
Is pickleball sexy? Author Kate Spencer thinks so
Pickleball romance author Kate Spencer is boldly claiming that pickleball is sexy.
She’s proving that in her new book “All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball,” a pickleball sports romance novel that is guaranteed to make you giggle and blush over the innuendos and budding romance on the court.
In an exclusive interview with Pickleball.com, Spencer explained why pickleball is the perfect subject matter for a romance novel.
“I say this in a very tongue and cheek kind of way, pickleball is sexy, but there’s the athleticism and there’s the social aspect of the game. It helps on court if you’re a bit charming, or if you can banter. There’s a personable level to pickleball that makes it appealing,” said Spencer. “I also love the physical aspect of the game. I personally find it hot. Just watching someone hit a ball really hard is really sexy.”
Though pickleball is played by people of all ages – and an overwhelming amount of 20 and 30 somethings – there’s a shocking amount of people who think that pickleball is still a sport for retirees. But just look at the pros. They’re all in their peak physical prime just like any other pro sport.
But the youthfulness of pickleball isn’t strictly what Spencer finds alluring about the game.
“Youth doesn’t equate beauty and attractiveness, but I do think that people of all ages are playing pickleball, and that’s what I find sexy about pickleball. I love being around people who are older and younger than me. We don’t have that experience a lot specifically in American culture where we’re in a multi-generational setting, so that to me is very exciting,” said Spencer. “The other thing I find sexy about pickleball is that pickleball is for everybody. That to me is very appealing. It’s inclusive and there’s a level of welcomeness and openness in pickleball that lends itself to the appeal of the sport.”
We also can’t ignore the shifts in momentum in a game of pickleball.
“The strategy of pickleball, there’s a sexiness to it. There’s the dance of the game, and the point can be going fast, and then it’ll slow down. A person who’s really good at pickleball knows how to slow a game down,” mentioned Spencer.
In “All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball,” the couple finds themselves in a particularly spicy moment and they tease each other about their on-court partnership. Spencer plays into the innuendos and double entendres in pickleball’s vernacular.
“When I first started playing pickleball and was thinking about writing a pickleball romance, I couldn’t get over the double entendres in so many of the things we would talk about. Once I started thinking about writing a pickleball romance, I would go take a pickleball lesson and everything I would hear was an innuendo,” said Spencer. “There’s so many benign things we’re saying on the court, and applying them to a romantic scene is just super fun. I got a real kick out of writing those scenes. Two people being teammates and learning to play a sport together and applying those things to a romantic relationship is really fun.”
If you're still not convinced that pickleball is sexy, you might as well read “All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball” and let Spencer’s incredible humor and wit prove you wrong.
Click here to follow Kate Spencer on Instagram, and click here for her website.
To stay up to date on all things pickleball, follow on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
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