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Can tennis and pickleball coexist? This tennis lobbyist thinks so. By Brendan Farrington
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t’s hotly contested in online forums for The Villages. It’s turned condo dwellers against each other. And it’s the subject of lawsuits. It’s tennis vs. pickleball. Who can settle such a divisive issue? We turned to The Southern Group lobbyist Chris Dudley. Full disclosure: Dudley has served as an advisor to the United States Tennis Association and was involved in bringing the USTA’s national campus to central Florida. While that could tip the scales in favor of tennis, it turns out his teenage sons don’t play the sport, but do love pickleball, so that tips the scales back the other way. So his recommendation? “Do both,” he said. Dudley, 53, didn’t start playing tennis until he was about 40, but took to it quickly and has become a regular player. “It was just time to get out and do something,” he said. “It’s a very mental game, which I love about it. The skill set matters. You can’t really do much else while you’re out there playing except think about tennis. There’s no partners, there’s no team. You’re kind of on your own. I kind of like that.” He, his 13- and 15-year-old sons and wife Suzanne like to be active together as a family, but the boys just aren’t into tennis. So, Dudley has also become a pickleball fan, so much so he set up a court at home. “It’s the one thing we can do as a family, all four of us,” Dudley said. “Pickleball is a blast. The reason it’s the fastest (growing) sport in the country is everybody can play. All age levels, all skill levels — you’re literally kind of hitting a wiffle ball back and forth over the net. It’s addicting. It’s very fun.” There are obvious differences between the sports. • A tennis ball served by a pro comes off the racket at more than 100 mph, while a pickleball hit by an amateur tends to come across the net at 20 to 45 mph. • It’s harder to set up a tennis court at home, while pickleball nets are available for less than $100 and you can always
mark a court with tape. • Tennis is more fun when you compete with someone closest to your skill level, while anyone can easily pick up pickleball and have fun with more experienced players. While tennis is best played one-onone, Dudley will often rent a pickleball court and invite a group out. Games are quick and are played in pairs, so players rotate on and off the court, get a bit of exercise and enjoy a social afternoon. And as a bonus, some indoor facilities also have food and adult beverages. “It’s hard to drink while you play tennis. It does not mix,” Dudley quipped.
Like Dudley, the USTA’s official stance is that you don’t have to choose one sport over the other. The organization has a webpage dedicated to the case for mutual existence. “Tennis and Pickleball: It doesn’t have to be a battle,” the site says. “Let’s work together using the resources available to help both tennis and pickleball grow in our community in ways that are mutually beneficial both for today and for long-term growth and development.”
Avid tennis player Chris Dudley works on his backhand.
Summer 2025
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