The 2026 participation report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) confirmed that pickleball is more popular than ever—with a growing wave of new players on the horizon.

The report indicated that approximately 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025. That marks a 22.8 percent increase from 2024, extending a multi-year streak of rapid growth across the country.

Even more notable is pickleball's extended surge. Over the past three years, participation has climbed an astounding 171.8 percent, making pickleball the fastest-growing sport in the United States over that period.

Roughly 4.5 million new players took up pickleball in 2025, adding even more momentum to its meteoric rise.

The SFIA described pickleball as “the dominant multi-year growth leader across all tracked sports,” emphasizing just how quickly it has transformed into an activity with broad appeal among players of all ages and skill levels.

Casual pickleball participation (playing 1–7 times per year) reached 16.8 million people in 2025, a 23.9% increase year over year. Core pickleball players (playing 8+ times per year), meanwhile, also climbed to 7.48 million, up 20.4% from 2024.

Beyond pickleball, racquet sports continued their growth momentum as well, according to the SFIA, with seven of eight sports posting year-over-year gains.

Pickleball, however, continues to be the main force behind that growth.

Tennis reached 27.3 million players in 2025, marking a 6.2% increase year over year.