What Benefits Will Nike Bring to Pickleball?


With last week's announcement of Anna Leigh Waters' footwear and apparel contract with Nike, there has been a lot of talk.

Many people online just hate on Anna Leigh for being a rich teenager and begrudge her having such opportunities.

Regardless of whether you like Anna Leigh or not, the involvement of Nike in the sport of pickleball is great for all of us who play.

Here are some benefits of Nike being in pickleball:

 1. Legitimacy - Even though we all play and love pickleball, and even though it is growing rapidly, there are still many nonbelievers.  Many people say it's not a real sport. Many still say it's just for old retired people. Obviously, those complainers haven't played or they would know better. However, pickleball has not been taken seriously by lots of people.  Nike just changed that. Nike just made pickleball legitimate. Nike is the leading sports corporation. They would not put money and products into a sport unless they knew it was legitimate and would be very profitable.  A questionable sport or an old person game would not gain Nike's interest. So, again, pickleball is now a legitimate sport.

 2.  Money - Nike is not just investing money into Anna Leigh's career.  They are investing lots of money in the sport. They are signaling that they will be making multiple pickleball-specific shoes.  Think about what they did for the NBA.  They will be creating multiple lines of pickleball clothing and accessories.  Think about what they have done for college football. Everyone who plays pickleball will benefit from their investments. 

 3. Competitors - And Nike's involvement will bring in their competitors as well.  Adidas has been somewhat involved. They make some shoes and have even come out with a paddle. But, they could be much more involved and now probably will.  What about Under Armour?  Even Lululemon?  Asics has a few pickleball shoes.  And Wilson and Mizuno are somewhat involved.  How many of these companies will increase their pickleball-specific investments now that Nike has joined?  My guess is many of them will.  That will be good for all of us.

 4.  Advertisers - Nike invests in sports that the majority of people want. And where Nike goes, so do the advertisers. Advertisers follow the attention.  And Nike just dramatically increased the attention of pickleball.  Why do advertisers spend so much for Super Bowl commercials?  Because that's where the nation's attention is for those three hours. Yes, Nike will advertise their products to pickleball audiences. Other sports retailers will too.  But what about Doritos, Pepsi, Coke, Starbucks, etc.  They will advertise where the masses congregate.  As pro pickleball continues to grow there will be more and more advertisers coming to pickleball.  That will mean more and more advertising dollars pumped into the sport. Again, that will be good for all of us.

 5.  TV contracts - With Nike's involvement, and with pickleball's continued growth, there will be more TV coverage of pro tournaments. Right now the majority of TV coverage is on Pickleball TV.  Occasionally a match or two will be on ESPN, Fox, or CBS.  But Nike will change all of that. There will be contracts with ESPN, Fox, and CBS.  Maybe even TBS or TNT. Maybe Prime? And with those contracts come more advertisers which means even more money and more interest.  And with greater interest, even local investors and planners around the country will recognize the need for new, larger pickleball facilities where people can learn and enjoy pickleball.  We would all be happy with more courts in our communities.

 6.  Celebrity status - People tend to love their favorite celebrities. Many pro athletes have become celebrities over the years.  Think of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Venus and Serena Williams, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Shohei Ohtani, Steph Curry, and the list could go on and on.  Pro pickleball players will become celebrities, too.  Anna Leigh already has to some extent. It won't be long before we will be adding other pro pickleball players to that celebrity list.  And their notoriety will get more people playing pickleball.  As we have said, the more players, the more facilities, the more tournaments, etc.  The rising tide of pro pickleball will lift all boats even in our communities!

 7.  Better products - There will be better pickleball clothing, shoes, socks, hoodies, paddles, balls, grips, etc. We will all benefit from the availability of these better products. Anna Leigh used to wear Fila products.  My wife pointed out that ALW was always pulling down the legs of her Fila shorts. My wife had experienced the same issue with the Fila shorts creeping up.  It was interesting this past weekend at the PPA Masters tournament, I never saw Anna Leigh pulling at her Nike shorts. There will be better products made from better materials. 


I don't begrudge Anna Leigh's success.  In some sense it's the American dream.  She has the athletic ability and formerly played competitive soccer.  She and her mother left Florida in 2017 because of Hurricane Irma. They evacuated to Pennsylvania where her grandfather lived. He introduced them to pickleball. So, Anna Leigh then switched from soccer to pickleball.  She worked very hard, and she's very competitive.  In addition, pickleball's popularity skyrocketed during Covid. So, circumstances all came together at a great time for her to become a pro and to be offered amazing paddle, footwear, and apparel contracts.  And she has made the most of her opportunities. Good for her! 

So, instead of being jealous of Anna Leigh's success, let's be thankful for how her success will benefit all of us! 


Ben Holt
​CEO, Pickleball Living