World No. 2 and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has raised concerns about the future of tennis at the club level, warning that the sport is at risk of being overtaken by paddle and pickleball.
The 37-year-old Serbian tennis icon voiced his concerns while speaking to the media after defeating Alexei Popyrin to reach the Wimbledon last-16.
“If we don’t do something about it globally, they’re gonna convert all the tennis clubs into paddle or pickleball courts,” Djokovic stated.
“In terms of innovation in our sport, aside from the Grand Slams, we need to figure out how to attract a young audience. Tennis is in a good place, but when we look at Formula 1 and their marketing, the growth of the sport, and the popularity of races around the world, we realize our tours need to improve,” Djokovic said.
“The Grand Slams will always do well, but our tours need to do better. Tennis is historic and global, but a PTPA study from 3 or 4 years ago showed tennis is the 3rd or 4th most-watched sport in the world along with cricket. Yet, in terms of capitalizing on its popularity, tennis ranks 9th or 10th.”
Djokovic highlighted the disparity in earnings within the sport, noting, “We need to grow the number of players who can make a living from tennis. Only 350 to 400 players, across both men’s and women’s singles and doubles, can live from this sport. That’s deeply concerning. The focus is often on Grand Slam winners and the top prizes, but we neglect the base level.”
Djokovic, record ten Australian Open titles further emphasised the lack of accessibility and affordability in tennis, especially in countries without strong federations or big budgets.
“Tennis is loved by millions of children who want to play, but we don’t make it accessible or affordable,” he said. “We need to come together or create a new foundation that focuses on the base level of tennis, the club level.”
Djokovic expressed concern about the rise of paddle and pickleball, noting their financial appeal to club owners. “Paddle is growing and emerging. People say, ‘Tennis is the king or queen of all racquet sports.’ That’s true, but at the club level, tennis is endangered. You can build three paddle courts on one tennis court, making it more financially viable for club owners.”
He however called for collective action to address these challenges. “We need to address these issues because they’ve been out there for a while, and I don’t think we’ve been addressing them properly.”
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