Reilly
Opelka commented that
pickleball club owners are better than the competing
athletes, owners include
Naomi Osaka and
Nick Kyrgios.
The growing
popularity of pickleball has captured the attention of fans, especially those
of tennis and paddle tennis, given the similarities between them. According to
the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, pickleball was the fastest-growing
sport in the United States between 2021 and 2022.
Pickleball
reportedly reached around 4.8 million players in 2022, and that number is
expected to continue rising in 2023. The cost of a Major League Pickleball team
has skyrocketed from $100,000 in 2021 to over $5 million today.
This
increase can be attributed to the involvement of well-known owners who have
invested in the sport, such as Mark Cuban, David Dobrik, Naomi Osaka, LeBron
James, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, and Nick Kyrgios.
"Pickleball
is the only sport where team owners are better athletes than the
'Athletes'," Opelka wrote on Instagram.
Pickleball
has quickly become an attractive sport for investors and fans, so it is likely
that more stars and athletes will invest in pickleball teams.