Tennis’ worldwide appeal has routinely made it one of the most followed sports, drawing not just huge crowds, but the world’s biggest names too.
Other athletes and movie stars often flock to watch the biggest tennis events, namely at Wimbledon and the US Open, just desperate for a chance to watch what many argue is the pinnacle of athleticism within sport.
However, despite its popularity, tennis is also an old and at times antiquated endeavour, with rules that seldom change.
As such, many have argued that there is a chance it could get left behind as the generations go by and attention spans decline, given that some matches can last around five hours.
Elon Musk, who is arguably one of the most powerful men on the planet, is certainly of that mind.
The sport Elon Musk predicted would overtake tennis
Ironically, some of the biggest competitors to tennis are not alternative sports like Football or Rugby, but their very own racket spin-offs.
Padel tennis and Pickleball have both experienced overwhelming growth in the past few years, with the latter of those having enjoyed a particular surge in interest across America.
That is likely what spurred Musk to make a rather grim prediction about tennis’ future in relation to pickleball.
Taking to X, in response to a question about the two sports, the Tesla owner claimed in 2024: “It’s probably going to crush tennis. Way more convenient.”
That is yet to come true, although there is no denying the widespread appeal and accessibility of pickleball.
Nick Kyrgios compares Tennis to Pickleball
Nick Kyrgios, who has never been afraid of voicing his controversial opinions, has unsurprisingly weighed in on this very debate.
In fact, he even suggested that he would consider playing pickleball professionally after he has retired from tennis.
Speaking in 2023, the Australian was overwhelmingly positive, admitting: “To be honest, I love it, and it is getting more people active.
“Pickleball, you can start earlier. I know people who are over 50 that love playing pickleball. It’s good, it’s generally getting more people active and playing. It’s growing.”
However, he was also keen to emphasise the huge skill gap between tennis and pickleball players.
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