Alshon Opens the Pickleball vs Tennis Debate

"Beef. It's what's for breakfast."

Pickleball Pro Christian Alshon must have been feeling himself Tuesday. Hours before being drafted 7th overall by the Texas Ranchers of Major League Pickleball, he woke up and chose violence on the tennis community.

The pickleball vs tennis debate had a new flashpoint on Tuesday morning. In a tweet shared by @thedinkpickleball on Instagram, he said:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Dink Pickleball (@thedinkpickleball)

"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."

The Tweet That Started It All

As Yahoo Sports has reported, pickleball's explosive participation growth has become an increasing source of tension with the tennis world. Alshon's post landed right in the middle of that long-running rivalry.

As you can only imagine, this didn't sit well with a number of current and former tennis pros.

James Blake Responds to the Pickleball vs Tennis Claim

James Blake, former No. 4 ranked tennis player in the world, said:

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

Blake's response quickly became the most-shared reaction in the entire pickleball vs tennis exchange. His standing as a former world No. 4 gave the criticism real weight.

Nick Kyrgios Joins the Court Debate

Nick Kyrgios, Australian tennis pro and formerly ranked No. 13 in singles ranking in the world, replied:

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

Andy Roddick on the Pickleball vs Tennis Fire: "Dumb Conversation"

Even former US Open champion Andy Roddick, who has publicly supported pickleball, got in on the action, calling the comments a "dumb conversation." Roddick's appearance at the Pickleball Slam event, covered by Sports Illustrated, had already made him one of the more prominent tennis voices to embrace the sport. His jumping into this debate was especially notable because of that history.

He added:

It’s pretty hard to say one of the most ridiculous things on Twitter in a given day. Tell you what. If anyone pickle person ever ranks higher in tennis than what Sock will be at end of this year in his new paid pickle hobby, I’ll commentate a pickle match standing on my head.…

— andyroddick (@andyroddick) April 3, 2024

Even Pickleball Pros Piled On

Besides tennis players transitioning to pickleball, some pickleball pros also poked fun at Alshon's comments. The pickleball pro community was far from united in backing his take.

Responding to The Dink's IG post, Travis Rettenmaier said, "This is probably the dumbest take I've ever read."

And Lucy Kovalova replied, "Nope 😂😂😂😂"

Perhaps no one commented better than pickleball pro Rob Nunnery, who simply called it "Engagement click bait."

Engagement click bait ✅

— Rob Nunnery (@_robnunnery) April 3, 2024

Alshon Doubles Down on Pickleball vs Tennis

If a comment like this leaves you wondering whether @TweenerKing really believes you have to be in better shape to play pickleball than tennis, or if he was just riling up the masses for likes and comments, let this doubling down effort comfort you.

Posted Wednesday morning:

I played practice sets against Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Steve Johnson, and more when I was 17 and ranked 1 in the country. I understand the level of the top tennis pros. Pickleball requires more skill in several aspects. https://t.co/3n9LSxBkCm

— Christian Alshon (@TweenerKing) April 3, 2024

Which led to some great responses:

Please stop and go play. It’s your serve 4-2-1-38-2-1

— mike zarra (@mikezarra) April 3, 2024

Ohhh doubling down. This will be fun 🤣

— Rob Nunnery (@_robnunnery) April 3, 2024

I took batting practice with an MLB team. That doesn’t mean I have any clue the talent, skill, and work ethic it takes to get to that level of baseball.

— James Blake (@JRBlake) April 3, 2024

Believe it or not, the back-and-forth continued into Thursday, with Blake and Roddick seemingly tapping out.

We just have one thing to say about all this: We love it. Whether or not the pickleball vs tennis argument ever gets truly settled, Alshon made sure it stayed front of mind this week. Thanks for always entertaining us, TweenerKing. And congratulations on your MLP selection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Christian Alshon say that started the pickleball vs tennis debate?

Christian Alshon claimed that pickleball had made him a better athlete than tennis ever did, and that point for point, pickleball requires more skill than tennis. He made this statement hours before being drafted 7th overall by the Texas Ranchers of Major League Pickleball, giving the comment an even bigger spotlight.

How did James Blake respond to Alshon's claim?

Blake, a former world No. 4 tennis player, pushed back hard, suggesting Alshon had only ever experienced a low level of tennis competition. He later compared Alshon's argument to claiming expertise in baseball after a single batting practice session, a line that resonated strongly with the tennis community.

Has Andy Roddick publicly supported pickleball before this controversy?

Yes, Roddick had participated in pickleball exhibitions prior to this exchange and had generally spoken positively about the sport as a recreational activity. That made his sharp dismissal of Alshon's claim especially notable, as he was careful to separate enjoying pickleball casually from equating it with tennis in terms of skill and athletic demand.

Did any pickleball pros agree with Alshon's take on pickleball vs tennis?

No, in fact several top pickleball pros publicly disagreed with Alshon's comments. Travis Rettenmaier called it "the dumbest take I've ever read," Lucy Kovalova responded with a string of laughing emojis, and Rob Nunnery labeled the whole exchange "engagement click bait."

Was Alshon drafted to a Major League Pickleball team despite the controversy?

Yes, Christian Alshon was selected 7th overall by the Texas Ranchers of Major League Pickleball on the very same day his controversial tweet went viral. Regardless of where anyone lands on the pickleball vs tennis debate, his on-court talent has made him one of the most exciting players in the professional pickleball world.