Tennis fans have been highly unimpressed by the promotion of Pickleball in recent months.
Pickleball, a relatively unknown recreational sport, was brought to the forefront in 2022, with numerous celebrities investing in it. Deemed as a progeny of tennis, ping pong and badminton, the activity involves much smaller outdoor courts with paddles replacing the rackets and plastic balls replacing the rubber and felt balls.
Originally invented to keep the elderly active, the sport has now gained backing for its commercialization, with three leagues being launched in the last couple of years.
However, it recently received immense backlash for its lack of athleticism and overall thrill of an actual sport. The activity has also hit the wrong nerve for sports enthusiasts, with pickleball taking over many of their local tennis and basketball courts. Moreover, fans have lambasted US broadcaster Tennis Channel for disregarding significant matches in favor of the recreational sport.
A video showcasing the unsystematic rules of pickleball recently surfaced on social media, and sports fans were quick to express their detestation, with many discounting it as an “unserious” game.
"So America has been tearing up its courts and other recreational facilities to make way for this venture capital-backed parasitic pursuit with an unserious name and unserious rules," one individual remarked.
"I can feel my brain cells dying watching this clip, no wonder the US likes it. That isn't a sport," said another user.
American tennis player
Amanda Anisimova chimed in with the others.
"What is this," she said.
Other users were less reserved in expressing their opinion on the sport.
"I just can’t wrap my head around being a grown adult and being THIS serious about something with such an unserious name and unserious concept," another person stated.