Novak Djokovic will pick up a paddle and play world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in pickleball one month after claiming that the pickleball craze endangered tennis.
Ahead of the start of the Open on Monday, Djokovic, the reigning U.S. Open champion and a 24-time Grand Slam winner, will take on Sinner in The Head NYC Mash-Up on Thursday. Sinner recently emerged victorious in the Cincinnati Open final, defeating Frances Tiafoe, an American, in straight sets on Monday. The event will also feature Barbora Krejcikova, a two-time major champion.
Djokovic stated only a month ago that pickleball’s rise posed a threat to tennis. Djokovic said earlier: “Now we have the padel or pickleball, as you call it in the States, that is growing and emerging. People kind of have fun with it and say, Yeah, but tennis is tennis. Tennis is the king or queen of all the racquet sports, that’s true. But on a club level, tennis is endangered. If we don’t do something about it, as I said, globally or collectively, padel, pickleball in States, they’re going to convert all the tennis clubs into padel and pickleball because it’s just more economical.”
The most recent tennis players to embrace pickleball are Djokovic and Sinner. Maria Sharapova, John McEnroe, Steffi Graf, and Andre Agassi have all participated in pickleball competitions. Former American tennis players Sam Querrey and Jack Sock are now professional pickleball players.
Novak Djokovic in 2024
Currently the world no.2, Novak played his last match on the 4th of August when he beat world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3) 7-6(2) in the final in Paris to win his 99th career title.
During this season Novak has achieved a compiled 29-7 record. Novak clinched 1 title in Paris. The Serbian reached the final in Wimbledon.
He is also scheduled to play in Shanghai (Shanghai Rolex Masters) on the 30th of September and Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) on the 28th of October.
Novak Djokovic |
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