David Zapatka
Not only is the answer to that question a resounding “Yes!” but it is also an absolute phenomenon. Pickleball was named America’s fastest-growing sport for the fifth consecutive year following 2025, when data showed 24.3 million players in the U.S. alone, a 171.8% increase over the previous three years, as reported by the Sports and Industry Fitness Association (SIFA), proving the naysayers absolutely wrong. The explosive growth of the sport is way beyond a short-lived trend.
Isn’t pickleball an old person’s sport? Isn’t it just a game? This time the answer is a resounding “No!”
What may have looked like an old person’s sport to casual observers is played by people of all ages. Today’s average player age is now 34.8 years. In 2023, the 25-to-34 age group was the largest segment at 16.7% of participants, while players 65 and older represented 15.4%. Ages 18 to 24 represented 13.3%. Over 1 million players under the age of 18 are being added to the list of players every two years. Pickleball has become a sport for people of all ages. Pickleball is now a staple of junior high and high school physical education classes. Universities across the country are building courts for their faculty and students. There are now collegiate leagues and tournaments. Across the nation, there are 18,258 pickleball locations and 82,613 known courts. Pickleball has also become big business. One Market.us forecast valued the global pickleball market at $2.2 billion in 2024 and projected it could reach $9.1 billion by 2034. In terms of growth, this would represent a 15.3% compound annual growth rate from 2025 through 2034.
59.1% of all pickleball players are male. 40.1% are female. Pickleball still has a large following in the 65+ range and for good reason. It’s easy to learn, it’s social, it’s excellent exercise and it’s fun! Walk around any pickleball facility and you’ll hear the voices of joy and excitement. Players are having a blast and feeling good about playing the sport. The learning curve is short and forgiving. It doesn’t cost much to play. The equipment is affordable and now there are courts everywhere. It’s easy to find people who want to play. If you’re a competitive player, there is plenty of club competition, tournaments and leagues. Just look at the success of the Arizona Pickleball Players League (APPL). What started as a small group of clubs on Riggs Road in the east valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area under the name East Valley Interclub League (EVIL), by visionary Greg Mather, APPL is now a league of over 6,000 players that hosts state and national championships.
Interested? Find your local club or public courts and join the fun!
Have a question about pickleball? Want to know more about the sport, the rules, equipment or have some pickilicious news you would like to share with our pickleball community? Email David Zapatka at dzapatka@wbhsi.net.