In 2019, Pablo Tellez was living in Naples, Florida still love tennisIt’s the game he’s always played, doing so collegiately at the University of West Florida, where he won a Division II national title.
However, a visit to a tennis shop set Tellez on the path to becoming a professional athlete in America’s fastest growing sport.
in pickleball United States of America A 51.8% increase in players was observed from 2022 to 2023, and the growth rate since 2020 is 223.5%.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
(Pickleball has increased in popularity by more than 200% since 2020.)
As the game evolved, Major League Pickleball (MLP) became a league for some of the best players in the world, like Tellez, who stars for MLP. Brooklyn Aces.
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Tellez explained why pickleball has become a sport that millions of Americans are starting to learn.
“I think it’s a lot of things,” began Tellez, who partnered with Lotto, who is also a co-owner of the Aces. “First of all, it’s a lot of fun. It’s just fun. I’ve never seen anyone smiling and having fun on a pickleball court. It’s a lot more social than other racquet sports, in the sense that you can be on your own.” are close rivals, very close to your partner all the time. So, I think if you don’t get that social aspect, you won’t have fun, but everyone is looking for that and that’s what people use pickleball for. People have also turned to pickleball as a place to find friends and just hang out.
What is pickleball? How to play, what you need and how to find a court near you
“Again, it’s very easy to pick it up as a sport. When you play tennis or play soccer, it’s going to take you some time to become good and really enjoy the game and understand it. When you first play pickleball “You’re going to rally back and forth, maybe not be great right now, but you’re going to have fun in that sense.”
Tellez understood this when he saw an advertisement for a pickleball tournament that boasted a $100,000 prize. As a tennis player, he thought the game was going to be quite easy.
However, Tellez was saddened when he saw how good the professionals could be.
“I signed up for it and I think I went 0-8. I played singles, I lost. I played mixed doubles, I lost. Then, after that, I was like, ‘Oh ‘It’s a little harder than I thought’ and I was hooked.”
Tellez began playing every day and turned professional two years ago.
Ben Johns, the world’s top-ranked pickleball player, hits a return shot during the Major League Pickleball Tournament on Friday, March 24, 2023 in Pictona in Holly Hill, Florida. (Imagination)
“I don’t like losing, and I thought I was better than I actually was,” he said after that preliminary tournament. “But it helped me because it made me take the game more seriously and play regularly. I think that was important for me – I just wanted to get better.”
Now, Tellez plays for the Aces, a team owned not just by LOTTO, but also by NBA star Kevin Durant, rapper Drake and actor Michael B. Jordan has it. Additionally, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Gary Vaynerchuk, and many others have also invested in MLPs.
Why?
“When I talked to some of them, I was in New York and I was actually able to talk to Gary Vee and some of the other owners that were there,” Tellez said about MLP’s schedule taking them to the Big Apple last month. Said about. “They just realize how the game is booming and they play it. They don’t see any reason why it’s not growing. Then, you have all the professionals who are putting in the effort in terms of branding and marketing and taking Take the game to the next level, then, you’ll start seeing it on TV, and honestly it should keep growing just because everyone loves it.”
Tellez has enjoyed working with LOTTO since they entered the pickleball arena. He described joining the brand as a “dream come true”, as he was very familiar with football and tennis products as a child.
However, it doesn’t matter if it’s a brand, a celebrity or someone walking across the court, pickleball has mesmerized all who have come in contact with it, and Tellez promises that if anyone If he tries, he will do the same.
Major league pickleball player Pablo Tellez took up the sport in 2019. (lotto)
Click here to get the Fox News app
He said, “I promise you: If you try it once, you’ll know where everyone else plays.” “It’s just fun, it’s engaging, it’s social, it’s a workout, and it has all the aspects that everyone is looking for. Some people want to train, some people want that competitive little bug inside of them.” And pickleball let’s figure it out. Some people want to work out, some people want to meet other people, and pickleball has it all.”
Follow Fox News Digital sports coverage on xand subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter,
