Novak Djokovic has expressed concerns that padel and pickleball could pose a significant threat to tennis at the club level. During a recent interview, Djokovic highlighted the urgent need for the tennis community to innovate and attract a younger audience to sustain the sport’s popularity.
“If we don’t do something about it globally, they’re gonna convert all the tennis clubs into padel or pickleball,” Djokovic stated, emphasizing the need for collective action to prevent tennis from losing ground to these emerging sports.
Djokovic drew parallels to other sports, noting how Formula 1 has successfully marketed itself and grown in popularity worldwide. He urged tennis to adopt similar strategies, pointing out that despite being one of the most watched sports globally, it lags in commercializing its popularity.
He also stressed the importance of supporting the base level of the sport, ensuring that it remains accessible and affordable, especially in countries without strong federations. Djokovic noted the economic appeal of padel and pickleball for club owners, as multiple courts for these sports can be built in the space of one tennis court, making them more financially viable.
“We need to grow the number of players that live from this sport. We’re still doing a very poor job there,” Djokovic remarked. He called for a unified effort to address these challenges and safeguard the future of tennis at all levels.
In conclusion, Djokovic’s passionate plea serves as a wake-up call for the tennis community to innovate and invest in the sport’s grassroots to prevent it from being overshadowed by padel and pickleball.
Djokovic in Wimbledon, ranking, and results in 2024
LWWWWWWLWW Ranked world no.2, Djokovic has managed to achieve a 21-6 match record in 2024. Novak is currently competing in Wimbledon where he toppled the world no.123 Vit Kopriva 6-1 6-2 6-2, the world no.277 Jacob Fearnley 6-3 6-4 5-7 7-5 and the world no.47 Alexei Popyrin 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3).
Novak Djokovic will play the world no.15 Holger Rune in the 4th round. Their actual head to head record is 3-2 for Djokovic.
Novak won 98 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 19 on clay courts, 19 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Djokovic is scheduled to play next in Montreal (National Bank Open). He will start from the main draw that will commence on the 5th of August.
Novak Djokovic |
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