Is tennis losing ground to the paddle and pickleball ? At least that's what they seem to think Gerard Piqué et Novak Djokovic, who are concerned about the evolution of the sport in the face of these new, more accessible and spectacular racket disciplines. In recent statements, the two sports figures have highlighted the need to reform tennis to avoid a gradual decline.

Pique: "People don't want to see that"

In a podcast hosted by his former teammate in the Spanish national team, Iker Casillas, Gerard Piqué delivered a new critique of how tennis works. The man who had tried to revolutionize the Davis Cup with the group Kosmos – before seeing his project collapse – believes that tennis suffers from a lack of dynamism and adaptability. According to the comments reported by The Team, he denounces the lack of spectacle and proposes reforms to revitalize the game.

"Why do you serve twice in tennis? That's an extra 30 seconds of someone bouncing the ball. People don't want to see that. They also don't want to see a five-minute game with a tie and an advantage. We should have a tiebreaker."

A vision that aligns with the experimental formats of the Masters Next Gen or againUTS (Ultimate Tennis Showdown) launched by Patrick Mouratoglou, which advocates a faster and more spectacular game. The Team emphasizes that the French coach has been campaigning for several years for a modernized tennis adapted to new generations.

But beyond the question of rules, Piqué points to a deeper problem: the decline in the number of practitioners. "People are playing more and more padel and pickleball in the United States. If fewer people play tennis, fewer people will make a living from the sport."

Djokovic: "Tennis is in danger"

Same story on the side of Novak Djokovic, who spoke at a press conference in Wimbledon. According to him, tennis lacks innovation and struggles to capitalize on its popularity, unlike other sports such as Formula 1, which has managed to reinvent itself thanks to effective marketing.

“Tennis is the third or fourth most-watched sport in the world, but only the ninth or tenth in terms of leveraging its popularity. There's a lot of room to grow. We need to increase the number of players who make a living from the sport. Today, only 350 to 400 players, men and women combined, in singles and doubles, manage to make a living from it. This is a huge problem.”

The Serb also highlights a major economic problem: accessibility of tennisUnlike padel, which requires less space and is often perceived as easier to learn, tennis suffers from a lack of infrastructure and support in some countries.

“Padel and pickleball are converting many tennis clubs. Because it's more profitable. You can build three padel courts on a single tennis court. It's much more economically viable for a club owner.”

Novak Djokovic: “Tennis clubs in danger… they will be converted to padel or pickleball”

A turning point for tennis?

Between the evolution of practices and economic challenges, tennis is facing a decisive turning point. Should we modernize our game formats? Reduce the length of matches? Simplify the rules? So many questions that divide purists and supporters of change.

If you paddle and pickleball continue to gain ground, tennis authorities will sooner or later have to address the concerns raised by Djokovic, Pique and MouratoglouOtherwise, these new disciplines could well become the norm in clubs... to the detriment of traditional tennis.

One thing is certain for Boris Becker: “a footballer should not discuss the future of tennis.”

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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