Alfi Explores Sports — P is for Pickleball

Dinks, Drives, and a Paddle-Powered Revolution

AthleteFi smashes into the sixteenth installment in the Alfi Explores Sports series — dinking into pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in America that's taking the world by storm.

The Origins of Pickleball

Pickleball was born in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Joel Pritchard, a US Congressman, and his friend Bill Bell arrived home to find their families bored with nothing to do. They improvised a game using ping-pong paddles, a perforated plastic ball, and a badminton court with a lowered net. The result was instantly addictive — and they named it after the Pritchards' dog, Pickles, who chased the ball around the yard.

For decades the sport was a backyard favourite for retirees in Florida and the Southwest. Then it exploded. By 2023, over 36 million Americans played pickleball, with professional leagues, celebrity investors, and global expansion into the UK, Spain, and India following rapidly behind.

How Pickleball Works

Pickleball is played on a court one-third the size of a tennis court, with a net that's 34 inches high at the centre. Players use solid paddles to hit a lightweight perforated plastic ball over the net, in singles or doubles format.

The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone): A seven-foot zone on either side of the net where players cannot volley the ball. Mastering kitchen play — soft dinks, resets, and patient positioning — is what separates beginners from champions.

The Double Bounce Rule: The serving team must let the ball bounce before returning, and so must the receiving team. This eliminates the serve-and-volley advantage and rewards strategy over power.

Scoring runs to 11, win by 2, and only the serving team can score. The game is easy to learn in minutes but takes years to fully master.

Notable Pickleball Players

Ben Johns (USA): Widely regarded as the world's best player — a three-time national champion whose court vision and soft-game mastery are unmatched in the sport.

Anna Leigh Waters (USA): The prodigy who turned professional at age 15. She's been ranked No. 1 in the world in singles and doubles, cementing herself as the face of the sport's future.

Tyson McGuffin (USA): Three-time national champion and fan favourite, known for explosive athleticism and a fearless attacking style.

Dinking Toward the Next Challenge

Pickleball's genius is its accessibility — almost anyone can play it within minutes — paired with a strategic ceiling high enough to occupy a lifetime of study. It is the rare sport that is genuinely fun at every level, and its growth shows no sign of stopping.

Next up: Q — a sport that started in fiction and became very, very real. Follow along on AthleteFi for hidden challenges and weekly updates.