Hollywood stars George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio play new sport of pickleball which is endorsed by Sir Andy Murray’s mother Judy and is set to overtake tennis as Scotland’s most popular racquet sport

By Pune Media On Oct 12, 2024 31

The north-east of Scotland better get ready for the new sport currently sweeping the nation.

Pickleball is all the rage in the celebrity world, with superstars like the Kardashians and Hollywood icons George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio known to enjoy it.

Action from the Skechers Scottish Pickleball Open. Photography by Jamie Williamson © Jamie Williamson, all rights reserved jamiewilliamson.com @jwilliamsonpix +44 (0) 7989 437787 williamsonphotos@mac.com

It’s the fastest growing sport in USA and is set to do the same in Scotland, with British sport’s longest-serving CEO predicting it will soon overtake tennis as the country’s most popular racquet pursuit.

Moray and Aberdeenshire better get ready for the sport that’s been endorsed by Judy Murray, the mother of British tennis legend Sir Andy Murray.

It’s already played at several clubs in Aberdeen, two in the Inverness area and two more in Nairn – but not any known clubs in Moray so far.

Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis and is played on a smaller court with what looks like a large ping pong paddle and a perforated plastic ball.

Figures show that on Scotland alone, participation has grown by 10,000 percent since 2018 while around 13 million Americans now play the sport, where is was named the fastest-growing pursuit for four consecutive years.

Anne Smillie and Judy Murray come from backgrounds in other racquet sports but predict a bright future for pickleball in Scotland. Photography by Jamie Williamson © Jamie Williamson, all rights reserved jamiewilliamson.com @jwilliamsonpix +44 (0) 7989 437787 williamsonphotos@mac.com

The recent Skechers Pickleball Scottish Open set a record of 380 participants across more than 900 matches at the National Badminton Centre at Glasgow Club Scotstoun, in its third year of staging.

It is played in every local authority in Scotland, adopted by everyone from schoolchildren to retirees, and wheelchair users, as well as prison inmates.

“It’s just fun and engaging, and it’s incredibly inclusive,” said Judy Murray, who attended the Scottish championships.

“And for Scotland, it’s a perfect fit for us – we have terrible weather. We have badminton courts everywhere, in every community centre and sports centre. Even church halls have badminton courts.

“So, in terms of setting up quickly, wherever you are, I think it’s a perfect fit for getting more people more active, more often in Scotland.

“It’s a perfect transfer out of tennis into something that will keep me in a similar game, but at the other end of the scale, I could also see how it’s a great introduction to any kind of racket sport because it’s so doable.”

As for Anne Smillie, who was Badminton Scotland’s chief executive for nearly 30 years and now sits on the board of Pickleball Scotland, it’s the “fastest growing sport I’ve ever seen,” with the number of players growing from just 50 in 2018 to more than 5,200 in 2024.

In her previous role, she helped Scotland jump 14 places in the badminton world rankings and served as the Chair of Events during her six-year tenure on the Badminton World Federation Council.

“I’m truly amazed by the rapid rise of pickleball in Scotland; I’ve never seen anything like this in my more than 40 years working in sport. The astronomical growth has all been down to the passion of volunteers and the enthusiasm of players, from teenagers to retirees.

“With proper funding and recognition, this sport could take off in ways we can’t even fully imagine right now.

Pickleball is a fun and accessible sport says Judy Murray. Photography by Jamie Williamson © Jamie Williamson, all rights reserved jamiewilliamson.com @jwilliamsonpix +44 (0) 7989 437787 williamsonphotos@mac.comJudy Murray is a pickleball ambassador. Photography by Jamie Williamson © Jamie Williamson, all rights reserved jamiewilliamson.com @jwilliamsonpix +44 (0) 7989 437787 williamsonphotos@mac.com

“It’s so inclusive and accessible, bringing together people of all ages and abilities. The way it breaks down barriers, both physical and social, is incredible. It’s the fastest growing sport I’ve ever seen.

“I’m absolutely convinced that with the right funding and institutional backing from Sportscotland, pickleball will become Scotland’s leading racket sport by the end of this decade.”

The Skechers Pickleball Scottish Open including international stars like European champion Louis Laville, and a trio of former Team Scotland representatives at the Commonwealth Games: table tennis stars Lucy Elliot and Corinna Whitaker-Stone, as well as former badminton international Alison Fulton.

The University of Edinburgh’s Moray House College of Education and Sport has developed a 12-lesson pickleball plan that is set to be rolled out in schools across Scotland. PE teachers and active schools coordinators are being trained through CPD workshops to introduce pickleball into after-school activities.

Four weekly classes are available to students and staff at the University during term time, while Active Lives coaches have been trained to introduce pickleball as part of broader mental and physical health initiatives. The sport has also launched a pioneering partnership with the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) to embed mental health practices within the sport from a grassroots level.

The sport’s reach has even extended into Scotland’s prison system: at HMP Peterhead and Grampian Young Offenders Institution, around 40 inmates play regularly.

In Scotland, the sport has been driven at a grassroots level by the 180 qualified Pickleball Scotland ambassadors who lead sessions in every one of the country’s local authority areas.

For Pickleball Scotland ambassador Judy Murray, the sport’s growth comes as no surprise. She said: “When I had the chance to try it, being a tennis player, it was quite easy for me to adapt to. Being an older tennis player, I loved the fact it was on a smaller court – much more doable.

“You can get into the game very quickly if you understand the scoring system, and for me, that was a big thing. I didn’t want something with endless coaching. I could see how quickly I could get players that I worked with – young, old, to in-between – very quickly into the game, rather than it being endless coaching sessions.

“The fun of sport, of course, is playing the game and competing. And matches in pickleball can be very, very short, which is great because the whole thing of learning how to win or lose, or playing different opposition, is incredibly important.”

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