Retired tennis player Jack Sock reaches #33 world ranking in pickleball after only 1 year

Uncompetitive or unathletic? Whats your argument? Clearly a pro tennis player skills translate quite well. Did you watch old Mcenroe V old Agassi? Guys are genetic freaks. Freaks will be freaks.

I played for the first time with family and family friends and it was a weird vibe. We were just having fun. My mom was competitive in tennis 30 years ago, she doesn't get around like she used to but she can still place a ball on the court. Anyway, a lot of people were surprisingly serious about it. Had lots of gear. All I could think of was, "Dude, just play actual tennis!" It really feels like handicapped tennis, so it's great for a family or kids or older people.

Pickleball is a joke. There’s a guy in my part of the world who calls himself a “professional pickleball coach.” How pathetic.

I guess pro pickle ball will be to tennis what ultras are to distance running.

It actually makes sense that Sock is able to jump into pickle ball and instantly get up in the rankings. He was an excellent doubles player. Pickle ball is all about position and touch as power gets you nothing.

It is also sad that Sock had to retire due to back issues. He was a big powerful player who also had great touch around the net.

No way "Jack Sock" is a real name

I thought a jack sock was an item of clothing kept by a teenage boy, shoved at the back of the drawer in the bedside table or crammed under the mattress.

You sure it was back issues and not long Covid?

A pro tennis player excelling in a sport extremely similar to tennis shouldn't be surprising.

It's not a surprise that a professional tennis player is excelling at a brand new similar sport. When and if pickleball players are paid more we'll see better athletes participate in it. This former doubles player would not be as successful in other more established competitive racquet sports.

that's a funny way to say Florida.

Thanks for letting us know that tennis has more competitive depth than pickleball. We never would’ve known otherwise.

lmao the people hating on pickleball like tennis is a sport either. Bougie Frenchie effete lawn game like croquet.

You think tennis is "athletic," then why was it pretty much the first recreational game taken up by women? No athleticism necessary, at all.

I don't know the history of tennis but I don't know how you can say it isn't athletic!

At the top levels, tennis is more competitive than pickleball. I think there is widespread agreement in pickleball that the top tennis players could excel at pickleball (especially singles) in a short period of time if they put their minds to it.

Of course, pickleball is a newer, smaller sport that has been largely a north American phenomenon; it is getting more competitive all the time and this trend will continue as the sport catches on in Asia and Europe. One of the top singles pickleball players this year is a young man from Vietnam. Another is from Spain.

When Jack Sock started competing professionally a year ago, many expected him to quickly dominate. The fact that -- a year later -- there are 32 pickleball players ranked higher than him shows it's not so easy to waltz in and beat everyone.

Sock has a very powerful forehand drive. I wouldn't say it gets him nothing. It's not easy to be on the other side of a drive like his.

Interesting comment likening pickleball to ultras. Maybe you are right. Or maybe pickleball becomes an Olympic sport in 2032 and in the subsequent decades surpasses tennis in popularity and competitiveness. May seem laughable but 40 years ago I would've laughed if you had told me people would be running 2 hours flat for the marathon in my lifetime.

Only number 33 in the world? I'm surprised. I figured that after a year of playing pickleball he would be ranked higher than that.

Thanks for this perspective - I got the sense you have some visibility into the pickleball world (you play or know people or something), is that the case? Interesting to hear about from the 'inside'.

I'm an avid pickleball player and follow the sport.

Probably makes more money than most professional runners too.