Report: 24 Million Americans Are Now Playing Pickleball, up 171% in Just 3 Years

A new SFIA participation report shows pickleball continues its explosive rise, adding nearly 4.5 million new players in a single year

Pickleball’s explosive growth shows no signs of slowing.

According to the 2026 Topline Participation Report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the sport added millions of new players in 2025, continuing a multi-year boom that has made it the fastest-growing sport in America.

The report estimates 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, representing a 22.8% year-over-year increase.

Even more striking: participation has jumped 171.8% over the past three years, making pickleball the clear leader in growth across all tracked sports.

SFIA called pickleball “the dominant multi-year growth leader across all tracked sports,” underscoring how quickly the sport has gone from niche pastime to mainstream recreation.

Millions of New Players Keep Entering the Game

The surge in participation isn’t just coming from hardcore players.

SFIA data shows casual participation — defined as playing 1–7 times per year — reached 16.8 million people in 2025, a 23.9% increase year over year.

Meanwhile, the number of core pickleball players (8+ sessions annually) climbed to 7.48 million, up 20.4% from 2024.

That distinction matters.

Casual participation often reflects people trying the sport for the first time, while core players drive leagues, tournaments, equipment purchases, and regular court usage.

In other words, pickleball isn’t just attracting curiosity — it’s creating committed players.

Report: Pickleball Participation Surges to Nearly 20 Million in 2024

For the fourth consecutive year, pickleball remains America’s fastest-growing sport, and the numbers behind its meteoric rise are nothing short of historic.

The Dink PickleballJason Flamm

Racquet Sports Are Booming — Led by Pickleball

Pickleball’s rise is also fueling growth across the broader racquet sports category.

SFIA reports that racquet sports participation has climbed steadily for a decade, reaching 20.6% of Americans in 2025, up from just 13% in 2019.

The report notes that seven of eight racquet sports tracked posted year-over-year growth, reinforcing that racket-based sports are enjoying a broader resurgence.

Still, pickleball remains the primary driver.

For comparison:

• Tennis reached 27.3 million players in 2025 (+6.2% YoY)
• Table tennis had 15.9 million participants (+0.7%)
• Pickleball, meanwhile, added nearly 4.5 million players in a single year

The Bigger Picture: America Is Getting More Active

The pickleball boom is happening within a larger shift toward increased physical activity in the U.S.

The SFIA report found that 80.5% of Americans ages 6+ — roughly 250 million people — participated in at least one sport or fitness activity in 2025, the highest level ever recorded.

At the same time, inactivity dropped to 19.5% of the population, the lowest rate since the organization began tracking the data.

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What the Numbers Really Mean for Pickleball

The data reinforces what anyone who has tried to book a court lately already knows: pickleball’s growth hasn’t plateaued.

Fast forward about six months and that no longer appears to be the case.

The sport continues to benefit from three powerful trends:

• Accessibility: Easy to learn, inexpensive, and playable at nearly any age
• Social appeal: Doubles play encourages community and repeat participation
• Infrastructure growth: Thousands of new courts are being built across the country

Report: Is U.S. Pickleball Participation Leveling Off?

According to a new mid-year report from SFIA, “Pickleball remains the fastest-growing sport, though early indicators suggest its explosive growth may be slowing.”

The Dink PickleballAlex E. Weaver

If anything, the SFIA numbers suggest pickleball is still in the middle innings of its expansion.

With more than 24 million players already in the U.S. — and millions more trying it each year — the sport’s growth curve remains one of the most remarkable in modern sports.