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Tennis fans shared their strong opinions on the pro tournaments held in pickleball after a recent video criticizing The Professional Tour of Pickleball (PPA Tour) went viral on social media.
Pickleball has widely been declared as the fastest growing sport in America. The game is majorly played by older adults due to its relatively less athletic nature. However, the paddle sport, which is easy to grasp and easy to execute, has seen young individuals try their hands at it on the professional tour of late.
Numerous celebrated athletes such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, current and former tennis players Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, Kim Clijsters and James Blake, as well as Hollywood celebrities such as Heidi Klum and Eva Longoria are known to have invested in the sport.
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The sport has received severe backlash from sports fans, who have criticized its unchallenging nature, and declared it to be a ‘recreational sport.’ This has also been a major factor in its poor watchability, as per fans.
July 30 was the PPA Tour’s Championship Sunday, with men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles final matches scheduled for the day. The event was held in Seattle, Washington, and was broadcasted on ESPN as well as YouTube.
The No. 1 duo in the sport, Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters faced off against James Ignatowich and Anna Bright in the mixed doubles final.
A video clip from the match went viral on social media. It showed the quartet engaged in an unending slow-paced rally, which left fans highly unimpressed.
Many sports fans slammed ESPN for broadcasting the event. Several fans blamed the game’s surprisingly rapid growth on the high-profile celebrities buying stakes in it.
“Literally nobody asked for this but all these big names invested in it and now they force it upon us like it's something anyone cares about,” one fan said.
“The pickleball agenda is ruining this country,” another fan said.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
"How about fixing the tennis courts in the city" – Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs on pickleball
Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs, alongside several other former players, has frequently voiced her displeasure about newly trending sport.
It is worth noting that numerous tennis courts as well basketball courts in the United States have been converted to pickleball courts, which has further enraged sports fans.
Recently, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation announced that five new free courts will be unveiled at the Riverside Park for fans of the new sport. The news did not sit well with Rennae Stubbs. She blasted the department for building new pickleball courts while neglecting the damaged tennis courts in the city.
“How about fixing the tennis courts in the city and surrounding areas!? There are a lot more people wanting to play tennis in this city and you give them less and less options! Also fix the courts u have! U know like the ones people play on with cracks and craters!” she said.
