MAKING A RACKET ABOUT PICKLEBALL

In the historical area of Xunxian county in Hebi, Henan province, dazzling lights and the sound of drums filled the air around the 600-year-old city wall. With the help of modern lighting and visual effects, a spectacular live show delivered an audiovisual feast, blending deep cultural heritage with youthful energy.

This unique performance marked the opening ceremony of the 2025 Li-Ning Cup National Pickleball Championships. Held at the end of September, the event reflected pickleball's rapid rise in China, with increasingly standardized competitions, growing participation and expanding connections with industries such as culture and tourism.

Many people in China may still be unfamiliar with pickleball, though they might have seen pictures or courts: the paddle is larger than a table tennis racket, but smaller than a tennis racket, the ball is a perforated plastic one, and the court is roughly the size of a badminton court.

Originating in the United States in the 1960s, the sport has exploded in popularity globally in recent years, thanks to its accessibility and social nature. It is widely seen as the fastest-growing emerging racket sport.

In China, pickleball's history is short. It was only in 2024 that the Chinese Tennis Association officially launched a national pickleball competition system. Just one year later, the sport has already found a bigger stage.

The four-day national championships in Hebi featured both team and individual events, drawing 311 athletes from 25 teams across the country. The tournament not only showcased the diversity and competitive appeal of pickleball, but also provided athletes with a broad platform to demonstrate their skills.

One such player is Liu Miao, a physical education teacher and mixed doubles athlete for the Beijing team. He only started playing pickleball in 2023, but quickly fell in love with it.

"Pickleball has a low barrier to entry — you can play on a badminton court, it's easy to learn and it doesn't demand as much physical stamina. People of all ages can enjoy it," Liu said. His Beijing squad includes players as young as 22 and as old as 50.

As pickleball continues to spread in China, it is winning fans spanning generations. "There are so many pickleball tournaments now — I practically have a match every week," Liu said.

The choice of Hebi as host was no coincidence. In 2023, the city introduced pickleball and, with the support of the Henan provincial sports bureau, positioned it as a key development sport.

In just two years, Hebi has built more than 800 courts, trained over 260 professional coaches and referees, and inspired more than 120,000 residents to play, making it a new trend in nationwide fitness.

According to Mayor Li Ke, Hebi has become both a "pioneer" and a "model city "for pickleball in Henan province. Beyond hosting national championships and international exhibitions, Hebi has built a grassroots competition system featuring municipal open tournaments, county-level championships, and community-based events.

"Pickleball is gradually becoming a new lifestyle for local residents," Li said.

Over the past two years, Hebi has adopted a dual approach of "bringing in talent and sending people out". The city has also pioneered a "campus-plus-professional" dual-track model, with more than 70,000 young participants building a solid grassroots base for the sport.

Li noted that pickleball has not only ignited citizens' enthusiasm for exercise, but also become a "new calling card" for Hebi's urban identity.

Looking ahead, the city plans to further improve venues, cultivate professional talent and strengthen industry integration, making pickleball a driver of high-quality development.

Hebi also showcased its meticulous preparation — what locals call "embroidery skills" — from event organization and cultural-tourism services, to atmosphere creation and safety measures.

During the tournament, the city launched a "Watch the Games, Tour Hebi" initiative, offering five curated travel routes for guests. Special ticket discounts were introduced: free admission for tournament participants and half-price tickets for one companion.

National Momentum

Song Hongfei, secretary-general of the China Pickleball Circuit, explained that the national championships also serve a broader purpose. "The main goal is to assess the development level of pickleball across provinces and cities — since each region sent its top athletes to compete — and to explore and establish competition rules and systems for the sport itself," he said.

Song emphasized that testing competitive standards will help strengthen promotion efforts in cities nationwide. At the same time, hosting such events boosts the profile of host cities and stimulates cultural and tourism development.

"As a new sport, one of our biggest challenges is how to build a standardized competition system and how to better integrate pickleball with urban culture and tourism," he added.

Song noted that pickleball's growth in China has been uneven, historically stronger in the south than in the north. But, with the expansion of national tours in recent years, this gap has narrowed significantly.

The sport is now thriving among all age groups, from youths to seniors, and across professions.

"Pickleball has a low entry barrier, strong safety and controlled intensity. The courts are small, the risks are minimal and it can be played in many formats and locations," Song said.

He recalled how marathons experienced an explosive boom in China more than a decade ago, and expressed hope that pickleball could follow a similar trajectory.

"The rise of pickleball brings huge demographic dividends," Song noted.

"As the sport develops, a large number of institutions and enterprises will get involved — from building venues and producing equipment and apparel, to offering training courses and hosting tournaments. All of these industries will grow quickly."

Song believes pickleball entered a phase of accelerated development last year, as the Chinese Tennis Association began standardizing competitions. The next step, he said, is to strengthen the connection between events and related industries.

"This sport is easy to learn, accessible to nearly all age groups, low-cost, quick to roll out in fitness venues and highly safe. That's why it has been particularly welcomed by schools and sports departments," he said.

Currently, the number of pickleball participants in China is estimated to be between one and two million, and Song predicts that, within five years, the number could surpass 10 million.

In the past two years, pickleball has developed rapidly in China. This year alone, the pickleball tour has surpassed 100 events, and the total number of competitions at all levels is expected to exceed 300 by the end of the year.

Bai Xilin, director of the tennis administrative center under the General Administration of Sport of China, noted that the General Office of the State Council recently issued its guidance on unlocking the potential of sports consumption and further promoting the high-quality development of the sports industry.

The document sets out the overall goal of cultivating a number of internationally influential sports enterprises and events by 2030, with the total scale of the sports industry exceeding 7 trillion yuan ($981 billion).Notably, its very first section explicitly highlights support for the healthy and regulated development of emerging sports projects and competitions.

"The staging of the National Pickleball Championships is a crucial step in responding to national policy, improving the competitive system for pickleball and fostering the integration of sports consumption with urban development," Bai said.

He added: "As the highest-level stage for pickleball enthusiasts and athletes nationwide, this event not only tests the depth of talent and competitive standard of the sport in China, but also serves as a platform for players from across the country to exchange experiences and build friendships.

"At the same time, it offers a concentrated showcase of Hebi's urban development, city landscape and the vibrant spirit of its people."