There’s a lot of animosity between pickleball players and tennis players. 

What started off as a turf war, turned into anti-pickleball accounts on Facebook, and even led to pickleball courts being converted back into tennis courts. 

At the rec level, there’s nothing but drama at courts across the nation.

I recently caught some dirty looks when I went to play a friendly game of tennis at a tennis court near six converted pickleball courts. 

Heartbreak ensued in Fairfax County, VA when park authorities painted over pickleball courts and converted them back into tennis courts because of noise complaints. 

At the pro level, tennis legends have scoffed at pickleball with degrading comments.

There's so much tension brewing between pickleball and tennis, but maybe things can turn around.

UPA Tour Pro Donald Young recently finished as a runner-up in mixed doubles at the US Open before retiring from tennis.

Pickleball was obviously a topic of conversation during the post-match press conference.

“When I got into a couple of exchanges early in the tournament that were kind of in the service box and I won them, in my head I was like, ‘Yeah, that was from me being able to dink and play well,’” said Young.

Some of his success on the tennis court can be attributed to pickleball, and some of his success in pickleball can be attributed to tennis. They’re different sports, but the skill sets overlap, and if used correctly, can be mutually beneficial. 

Follwing Young's impressive showing in Flushing Meadows, former tennis pro Jack Sock even teased a possible return to tennis alongside Nick Kyrgios.

Genie Bouchard has also been an advocate of pickleball and tennis getting along, and she regularly alternates between playing both sports.

One of the best pickleball coaches in the business, Leigh Waters, has even shared valuable tips for tennis players transitioning to pickleball. 

So many pickleball pros come from a junior tennis background, like Christian Alshon, who even claimed that pickleball made him a better athlete than tennis did. 

All of this overlap between pickleball and tennis should put this feud to bed.

At this point, it seems like there’s another tennis legend getting involved in pickleball every week. Whether it’s Andre Agassi partnering with JOOLA, or John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova competing in the Pickleball Slam, the hostility seems to be calming down. 

More and more tennis purists appear to be realizing that pickleball isn't so bad. 

Even 18-time Grand Slam singes champion Martina Navratilova, who famously bashed pickleball, picked up a paddle alongside Jay Devilliers this past summer at the French Open. 

Rivalries are great when it comes to individual players or MLP teams going head-to-head, but seeing pickleball and tennis tussle isn't fun. 

There’s no need for this feud because pickleball and tennis only benefit the more they play nice and collaborate. If Young's momentum from the US Open carries into the PPA Tour's CIBC Atlana Slam, everyone wins - pickleball, tennis, athletes, spectators. Think of it like one epic crossover episode. In what other sports is that possible? None. 

It's the joy of pickleball. And tennis.

Do you think the feud between pickleball and tennis is calming down? Let us know on  Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).