Tennis outstripped: Apple announces Pickleball as the most popular racket sport

A recent study by Apple has revealed that pickleball has overtaken tennis in terms of popularity for the month of July this year. Apple has posted the results of research conducted by its team by drawing smartwatch data from 250,000 anonymous exercises.

In the study, researchers observed a consistent rise in the adoption of pickleball exercises, which for the first time surpassed tennis exercises. The study has found that pickleball exercises lasted marginally longer than those in tennis, although the latter had a higher average peak heart rate and spent more time on average in higher-intensity heart rate zones.

The research was carried out under the Apple Heart and Movement Study in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. USA Pickleball's chief executive officer Mike Nealy expressed his happiness over the results, saying:

“We are pleased to see pickleball-related findings included in the Apple Heart and Movement Study, in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the American Heart Association. There are numerous benefits for individuals of all ages and backgrounds on the pickleball courts as part of a healthy, social, and active lifestyle.” (via Apple Newsroom)

He added:

“As the sport’s national governing body in the United States, it’s increasingly meaningful to see the science behind pickleball using real-world data from Apple Watch. The relatively low-impact, informal, and social nature of pickleball can offer a useful and enjoyable outlet for those looking to increase movement and add to their workouts,” Nealy added.

According to the study, both sports were favored more by men than women. The results have also concluded that 51 was the average age of pickleball players who completed at least ten exercises, compared to 45 for the conventional racket sports enthusiasts.

Graphical representation of the study conducted by Apple. It illustrates the number of participants who logged in for pickleball workouts against the ones who opted for tennis. (via Apple Newsroom)

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Pickleball most popular racket sport among Utah residents, tennis workouts prone to seasonal variations

Anna Leigh Waters & Irina Tereschenko of Utah Black Diamonds in action: Major League Pickleball, Atlanta

Utah, a hotbed for pickleball, was adjudged the state with the highest number of pickleball players per capita. Every 16th Utah participant of the survey admitted to playing the paddle sport at least once in their life.

Spencer J Cox, Governer of Utah, commented on the findings, saying:

“It’s awesome that so many Utahns are grabbing the opportunity pickleball offers to incorporate activity into their days, and this research is a great reminder that exercise of any kind is a powerful way to improve our health.” (via Apple Newsroom)

The study also suggested that pickleball players were more consistent with their workout logins on the Apple smartwatch whereas tennis workouts saw seasonal variations.

In recent times, tennis has witnessed its top players, including Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, and Eugenie Bouchard, pivoting to pickleball.