When pickleball goes viral, it’s usually an epic shot that makes the SportsCenter Top 10, or a superstar like Taylor Swift playing pickleball.

This pickleball video, however, went viral for an entirely different reason. 

Originally posted by The Kitchen, the video shows the conclusion of a men’s doubles tournament match in Mexico where a player puts away a shot to win the game and then the four players meet in the middle of the court to tap paddles. 

It’s difficult to decipher what exactly happens next, but it appears that player Peter Shonk hits the paddle out of his opponent’s hand while exuberantly yelling. Whether it was intentional or an accident, what happened next was no accident. 

Shonk reached down over the net to retrieve his opponent's paddle, and while leaning over, his opponent swiftly kicks him right in the face. The kick was so hard that it knocked Shonk’s hat off and sent him backwards onto the ground, pulling the net down with him. 

A woman shrieks in the background as Shonk falls, and his partner yells at the offender. The two men then come awfully close to getting into a brawl if other players hadn’t rushed to separate them.

According to The Kitchen, Shonk is okay. An official quote from any of the players, however, has yet to be made. 

All of this raises the question, is pickleball getting violent?

What started out as a no-contact sport in 2020 played by grandmas and grandpas has escalated to this MMA-worthy kick to the head. That just isn't the peaceful pickleball way. 

What seemed to be the nail in the coffin was Shonk knocking the paddle out of his opponent's hand. Admittedly, I wouldn’t react kindly either if my opponent knocked my paddle down during the paddle tap. It’s kind of a low blow, especially if it was intentional and their exuberant celebration was getting on my nerves. We’ve all been there. Most people, though, wouldn’t respond with a brutal kick to the face.

At the conclusion of a tense match, emotions and competitive drive are at their peak, and a sneaky move like knocking someone’s paddle down could be the very thing that sets them off. Everyone gets heated on the court. 

The scary thing is, with so many people playing pickleball, you often have no idea who’s on the other side of the court from you. And in a case like this, Shonk’s opponent exhibited extremely poor sportsmanship that led to a violent incident. 

After all, there are such things as pickleball pirates who steal player’s belongings when they are left unattended courtside.

This video serves as a word of caution for all pickleball players. One, don’t be a jerk. Don’t hit someone’s paddle out of their hand. Show everyone on the court some respect. 

And two, be careful. You never know who you’re sharing the court with. Keep your wits about you.