Tennis at the club level may be seriously threatened by padel and pickleball, according to Novak Djokovic. In a recent interview, Djokovic emphasized how crucial it is for the tennis community to innovate and draw in a younger demographic in order to maintain the appeal of the game.
“If we don’t do something about it globally, they’re gonna convert all the tennis clubs into padel or pickleball,” Djokovic stated.
Djokovic compared Formula 1 to other sports, pointing out that the series has effectively promoted itself and increased in popularity across the globe. He pushed tennis to follow suit, noting that the game trails behind other sports in terms of commercializing its appeal even though it is one of the most watched worldwide. Additionally, he emphasized how critical it is to sustain the sport at its grassroots level and keep it reasonably priced and accessible, particularly in nations without robust federations. Djokovic pointed out that pickleball and padel are more financially feasible for club owners because numerous courts can be constructed for these games in the area of a single tennis court.
“We need to grow the number of players that live from this sport. We’re still doing a very poor job there,” Djokovic remarked.
To sum up, Djokovic’s impassioned appeal is a wake-up call for the tennis community to develop and support the sport’s foundational players in order to keep it from being eclipsed by pickleball and padel.
