Is Pickleball popular in Australia? Yes it is! Pickleball is exploding globally and it is gaining serious momentum in Australia. With Pickleball courts popping up all over the country and more players getting into the sport.
But how popular is Pickleball in Australia? We have the latest 2024 AusPlay data and we can tell you how many people play Pickleball in Australia. And we compare Pickleball to other racquet sports in Australia and rank them in popularity.
We dive into the data and provide some unique analysis on Pickleball’s popularity. And some of the results may surprise you. Let’s take a look.
Key Takeaways:
- Explosive Growth with Room to Expand: Pickleball has surged in popularity in Australia, growing to 92,000 players aged 15+ in (2023-2024). However, with only 0.4% of the population participating, the sport has immense potential for further growth.
- Pickleball is Trailing Other Racquet Sports: Pickleball is the least played racquet sport in Australia, behind tennis, badminton, table tennis and squash.
- Olympic Aspirations and a Promising Future: The inclusion of Pickleball in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics could be a game-changer for its growth. With increasing media coverage, new courts, and grassroots enthusiasm, Pickleball is poised to transition from a niche sport to a mainstream sensation in Australia.
How Many People Play Pickleball in Australia?
Is Pickleball popular in Australia? Over 92,000 Australians aged 15+ played Pickleball in Australia at least once in the past year. That is according to the latest AusPlay survey results for the July 2023 to June 2024 period.
This is an impressive number. It is fantastic to see Pickleball played by so many Australians. And it looks likely that we will crack 100K and be well on our way to 200K players within a year.
And let’s not forget the Pickleball Australia 2023-2024 Annual Report. Reporting a huge 100%+ growth with 15,166 paid Pickleball Australia members as of the 21st of November.
This rapid growth in popularity and participation is amazing. But that almost 100k pickleball players is only 0.4% of the Australian population aged 15 and over. Which is 0.4% of the 18.4 Million people that played any sport in the year.
This small percentage means Pickleball has plenty of growth left. Let’s take a look at some other interesting insights from the AusPlay data for 2023-2024.
Top 3 Facts on Pickleball’s Popularity in Australia
Australia is a sport loving nation and most Aussies love to get out and play sport. The AusPlay data tells us that 84% of Australians aged 15+ played sport in the last year, while 78% played at least once in the last month. They are great numbers.
Let’s dig deeper into Pickleball and the other Racquet sports
1. Pickleball is the Least Played Racquet Sport in Australia
Sure, we all love Pickleball. But it is the least played racquet sport in Australia. It is just behind Squash (by 0.1%), and a considerable amount behind Table Tennis, Badminton and Tennis (all over 1%).
Pickleball is the newest sport in Australia. But the Bros thought it would easily be more popular than squash and badminton? And it was nipping at the heels of tennis.
This is not the case. This increased media coverage of Pickleball may have helped drive this perception. But these more established racquet sports are still very popular and don’t benefit from the TV time Pickleball receives at the moment.
2. Pickleball Cannot Be Compared to Tennis…. Yet
The Tennis VS Pickleball comparisons are always fun and the media love to play it up. With ex-tennis pros Agassi and McEnroe jumping ship to Pickleball. Along with a bunch of other pros from various sports.
The Pickleball Vs Tennis rivalry is healthy and lots of fun. But in Australia, the data tells you there is no competition.
Tennis has over 1 Million Players aged 15+ participating over the year (4.8%). And players aged 0-14 had almost 190,000 players (3.9% of kids that played sport). While Pickleball recorded a few hundred in that 0-14 age group.
Tennis is the dominant sport across all age groups in participation when compared to Pickleball. But the dominance of tennis doesn’t stop there. This well established sport is breaking viewership and attendance records too.
In 2024, Over 1.1 million people attended the Australian Open tournament, beating the previous record set in 2023. And the TV viewership reached 12.857 million viewers in Australia.
The Australian Open expanded it’s tennis coverage in 2024. The AO YouTube channel became the first Grand Slam to reach 100 Million YouTube views in a week.
These are unbelievable numbers. But this is where tennis has an advantage (pun intended). The Australian Open has been ingrained into sport loving Aussies since it was first broadcast in 1973. Every Australian summer, it is an institution for most Australians to watch or attend the Open.
Pickleball has some great heights to reach to get closer to tennis. This won’t happen overnight but Pickleball is a sport worthy of the love of all Australians. It may just need a catalyst to propel the sport to the next level, like a global sporting event held once every four years.
3. Pickleball Participation Can Improve the Olympics 2032 Bid
The Bros love the prospect of Pickleball being in the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. We have a fantastic chance of Olympic inclusion, as detailed by the Bros. This would be the catalyst to take Pickleball to the next level on a global scale.
But other more established sports like Squash are vying for a spot in 2032. Squash was rejected for Olympic inclusion on four occasions in a row. And it will finally make it’s Olympic debut in the LA 28 games.
The Squash Australia CEO hopes to get Squash included in the 2032 games in Brisbane. And there could be a chance, with over 1 million Aussies playing the sport in the latest AusPlay data.
Luckily, Pickleball isn’t too far behind. An official Olympic submission is required 7 years before the games (July 2025 is the cut off). The increased popularity and continued growth of Pickleball is a plus. And great data from Australia and the World can only improve our chances. And Olympic inclusion is the next logical step for Pickleball to move beyond being a niche sport to a serious sporting contender.
The Future of Pickleball in Australia
The future of Pickleball is very healthy in Australia. It is receiving more mainstream media coverage, more courts are opening, the leagues are picking up steam and more people of all ages are playing.
There is a lot of love for Pickleball in Australia with players pitching in and spreading the word. There is a grass roots movement evident across social media. As Aussies slowly realise that Pickleball is the perfect sport for all ages and all fitness levels.
And that is why the popularity of Pickleball will only increase, as more Australian’s get involved and enjoy playing and watching the sport.
Final Thoughts
Is Pickleball popular in Australia? The Bros can categorically say YES! But the popularity is just getting started. Pickleball can be seen as a niche sport, with only 91,000 players. But it’s only a matter of time before Pickleball hits the mainstream. And that number will explode higher.
External forces like potential Olympics inclusion, more media coverage and tennis players crossing over can push the 0.4% to 1 or 2% and beyond. The popularity of Pickleball will only keep increasing for years to come. And the Bros enjoy being on the ground level, watching the world change around the sport that we love to play and write about.
Pickle On!
The Aussie Pickleball Bros.
Don’t Miss our Other Fantastic Articles on Playing Pickleball
F.A.Qs
What is the AusPlay Survey?
AusPlay is Australia’s biggest sport and physical activity survey. It collects national and state data on over 600 different participation sports and activities in Australia. The survey is funded and led by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC). The ASC is a Government agency responsible for supporting and investing in sport at all levels.
References:
- AusPlay Website: 2023-2024 Ausplay Survey Results
- Pickleball Australia: 2023-2024 Annual Report
- tennis.com.au: Australian Open 2024 record breaking numbers
- Wikipedia: Australian Open Data
- Squash-IQ.Com: Squash Australia CEO on 2032 Olympic hopes
- Victoria University: New Sports 2032 Olympic Games
- LA 28 Olympics: LA 28 Sports Programme