States and around the world. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, pickleball was the sport that grew the most in the US in 2021 and 2022. It was estimated to have over 4.8 million players in 2022 and the numbers would only increase in 2023.

The Information revealed that starting an MLP team in 2021 costed $100,000, but today, it would cost $5 million. The report attributed this increase to the involvement of celebrities such as Mark Cuban, LeBron James, David Dobrik, Naomi Osaka, Tom Brady, and Michael Phelps.

Opelka shared the post on his Instagram story on June 9. The American added a comment that may have been a friendly tease directed towards fellow tennis players who have also tried pickleball.

“Pickleball is the only sport where team owners are better athletes than the ‘Athletes’”, Opelka wrote on Instagram.

Reilly Opelka on Instagram

Pickleball may be a new sport, but it has already made a big difference in the sports industry and culture. As more celebrities and athletes join the pickleball craze, it will be interesting to see how the sport grows in the future.

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Reilly Opelka calls for more transparency on the professional tour if tennis is to move forward

Reilly Opelka

Reilly Opelka wants more openness in professional tennis as he thinks it is essential for the sport’s business to grow.

Opelka, who also recently suggested that the ATP should eliminate doubles tennis, spoke about another major change he would like to see on the tour — the operational and managerial aspects of the circuit.

“I would want transparency all around in this sport. That’s how sports move forward, businesses move forward.” Reilly Opelka said on a recent episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast.

“Players have a split with net revenue. That’s like the biggest suc*er deal in sports. Who does a net revenue deal? That’s crazy. That absolutely doesn’t exist in other sports,” he added.

Opelka also justified his earlier proposal to get rid of doubles tennis, saying that the format does not generate enough revenue to break even.

The 35-year-old has been out of action since August last year as he is still recovering from multiple injuries. Opelka will start training in two months after his wrist injury heals.