Roger Federer recently tried his hand at pickleball for the first time, and he gave his verdict on the sport.
Earlier this year, Federer developed a keen interest in the new paddle sport that has become increasingly popular with tennis fans and players. The Swiss entertained the idea of playing it at a recreational level.
He was inspired to see the likes of Jack Sock and Sam Querrey, who are still productive even after retiring from tennis. The two American men play pickleball at a professional level.
In fact, Sock has become so proficient in his new career phase that he now has his own signature paddle. Canada's Eugenie Bouchard was the first active tennis player to become a pickleball pro in 2024. She won her first-ever professional pickleball match last month.
In 2023, it was estimated that the sport grew by 52% in the USA, although it is not considered a threat to tennis. A number of tennis legends have also fared well in exhibition tournaments, with the likes of Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Steffi Graf, and Maria Sharapova taking part in the second edition of the Pickleball Slam.
Pickleball's popularity beyond American territories is still lacking, but we've seen Roland Garros creating awareness of the sport in France with the official unveiling of pickleball courts on their premises.
There's obviously no bigger name to elevate pickleball's soaring growth worldwide than Federer, who actually got to play the sport while on a trip to Vietnam. For a man who has played over 1000 tennis matches, he came to the conclusion that pickleball was the easiest to play.
"It felt like a big version of ping-pong. It felt strange and unreal. It was like 110 degrees when I played, so I was more battling the circumstances than the game. It’s an easier game than tennis and it’s fun."