According to the February 2021 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) 2021 Topline Participation Report, 4.2 million Americans played pickleball in 2020, up from 3.46 million in 2019.
Pickleball combines tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. Gameplay is similar to tennis but played on a badminton court with a modified net.
He attributes the rise of pickleball to courts in Sun City and the Villages, large retirement communities in Arizona and Florida.
As the sport gained popularity, all ages sought to play.
Upson says, “The last five years have really seen a huge growth in pickleball participation in the U.S. He tells two reasons pickleball is popular.