Pickleball Courts Convert Tennis Spaces: The New York Times published a story this week showing how thousands of tennis courts in the United States have been converted into pickleball courts. Reporter Ethan Singer analyzed aerial photographs to reveal the rapid growth of the sport and how it is reshaping recreational spaces across the country.
Findings From the Report
Ethan Singer’s article, titled “How Pickleball Took Over Thousands of Tennis Courts, as Seen From the Sky,” used nearly 100,000 aerial images.
“By analyzing nearly 100,000 aerial photographs, we were able to identify more than 26,000 outdoor pickleball courts made in the last seven years – a majority of them at the expense of once-exclusive tennis spaces and created since the onset of the pandemic in 2020,” he writes. “In total, we found more than 8,000 tennis courts that had been transformed for pickleball.”
Singer explained the importance of this data.
“The photographs are an expansive, bird’s-eye view of what has been happening on the ground in all corners of the country,” he explains. “There’s only so much ready asphalt to go around, and pickleball can’t get enough of it.”
A Shift in Local Businesses
Singer spoke with Jon Neeter, owner of the Santa Monica Pickleball Center, who switched his business from tennis to pickleball.
“By 2024, just a year after the pickleball conversion, Mr. Neeter said the business was bringing in seven times as much revenue as it ever did as a tennis-only shop,” noted Singer. “One basic explanation is geometry. Using the same square footage (on his lone tennis court), Mr. Neeter can now host four times as many people, across four times as many classes and events. He can schedule different programs simultaneously, like a children’s camp on one court and a competitive drill on another, or lessons at two different skill levels.”
When asked about the future, Neeter was clear.
“When asked if there’s a risk he might regret switching his business from tennis to pickleball, Mr. Neeter said there was a ‘zero percent chance’ that it’s a temporary fad,” wrote Singer. “It’s weaving into ‘the fabric of people’s lives,’ he said. ‘It’s their social circles. It’s like everything. There’s an addiction to it.’”
How Courts Are Converted
Singer explained how tennis courts are often adapted.
“The most common approach, our analysis showed, is to overlay a single pickleball court in the middle of the tennis court, where they share a net. But there are far more variations available,” he emphasizes. “A pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long — just under a third of the size of a tennis court, even less if you count the out-of-bounds running space afforded to tennis courts. That means there are multiple ways to draw two pickleball courts on a tennis court. Or three. Or even four.”
Views From Tennis Leaders
Singer also reported on tennis officials’ response with input from the United States Tennis Association’s Managing Director of Section Partnerships, Ted Loehrke.
“Tensions between tennis and pickleball have eased in the last year or so, Mr. Loehrke said, as stand-alone pickleball courts have become more popular,” shared Singer. “Indeed, our analysis found that the number of new pickleball courts created atop tennis courts declined for the first time last year, even as the number of new stand-alone courts — and pickleball courts overall — continued to rise.”
Tennis Still Strong
Singer pointed out that tennis is not disappearing.
“None of this means that tennis is a dying sport. According to research by the USTA, tennis participation has seen a boost since the pandemic, though not as propulsive as pickleball’s,” he mentioned. “But even tennis die-hards acknowledge there’s more the sport can do to be welcoming.”
As part of this effort, the U.S. Open in 2025 will showcase red ball tennis.
Singer writes that it’s a “fast-paced, more social version of tennis that’s also beginner-friendly.”
“The sport, developed in collaboration with research firms, is optimized for doubles,” he concluded. “It uses shorter rackets and slower balls, and is best played on smaller courts — like pickleball courts.”
Why It Matters
The New York Times report shows how pickleball continues to spread quickly by reshaping spaces once dedicated to tennis. While tennis is still strong, pickleball is proving to be a long-term presence in American sports culture. With stand-alone facilities and new player-friendly formats, both sports may continue to grow side by side.
News in Brief: Pickleball Courts Convert Tennis Spaces
A New York Times report by Ethan Singer revealed that more than 8,000 tennis courts in the U.S. have been converted into pickleball courts. The analysis used 100,000 aerial photos and highlighted pickleball’s rapid rise, its business impact, and how tennis is adapting with new formats like red ball tennis.
ALSO READ: Highland Park Unveils $1M Pickleball Courts—Residents Rally for Fastest-Growing Sport