'Might Have To Start Playing': Federer On Popularity Of Pickleball

Sunday, 10 March 2024 at 01:30

byZachary Wimer

Roger Federer is retired from tennis, but he's thinking about picking up pickleball due to how popular it has become.

Pickleball isn't considered a threat to tennis anymore, even though some liked to portray it as such early on. However, it's still growing in popularity quite quickly, so much so that many tennis courts in the United States are being converted to pickleball courts.

That didn't escape the attention of legendary former ATP player Roger Federer, who joked about potentially picking up the sport in an interview with NBC. Federer isn't active anymore, but he never ruled out returning to the courts in a lighter format.

Perhaps that ends up being pickleball. Many former legendary tennis players have played the sport, in popular exhibition tournaments, and we may see the Swiss Maestro in one of them in the future as well.

Read also

Sinner Dismisses 'Unbeatable' Tag After Another Convincing Victory

"I have never played pickleball, believe it or not. In Europe we have a lot of padel – I only played that twice. And pickleball, I’ve only seen it. I know that Jack Sock’s on the tour there as well, and some other tennis players are trying it. I heard it’s a very popular, very fast-growing over here, so I might have to start playing it, who knows."

Federer hasn't talked much to the media since retiring, but whenever he did, he admitted to enjoying it. Tennis has been an essential part of his life for a very long time, but retirement isn't so bad either.

"Less pressure [is my favorite part about retirement]. And not having to put my body through a ringer when I’m just not ready to play, so that’s a big relief. I’m also doing rehab for my knee still. I try to work out as much as I can. I play squash and tennis, and I swim a lot now. I am actually trying to stay very active."

He's not done with tennis either, as there are rumors of him taking over the Laver Cup captaincy for Team Europe.