The?turf war between pickleball and tennis is heating up, and?the?(USTA) United States Tennis Association just announced its casualties. The USTA estimates that?at least 10% of tennis courts in?the?U.S. have been converted for pickleball use. Tennis is hemorrhaging courts at?the?hands of its young rival, and it isn't surprising -?the?economics of pickleball are simply more attractive. ?? One tennis court serves four players,?while?one tennis court converted to four pickleball courts?serves 16 players ?? Clubs can rent out more space, cater to more members, and generate more revenue with just a "few strokes of paint" What makes this situation even more pressing for tennis is?the?sport’s own revival.?The?The Wall Street Journal notes that?the?USTA expects to surpass 24.5 million players?this year and reach 35 million by 2035. With both sports experiencing growth,?the?battle for court space is heating up. As Lew Sherr, CEO of?the?USTA, points out,?"Participation is not zero-sum, but?the?court space is." It’s clear that both sports are here to stay, but facilities across?the?country will need to find ways to accommodate?the?growing demand. Whether it's repurposing existing courts or building new ones,?this turf war is far from over. This segment is proudly brought to you by The Dink Pickleball Newsletter. https://lnkd.in/e9_AbgmQ
Benjamin Pitman
3 个月
The number is likely much higher than 10%.
Experienced business development, marketing & creative executive
3 个月It’s converting courts that aren’t in use … weren’t being used … The problem in Pickleball is that it’s almost too easy to play and that sees all these new courts flooded with beginners who believe they are 4.0 players … games last 10 minutes as there are no rallys - Tennis players seem to dominate the Pro circuit…So when is that predicted to sway the other way?