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Nick Kyrgios couldn’t believe what he was reading after a person claimed pickleball made him “a much better athlete” than tennis ever did as the Australian tennis star even brought up Roger Federer and stated that comparing the Swiss tennis icon and the most talented pickleball player would tell everything that needs to be known.
Over the last few years, pickleball – which is basically a mix of tennis and ping pong – has been on the rise, especially in the United States. Due to the sport’s increasing popularity, many star names from different sports have started investing in pickleball and that list includes Naomi Osaka, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, etc.
Last year, Pickleball took another big step as a sport after the Major League Pickleball officially launched.
“Pickleball has made me a much better athlete than Tennis ever did. Faster reaction time and speed are needed since the ball is only coming from 10 feet away. Point for point, pickleball requires more skill than tennis,” Christian Alshon wrote on X.
Kyrgios noticed the post and it is safe to say he was left absolutely stunned and in disbelief: “Yeah. Let’s hide under the bed after this statement hahahaha bro get me the best pickleball player and compare his talent to Roger Federer. Wild tweet, wild thought. Delete right now. I love pickle. But you had too many tequilas.”
Yeah. Let’s hide under the bed after this statement hahahaha bro get me the best pickleball player and compare his talent to Roger Federer. Wild tweet, wild thought. Delete right now 😂 I love pickle. But you had too many tequilas 😵
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) April 2, 2024
James Blake, a former world No. 4 and the current director of the Miami Open, also couldn’t believe what he was reading.
“Haha. That might be because you were playing a pretty low level of tennis. Maybe if you were familiar with the athleticism it takes to excel at the sport you would realize how ridiculous this statement is,” Blake wrote on X.
Haha. That might be because you were playing a pretty low level of tennis. Maybe if you were familiar with the athleticism it takes to excel at the sport you would realize how ridiculous this statement is.
— James Blake (@JRBlake) April 2, 2024
Kyrgios is also a Pickleball investor
As mentioned above, some pretty major names have been investing in pickleball over the last few years. Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, is one of those names.
While some are heavily criticizing pickleball and laughing about investing in the game, some like Kyrgios think it’s a great business decision. Around a month ago, Kyrgios shared a photo showing Pickleball’s massive rise and its star-studded list of investors. By doing that, Kyrgios sent a clear message to those thinking investing a pickleball is a bad decision.
Kyrgios may think that pickleball can’t be compared to tennis but he certainly sees it as something that has potential to do well in the future and probably make him some money.
Kyrgios nearing a return from wrist surgery
After launching his comeback from knee surgery last June in Stuttgart, Kyrgios’ comeback lasted for just one tournament and one match as he then picked up a wrist injury, which sidelined him for the remainder of the 2023 season and also for the first three months of this season. In late April, Kyrgios shared that he was seeing progress in his wrist surgery recovery and indicated that he could be soon back in action.
“Honestly I’m seeing improvement every day with my wrist and I’m in the middle of getting back to playing shape. I will be back. I’m not sure the exact time frame, l will be cautious and take my time. We know what happens when I’m healthy,” Kyrgios told a fan while answering a question on Instagram.
Last week, the 28-year-old Australian shared the much-anticipated news as he had his first practice in months.
“First hit in 8 months after wrist surgery. Slowly I’m coming baby,” Kyrgios wrote on Instagram last Tuesday.
For Kyrgios, the last two years have been pretty challenging and rough but have also brought him some positive things. Suffering two major injuries after his career-best year in 2022 certainly wasn’t great but getting to do some other things such as commentating on matches and now having his own podcast has been something very positive.
“When I look at this photo, it reminds me of the struggle that I’ve been going through lately, 2 surgeries over the past year and a half after being so close to a Grand Slam,” Kyrgios wrote in an Instagram post last month.
“Let this be a reminder that I’m not giving up, I’m taking this process day by day and it’s allowed me to take full advantage of other amazing things in my life, opportunities I would never of known if I hadn’t gotten injured.
“If you feel like you are struggling or feeling as if you don’t know what’s next, just take the next step you see and make sure it’s in the right direction, reach out at anytime because I assure you we all feel like this sometimes.”
Kyrgios may have started practicing but he has yet to officially set a date for his comeback.
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