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‘Who Came up With That Name??’ – Martina Navratilova Takes A Sarcastic Swipe at Pickleball as She Makes a Serious Confession

Published 10/26/2022, 2:10 AM EDT

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Across the country, a new sport is rising in popularity among people of all age groups. It is pickleball. However, not everyone is amazed by such developments. The legendary Czech-American tennis player, Martina Navratilova, recently showcased her emotions about the sport on Twitter.

Pickleball fans share that their sport is everyone’s sport. It can be played by the young and the old, and is very popular in retirement communities.

Martina Navratilova gave a sarcastic reply about pickleball

Pickleball has received a lot of attention in the world of tennis, especially due to its resemblance to the sport. Several tennis players have had their say about the sport, in one form or another. Navratilova, who has won 59 Grand Slam titles in her illustrious career, recently shared her thoughts on pickleball.

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Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor game in which two or four players hit a hollow polymer ball perforated on a 36-inch high net with hard surface paddles. The former Czech-American tennis player, Navratilova, wasn’t shy about criticizing pickleball.

Navratilova tweeted, “Biggest reason pickle ball is so popular, IMNSHO, is that you can be decent and feel successful rather quickly. Unlike tennis, which- in the words of my friend Joel Drucker- takes a long time not to suck”.

When a fan replied to her tweet, pointing out the hilarious name of the sport, Navratilova replied, “It’s a great sport for sure:), will only play pickleball (who came up with that name?!?) if I can’t run at all anymore:)”

READ MORE- Martina Navratilova, Who Is Game for Adventures on and off the Court, Once Drew Parallels Between a Reality Show and Tennis: ‘Playing Doubles Is a Dance’

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Martina Navratilova, being one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has good standing to criticize a sport that is very close to tennis. Although tennis takes both mental and physical prowess to master, pickleball, on the other hand, does look like a recreational sport. Despite such vehement criticism from Navratilova, pickleball does have its supporters in the tennis world. The most prominent one is none other than Serena Williams, who once spoke about how much she enjoys playing the sport.

Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters and LeBron James are rushing to buy MLP teams

Renowned athletes from across the sports scene, including Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters and LeBron James, have invested in league teams of pickleball as the sport looks to expand. Pickleball has become one of the fastest-growing sports. Last year, 4.8 million people watched this game nationwide.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Martina Navratilova scoffs at Roger Federer’s Laver Cup for their outrageous prices

Brady started playing pickleball four years ago with Knighthead Capital owner Tom Wagner. His sons are often witnessed playing the game with him. The new ownership pool and new lineup are part of the latest development of the Major League Pickleball. The new modifications include four new teams to increase the league roster to 16. This has doubled the number of events to six. The total prize pool is expected to reach $2 million.

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Written by:

Dr Aditya Raveendran Menon

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Aditya Menon is a Tennis Author at EssentiallySports. A dentist by profession, he developed an unbridled love for tennis from the moment his father introduced him to the sport. Watching Roger Federer dominate the ATP tour with his unique and effortless style played a pivotal role in pushing Aditya to write about tennis for national publications.
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