China and USA Unite in Shanghai as Pickleball Bridges Two Heavyweights

by Joe James

What’s the Score?

Pickleball is fostering international goodwill as students from the United States and China engage in a vibrant cultural exchange umbrellaed by the sport’s burgeoning popularity.

Students from Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland arrived in Shanghai last Friday and quickly formed friendships with Luwan Senior High School students.

A friendly pickleball competition was held on Sunday at the Shangai Bund, with student-athletes from each half competing against each other.

Throughout the event, Chinese and American students commented on how the sport was a unifying force.

They further added the power of pickleball in building connections, irrespective of geographical proximities.

The trip wasn’t just pickleball-packed, as there was time to soak in the wonderful culture and scenery.

Students had the chance to learn about the country through city walks, traditional craft activities, and tours, including a visit to the China Table Tennis Museum.

Events like this recall the historical role of ping-pong in bridging America’s and China's relations, and it is promising to see pickleball emerge in the same light.

Hit it Deeper!

Pickleball may be a newcomer to China’s sports scene, but it’s picking up pace, and that pace is not stuttering. Introduced only a few years ago, it’s now being played in parks, rooftops, and converted badminton courts across cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing.

In 2023, Chinese sports authorities unveiled ambitious plans to construct 10,000 courts and expand the player population to 100 million within five years. This goal is bold yet plausible, given the positive momentum observed. Recent reports indicate that roughly one-third of players in China fall within the 18 to 34 age range, reflecting the sport’s rising popularity among younger, active city dwellers.

Social media has played a major role. Platforms like Xiaohongshu have helped turn pickleball into a lifestyle trend, with hashtags like “Pickleball Together” leading to pop-up events in cities nationwide. These campaigns are making the sport visible in spaces where young people already spend their time, both online and offline.

At ground level, clubs like Simple Touch in Chongqing and PANG in Chengdu are giving newcomers a place to learn and play without breaking the bank. These clubs offer affordable sessions and loaner equipment, making it easy for first-timers to join. They are community-first, a commitment not all regions that have experienced pickleball offer. However, this commitment resonates strongly in a country where access and affordability often determine whether a sport catches on.

America is still the premier hub for pickleball, but the students from Maryland got a wonderful opportunity to taste pickleball in another part of the world.

The World Pickleball Verdict

The Shanghai youth exchange was a meaningful step in pickleball’s evolution as a global connector. On one side, you had players from the U.S., where the sport is already mainstream, with pro tours, media buzz, and massive participation. On the other, young players from China, where pickleball is still in its early stages but has caught the buzz, and has the energy of the grassroots, which is always the cornerstone of any popular sport.

Over the weekend, this event in Shanghai brought together two nations at very different stages of pickleball development. In America, the sport is firmly established, whereas China has some chugging momentum and lofty long-term ambitions and is just emerging.

Gaps in the short term are to be expected, given the earliness of China’s pickleball frenzy. Outside of major cities and regions, access may not be so readily available, but a more structured and well-rounded pathway and infrastructure is essential if they want to reach the 100 million player goal by the end of the decade.

Still, this felt like a strong signifier of what is possible with this lovely game we call pickleball. A global crossover of this level in the name of the sport inspires optimism, and creating international relationships between future generations is something we cannot take for granted in these turbulent times.