by Joe James
Andy Murray, three-time Grand Slam champion, made his feelings clear regarding Pickleball in an interview with Pedestrian TV.
The 36-year-old expressed a dislike for the sport, which has seen a massive increase in popularity in recent years. Murray, in an interview with Pedestrian TV, said: “I’m really not a fan of pickleball.
“I don’t like pickleball, I know it’s really popular, particularly in the States, but it’s not for me.
He added: “I just don’t like it.”
In the Scotsman’s explanation, he explained that he finds the noise annoying and that the game is easy to play, whilst admitting it is fun to play.
This is a contradiction to his mother, Judy Murray, who has urged people in her homeland to embrace pickleball with open arms.
In an interview with The National Scot in October, she said: “In terms of setting up quickly, wherever you are, I think it’s a perfect fit for getting people more active, more often in Scotland.”
She also went onto add that it is the ‘perfect transfer out of tennis’ while being a ‘great introduction’ to racket sports.
With the pickleball battle lines drawn in the Murray household, Andy’s emphatic stance signals there is not a post-retirement pickleball hobby on the horizon.
The Recap
After a successful yet injury-hit playing career, of which he retired from in 2024, Murray has teamed up with old foe Novak Djokovic as his coach.
Djokovic is seeking his 25th Grand Slam title and enlisted the help of the former world number ahead of the Australian Open.
At the time of writing, the Serbian finds himself in the third round.
But off the court, his coach, Murray, has made himself unpopular with the pickleball world for his dislike of the game.
A commenter on Instagram said in response: “Pickleball is an easy game to pick up and enjoy but it can be played extremely competitively.”
They added: “I play most racket sports and do not find pickleball especially easy to master but it is very enjoyable to play.”
Alongside Judy Murray, many former Tennis players have found a home on a new court including Eugenie Bouchard, former top 5 ranked player and 2014 Wimbledon finalist, as well as Sam Querrey, a 10-time ATP singles title winner.
Tennis legend Andre Agassi has also discovered a love for pickleball and is part of the investment and management team of the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR).
The PKLBull Verdict
Andy Murray’s not so positive reviews of the sport are unlikely to deter individuals from trying their hand at Pickleball.
The sport has quickly become one of the most popular racket sports in the world, partly down to its fun, low-impact nature as well as the added incentive of socialising.
In 2023, the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) estimated that 48.3 million adults in the United States played pickleball at least once.
Furthermore, in the UK, the sport is expected to grow in an annual rate of 9.5% worth over £110m in revenue.
2025 is set to be another huge year of growth and success in the pickleball sphere with so many long-term plans and goals in place.
Do not be surprised if plenty more ex-tennis players disagree with Murray’s sentiments and find their way on to a pickleball court soon.