The late Matthew Perry’s pickleball trainer, Matt Manasse, has responded to Nick Kyrgios and James Blake’s latest criticism of pickleball. The controversy began when Christian Alshon claimed that pickleball had made him a better athlete than tennis ever did. And in a few hours’ time, he had some of the most famous names in tennis on his head, debunking his theory.

As a response to the tweet, former top-10 tennis player James Blake laughed off the comparison by pointing out that Alshon had never played at top levels, so he wouldn’t know. Nick Kyrgios also stood up against the comment, stating that while he loved the sport, top pickleball players could not compare to the likes of Roger Federer. But the battle did not end there, as now Matt Manasse has revealed his insight on the matter.

Manasse defends pickleball athletes after Nick Kyrgios’ comments

Matt Manasse, a self-proclaimed celebrity coach of the pickleball community, stated the pressures that professional sportsmen face. In order to succeed in any sport, he underlined the significance of genetic predisposition, athletic growth, excellent coaching, and unwavering hard work. But he disputed the idea that pickleball isn’t rigorous enough or skilled enough to be taken seriously as a real sport.

“To be a pro athlete, so much has to go right —genetically, athletically from a developmental standpoint during the right years, and instructionally from the right coaches. And then crazy hard work,” Manasse said through an X post. He further supported his colleague, Christian Alshon, “Talking down to Alshon seems counterproductive to the entire argument.”

Manasse is well known in not just the sports world but the entertainment industry as a friend of the, well, late Friends actor Matthew Perry. The actor was reportedly on a pickleball court hours before his sad demise, a sport he played most days of the week. Perhaps this recent discussion on its merits would not have sat well with him.

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This comes after both Nick Kyrgios and James Blake called out Alshon’s tweet on Tuesday. They had a back-and-forth argument with Christian Alshon. Not only them, but players like Jessica Pegula and Andy Roddick also came forward to share their opinions on the debate. Let’s dive into the exchange that further flamed the controversy.

Kyrgios and Blake make their choices clear between pickleball and tennis

Many professional tennis athletes have displayed their interest in pickleball recently. However, when it comes to defending their own sport, they don’t hesitate to voice their opinions. Such is the case with Nick Kyrgios, who responded to Alshon by saying, “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”. 

Miami Open director James Blake also criticized Alshon by calling his statement “ridiculous”. He further implied that Alshon must know what kind of “athleticism” is required to play tennis.

Even former doubles champion Rennae Stubbs wasn’t having it and asked Alshon to straight up delete the tweet.

As the debate continues, fans and professionals alike are taking sides on the subject. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comment section.

Read more: Nick Kyrgios Sheds Light on the Reason Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are Superior to Him