From Tennis to Pickleball: How I Fell for the Sport I Swore I’d Never Play

by Giovanna Provenzano

Growing up, I played just about every paddle sport you could imagine, handball, paddleball, racquetball  but my real love was always tennis. Tennis was everything to me. It was the sport I played, the one I coached, and the one my kids grew up playing all the way through college. So when pickleball came along, I rolled my eyes. I thought it was a silly little game that couldn’t possibly compare to the beauty, rhythm, and grace of tennis. And honestly, I felt like trying it would be disloyal to the sport that had shaped so much of my life.

Then one day, the owner of the tennis club where I worked asked me to fill in for a pickleball game. I didn’t really have a choice as  they needed a fourth, and I happened to be standing there. So I reluctantly grabbed a paddle, stepped onto the court… and had the time of my life.

It was fun. It was social. It was full of laughter. I found myself meeting new people, smiling more than I had in years, and thinking, “Wow… this is actually great.” I bought my own paddle that same week and, well, I’ve been hooked ever since.

What I didn’t expect was how incredible the pickleball community would be. Never did I think I’d put down my tennis racquet but here I am, completely embracing this sport and the people who play it.

Here’s the thing, if you look around at most tennis courts today, they’re often empty. Tennis is an amazing sport, but it’s not easy to just show up and play. You need a partner, you need to be at a similar level, and finding that match can be a challenge. Tennis players can be a little… particular (I say that lovingly, as one of them!).

Now drive past a public pickleball court. You’ll see something completely different, a vibrant scene full of people waiting to play, paddles lined up along the fence, conversations and laughter filling the air. Sure, pickleball players care about level too, but most of them are just happy to be out there, playing, connecting, and having fun.

And here’s what I’ve come to realize: tennis players shouldn’t look at pickleball as the enemy or as a sport trying to imitate tennis. It’s not “tennis on a smaller court.” It’s its own game — one that happens to share a few similarities, just like ping pong or badminton do. Once I stopped comparing the two and accepted pickleball for what it is,  different, yet equally engaging, I stopped feeling like I was betraying tennis.

Today, I not only play pickleball, I coach it and it’s truly my happy place. There’s something incredibly rewarding about getting people playing and smiling within their very first hour on court. While I loved coaching tennis, those rewards took longer to arrive, progress was slower, and breakthroughs took time. In pickleball, joy comes quickly, and you can see confidence and connection grow right in front of you.

I’ll always love tennis. It gave me discipline, friendships, and a lifetime of memories. But pickleball gave me something I didn’t even know I was missing… pure, accessible joy and a community that welcomes everyone.