Primary League Pickleball participant dishes on why it’s grow to be fastest-growing US recreation: ‘It has all of it’

In 2019, Pablo Tellez was once dwelling in Naples, Florida, and nonetheless loving tennis. It’s the recreation he has all the time performed, doing so collegiately on the College of West Florida, the place he received a Section II nationwide name. 

On the other hand, a travel to a tennis store led Tellez i’m sick a trail to turning into a qualified athlete in The usa’s fastest-growing recreation. 

Pickleball in the US noticed a 51.8% building up in avid gamers from 2022 to 2023, and it has a expansion price of 223.5% since 2020. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

As the game has grown, Primary League Pickleball (MLP) was a league for probably the most easiest avid gamers on the earth, like Tellez, who stars for the MLP’s Brooklyn Aces.

Talking with Fox Information Virtual, Tellez defined why pickleball has grow to be a recreation many tens of millions of American citizens are founding to select up. 

“I think it’s several things,” Tellez, who partnered with LOTTO, which additionally co-owns the Aces, started. “First of all, it’s super fun. It’s just fun. I’ve never seen anybody at a pickleball court and not smiling and having fun. It’s a lot more social than other racket sports in the sense that you’re very close to your opponent, very close to your partner at all times. So, I think if you don’t get that social aspect, you’re not going to have fun. But everybody’s looking for it. And it’s even turned into people using pickleball for dating, pickleball as a place for finding friends and just hanging out. 

WHAT IS PICKLEBALL? HOW TO PLAY, WHAT YOU NEED AND HOW TO FIND A COURT NEAR YOU

“After, it’s really easy to select up as a recreation. While you play games tennis otherwise you play games football, it’s moving to whisk you awhile to be just right and to in fact benefit from the recreation and to comprehend it. While you play games pickleball on your first pace, you’re moving to be rallying from side to side. You is probably not admirable but, however you’re moving to be having amusing in that sense.”

How Tellez picked it up was when he saw a pickleball tournament ad that said a $100,000 prize would be involved. As a tennis player, he thought the sport was going to be pretty easy. 

However, Tellez was sadly mistaken when he saw just how good professionals could be. 

“I signed up for it and I feel I went 0-8. I performed singles, I misplaced. I performed combined doubles, I misplaced. After, later that, I used to be like, ‘Oh, this is a little harder than I thought’ and I used to be hooked.”

Tellez started playing every day, and two years ago, he turned pro. 

Ben Johns, the world’s top-ranked pickleball player, hits a return shot on Friday March 24, 2023 during the Major League Pickleball Tournament at Pictona in Holly Hill, Florida. (IMAGN)

“I don’t like shedding, and I assumed I used to be higher than I in fact was once,” he said after that initial tournament. “Nevertheless it helped me as it driven me to attempt to whisk the game extra critical and to play games steadily. I feel that was once the important thing for me – I simply sought after to recuperate.”

Now, Tellez plays for the Aces, a team that is not just owned by LOTTO, but NBA star Kevin Durant, rapper Drake and actor Michael B. Jordan. Additionally, the likes of LeBron James, Tom Brady, Gary Vaynerchuk and many others have invested in MLP as well. 

Why? 

“After I talked to a few of them, I used to be in Untouched York and I in fact was once ready to speak to Gary Vee and probably the most alternative house owners who’re there,” Tellez said about the MLP’s schedule taking them to the Big Apple last month. “They simply learned how the game is booming and so they play games it. They don’t see any explanation why it’s now not moving to develop. After, you’ve gotten the entire execs which are striking the aim in, on the subject of branding and advertising and marketing and taking the game to the upcoming stage. After, you get started sight it on TV, and it will have to handiest reserve increasing as a result of everyone loves it, to be truthful.”

Tellez has enjoyed working with LOTTO as they break into the pickleball space. He called it a “dream come true” to join the brand, considering he was very familiar with their soccer and tennis products as a kid. 

However, no matter if it is a brand, a celebrity or someone simply walking by a court, pickleball has enthralled all who have come in contact with it, and Tellez promises that anyone will as well if they give it a try. 

Major League Pickleball player Pablo Tellez picked up the game in 2019. (LOTTO)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I’ll contract you: For those who simply attempt it as soon as, you’ll know precisely the place everyone performs,” he said. “It’s simply amusing, it’s enticing, it’s social, it’s a exercise, and it has all the ones sides that everyone’s on the lookout for. Some crowd wish to teach, some crowd wish to have that aggressive slight worm in them and pickleball let’s you get that out. Some crowd wish to have a exercise, some crowd wish to meet alternative crowd, and pickleball has all of it.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.