Jack Sock, Kaitlyn Christian, Sam Querrey, and Donald Young are among the notable American tennis players who have joined the ranks of the Carvana PPA Pickleball Tour.
Several former and current tennis players from the United States and other countries are switching to a sport called pickleball. The sport of pickleball is gaining popularity rapidly in the US and across the world. Jack Sock, Kaitlyn Christian, Sam Querrey and Donald Young are some of the American tennis players who have signed into Carvana PPA Pickleball Tour.
Sock has announced that he would retire from tennis after 2023 US Open. To the surprise of many, Sock is retiring at the age of only 30 years while senior tennis players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic continue to play the game.
One of the probable reasons for switching to pickleball is that the sport is less demanding on the body. And with time as pickleball becomes more popular, it will draw sponsors and huge number of spectators, thus narrowing the pay gap as compared to a sport like tennis.
About Carvana PPA Pickleball Tour
The 2023 Carvana PPA Tour to which the tennis players have switched to for playing pickleball, has a total prize money purse of $5.5 million. For tennis players who are in the twilight phase of their career, good money with lesser effort is definitely a big attraction.
Moreover, the official website of the 2023 Carvana PPA Tour promises equal play and pay to top male and female players.
What is Pickleball
Pickleball is sort of a combination of tennis, table tennis and badminton and the game was invented in 1965.It is played on a rectangular court measuring 44 foot by 20 feet with a flat paddle and a perforated plastic ball. The height of the net that divides the court at the center is 34 inches.
It can be played with two players(singles) or four players(doubles). It is the fastest growing sports in the United States.
In the game, the serve must be hit underhand from behind the base line. The ball should land cross-court in the opposition team’s service court. After the serve is received, the opposition player must allow the ball to bounce at least once before hitting it back to the other side of the court. Also, for the first time, the serving team must make contact with the returned ball only after it has bounced once. This is called the double bounce rule.
After the volleying starts, a team score points when the opposition team sends the ball wide beyond the sidelines. Points are also given when the opposition team is not able to return the ball before it bounces twice in their side of the court. If an opposition team hits the ball into the net, point is awarded to the other team.
Disclaimer: Except for the headline and synopsis, this story has been taken from the HT News Service