Major League pickleball player explains why pickleball has become America's fastest growing sport: 'It's got everything'

In 2019, Pablo Telles was living in Naples, Florida and still loving tennis. This is a sport he has always played, playing in college at the University of West Florida, where he won a Division II national title.

But a trip to a tennis store set Telles on the path to becoming a professional athlete in America's fastest-growing sport.

Pickleball in the United States will see a 51.8% increase in the number of competitors from 2022 to 2023, with a growth rate of 223.5% since 2020.

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As the sport has grown, Major League Pickleball (MLP) has become a league for the best players in the world, like Telles, who stars for MLP's Brooklyn Aces.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Tellez explained why pickleball has become a sport that millions of Americans are taking up.

“I think there are several reasons for that,” said Telles, who is also partnered with LOTTO, who is also co-owner of Ace. “First of all, it's a lot of fun. It's just fun. I've never seen anyone smile and not have fun on a pickleball court. More than any other racquet sport in the sense that it's very close to how I feel. It’s much more social.’ I mean, without that social aspect, I don’t think it’s fun. And that even turns into people using pickleball for dating. , Pickleball as a place to find friends or just hang out.

What is pickleball? How to play, what you need, and how to find a court near you

“Then it's very easy to learn as a sport. When you play tennis or soccer, it takes a while to get better and actually enjoy and understand the sport. When you play pickleball for the first time,” You'll be rallying back and forth, you might not be great yet, but it'll be fun in that sense. ”

Tellez learned about it when he saw an ad for a pickleball tournament that included a $100,000 prize. As a tennis player, he thought the sport would be very easy.

But Mr. Tellez was sadly wrong when he realized how good of a resource the professionals were.

“I registered and I think I went 0-8. I played singles and lost. I played mixed doubles and lost. After that, I thought, 'Oh, this is a little harder than I expected.'” I was hooked.

Tellez started playing every day and turned pro two years ago.

World's top-ranked pickleball player Ben Johns hits a return shot during the Major League Pickleball Tournament at Pictona on Friday, March 24, 2023 in Holly Hill, Florida. (Imagination)

“I don't like losing, and I thought I was better than I actually was,” he said after his first tournament. “But it helped me because it made me want to take this sport more seriously and play regularly. I think that was the key for me. Just getting better and better. I wanted to.”

Telles currently plays for the Aces, a team owned not only by Lotto but also by NBA star Kevin Durant, rapper Drake and actor Michael B. Jordan. Additionally, many players such as LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Gary Vaynerchuk have invested in MLP.

why?

“When I talked to some of them, I was in New York and was able to actually talk to Gary Vee and the other owners there,” Tellez said of the schedule MLP brought to the Big Apple last month. talked about. “They're doing it because they realize how booming this sport is. They don't see any reason why this sport can't grow. And the branding and marketing and marketing aspects… You've got all these professionals who are working hard at it.''And then when a sport goes to the next level, you start seeing it on TV and, let's be honest, everybody loves the sport. The sport should continue to grow. ”

Tellez enjoys working with LOTTO as they enter the pickleball arena. He said joining the brand was a “dream come true” given his familiarity with soccer and tennis products since childhood.

But whether it's a brand, a celebrity, or just someone walking in front of the court, pickleball captivates everyone who comes into contact with it, and anyone who gives it a try will do the same. Tellez promises you'll fall in love with it.

Major League pickleball player Pablo Telles took up the game in 2019. (Lotto)

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“I promise you, once you try it, you'll know exactly where everyone is playing,” he said. “It’s just fun, it’s engaging, it’s sociable, it’s training, it’s all the ingredients that everyone wants. Some people want to train, some people have that little competitive bug inside them. Some people want to work out, some people want to meet other people, and pickleball has it all. ”

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