BY AUBREY VOGEL CONTRIBUTIONS BY ROO MOODY
Zooming out
Number of pickleball facilities
What else
Pickleball has seen a 223% increase in par- ticipation from 2020 to 2024, with a projected annual increase of 15-20% in 2025 and 2026, according to recent data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. The association also named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America in 2022. The Greater Houston area is leading nationally in the number of pickleball businesses with 59 facilities, according to the September and October 2025 edition of Pickleball Magazine. Meanwhile, Texas is third in the nation with 854 pickleball facilities and 3,584 courts behind Florida and California, which have 1,667 and 1,153 courts, respectively. Pickleball players attribute the sport’s expo- nential growth to multiple factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the smaller court size and its multigenerational appeal. However, Michael Kaplan, president of the Houston Pickleball Association, attributes the
Houston
Alongside pickleball, the area has seen the opening of several pingpong businesses, including 5C Table Tennis and the expanded Houston International Table Tennis Academy. Additionally, residents can play other racket sports at Padel County Club and Schafer Badminton Academy.
59
New York City
58
Austin
52
Seattle
50
San Diego
47
SOURCE: PICKLEBALL MAGAZINE COMMUNITY IMPACT
Growing racket sports
sport’s popularity to another reason—childlike discovery. “When you’re little … you’re just so pure and unadulterated, and you see something new, it’s like the greatest thing in the world,” Kaplan said. “This is what [pickleball] does to people because it’s fun, it’s social, it can be competitive and it’s inclusive.”
Pickleball: Played on a smaller court featuring a tennis-height net with a paddle and wi e-like ball Table tennis: Played on a table featuring a low net with a lightweight plastic ball Badminton: Played on a smaller court featuring a high net with a racket and shuttlecock
SOURCE: PRO PICKLEBALL COMMUNITY IMPACT
Looking ahead
Meanwhile, Electric Pickle will bring nine high-tech pickleball courts to Katy near Katy Asian Town, Community Impact reported. The business is also set to feature golf simulators, bocce ball courts, pingpong tables, gaming technology and a stage for live music. The facility will also feature a restaurant with patio dining, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation ling.
Both Rowe and Singh said they anticipate the number of players to continue to grow in both the Greater Houston and Katy area as more people are exposed to the sport. “I don’t know of another business that you could open right now and have a steady in ux of people,” Rowe said. “We’ve had to expand our programming to facilitate all of the people who are just wanting to learn.”
Electric Pickle opened its rst location in Arizona in 2025 with plans to expand to more markets.
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