Pickleball has gained immense popularity, yet tennis legend John McEnroe remains less than impressed. During an alternate broadcast of the French Open titled “The McZone,” where he and his brother Patrick discussed the tournament, they welcomed tennis player and pickleball enthusiast Jeannie Bouchard.
McEnroe, not known for holding back his opinions, took a jab at the sport, which many people enjoy, saying, “She quit sports to play that stupid pickleball.” Bouchard responded by pointing out that he had played the game as well.
McEnroe admitted, “I played two weekends and they paid me more money for that than I ever got paid for playing tennis,” noting the distinction between competing as a tennis player versus a pickleball player. His tone hinted at mixed feelings—while he acknowledged financial perks, he seemed to question the respectability of the sport.
The issue of player compensation in the sports world also irked McEnroe. He mentioned the sound a pickleball makes, comparing it unfavorably to a tennis ball’s sound, which he thinks lacks the same allure. When Bouchard was asked if she found the noise bothersome, he reiterated his perspective, “That’s a big negative.”
McEnroe went on to vocalize a concern that was more personal: the name “pickleball” itself. He felt it sounded silly, reminding him of a gym class experience from high school. Back then, he thought it was a joke when his gym teacher made them play. It took him years to realize pickleball was indeed a legitimate sport, not some whimsical invention to keep students occupied.
Reflecting on his gym class days led him to a bittersweet recognition that while he may poke fun at the name and the game, pickleball is very much real and rapidly gaining ground in the athletic community.
