Former junior Wimbledon champion Noah Rubin gives up on tennis to play pickleball
ATP
Noah Rubin had a relatively successful tennis career, but he has decided to abandon tennis and start a career on the pickleball court.
Rubin played at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in his early tennis years, and at 18, he won the boys' singles tournament at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships.
He was a talented junior player, which he proved by winning Wimbledon as a qualifier, but Rubin struggled to prove his qualities on the ATP Tour. He only competed in 29 matches at the top level, recording only eight wins and 21 losses.
On October 8th, 2018, he peaked at the World No. 125 position in the ATP Rankings, and it seems that Rubin was tired of the everyday grind required to make it on the ATP Tour.
In 2020 and 2021, he had the same record, as he won seven matches and lost nine. In 2022, Rubin played many more matches, and he ended the season with an 18-14 record. His last match was a loss in the first round of qualifying for the 2022 Citi Open. Taro Daniel beat him 6-2, 6-0.
Only a few weeks ago, Rubin announced that he would be taking an indefinite break from tennis. He has now officially ended his career, as he has decided to switch to pickleball, which he announced on social media.
"The tennis court is just way too big, and there's way too much ground to cover. I recently came across the pickleball court, and it clicked, this is where I belong, this is home now. And in this sport, size doesn't matter."
Rubin was asked for a comment by ESPN, and he admitted that he fell in love with the new sport, especially after realizing how big it could grow.
"I'm not a tennis traditionalist, but there's a love for the sport and when you see something like pickleball coming in and so quickly taking over, the knee-jerk reaction is like, 'Get the f--- out of here."
"No chance is this [sport] going to be anything, no chance is this worth a look. But then I put my ego aside, and I was like, 'Wow, I get it now. This all makes sense.'"
