To many's dismay, over the past few years tennis courts across the US, and the world, have been rapidly taken over by the pickleball court, a sport that you probably hadn't heard of until a few years ago. Despite its invention in 1965, it wasn't until the late 2010s when its popularity skyrocketed; and was subsequently named the fastest growing sport by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association from 2021 to 2024.
The sport is much easier to learn than tennis and relatively inexpensive, making it the perfect hobby for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to compete against each other in a fun yet competitive way. Pickleball has also grabbed the attention of many former tennis players who have aided in bringing the professional side of pickleball into the public eye, see some of them below.
Andre Agassi
© Getty ImagesThis list has to begin with Andre, an 8-time Grand Slam winner, who completed the coveted achievement where a player must win all four majors, something only 13 other tennis players have done. He also won the Olympic gold medal in 1996. Andre participated in the first live airing of pickleball on ESPN in 2023 and in April 2025 he made his professional debut at the US Open Pickleball Championships, where he won alongside Anna Leigh Waters.
Eugenie Bouchard
© Getty ImagesEugenie saw much success as a junior tennis player, winning her first professional title when she was 16, and she also achieved a career-high ranking of world no. 5 in 2014. In 2023, she was reportedly offered $1.5 million from the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) to join the professional pickleball circuit, where she is currently considered one of the biggest pickleball stars.
John McEnroe
© Getty ImagesJohn is another former world no. 1 tennis player and seven-time Grand Slam winner to make the shift to pickleball in recent years. John debuted in 1978 and officially retired from tennis in 1992. He pursued many passions after his retirement, having had a brief music career, working as a sports commentator, before joining Andre's in ESPN’s first live airing of pickleball in 2023.
James Blake
© Getty ImagesJames, a former world no. 4 tennis player, was an early investor in professional pickleball. He invested in Major League Pickleball (MLP) in 2021 and co-owns the MLP team the Milwaukee Mashers, making him one of the first tennis stars to make the move.
Aryna Sabalenka
© Getty ImagesCurrently world no. 1 in singles, Aryna hasn't missed out on the fun of pickleball. In January 2025, Aryna played a casual game in the Hilton Rooftop Pickleball event in Melbourne, Australia, cementing pickleball's relevance in the world of professional tennis.
Pickleball has proven itself to be an ideal sport for retired tennis players; so, who will be next? It probably won't be Andy Murray, who retired in 2024, and who previously stated that he's "not a fan." Despite Andy not approving, it doesn't look like pickleball's growth will slow down anytime soon, and the sport that combines the best parts of tennis, ping pong and badminton will likely be around for many more decades to come.
