Renowned American pickleball player Christian Alshon said pickleball does not pose any threat to its sister racquet sports despite being the fastest-growing sport across the world.
Alshon is one of the biggest names to feature at the inaugural Panas Malaysia Cup, a PPA Tour Asia event. The tournament will be held at the Pickle Setia Alam Championship Court in Kuala Lumpur from September 24-28.
Pickleball has become widely popular in Asia, with countries like Malaysia, India, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and China boasting a strong culture for the sport.
Alshon, a former tennis champion who switched to pickleball in 2021, said sports should co-exist. “As much as I love tennis versus pickleball battles, I think tennis can really help pickleball grow. It doesn’t have to be one against the other,” said Alshon at a press conference on Wednesday.
“This is my first time in Asia, and Malaysia is my first stop. I am honoured to be here, you’ve been so welcoming. I think racquet sports need to unite – tennis, padel, pickleball, badminton, ping pong. I love them all. Let’s make pickleball the fastest-growing sport in Malaysia,” he added.
American-Vietnamese Alix Truong echoed Alshon and said the sport’s growth trajectory in Asia is phenomenal, and she hopes it will one day be included in the Olympics.
“I was just in Vietnam two weeks ago, then came back to the US before returning here. To see pickleball grow not just in Vietnam but also Malaysia and across Asia has been amazing with the help of the PPA Asia crew,” she said.
“Here, you can build a 20-court facility in a month compared to much longer in the US. Asians also enjoy team sports, and pickleball allows four players on court instead of two. That inclusiveness is a big draw. Everyone wants it in the Olympics, and I think we’re on the right track,” Truong added.
Malaysia, the host of the event, is estimated to have around 10,000 active players nationwide. The number of players has risen due to the country’s strong infrastructure for the sport. New pickleball courts have even replaced facilities previously used for futsal and badminton, the most popular racquet sport in the country.
The Malaysia Cup, carrying a prize purse of $150,000 – the largest in Asia – has attracted the world’s top pickleball players, including Ben Johns, Alshon, Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin, and Zane Navratil from the US. Armaan Bhatia will be India’s biggest hope at the event.