Sports club Suzhou Shishan opened the Chinese city’s first pickleball court in January 2024, according to the company.Suzhou ShishanBEIJING — While the U.S. pickleball craze is still going strong, China’s is only just getting started.Online sales of pickleball paddles and related equipment in China have skyrocketed this year to an average of $1.2 million in monthly sales as of July — an increase of more than six-fold versus the year-ago period.That’s according to data from WPIC Marketing + Technologies. The company helps foreign brands — such as Ohio-based food blender seller Vitamix and skincare brand iS Clinical from California — sell online in China and other parts of Asia.”Pickleball’s rise in China reflects a broader shift toward active lifestyles and recreational sports participation,” said Jacob Cooke, co-founder and CEO of WPIC.The racquet sport has been getting a lift from social media influencers and the resurgence of tennis in China, thanks in part to Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal in tennis singles last summer, Cooke said.Interest in tennis and pickleball in China started in 2023, accelerated in 2024 and is “still doing very well” this year, said Daniel Zipser, senior partner at McKinsey and leader of its Asia consumer and retail division. “We’re still now in the very strong acceleration growth momentum [period] for racquet sports more broadly.”He pointed out that locals are not just increasingly picking up the sport, but also watching professional games more.During the U.S.-based Professional Pickleball Association’s (PPA) first “Hong Kong Open” competition from Aug. 21 to Aug. 24, “there was actually a pretty big crowd that came out [to watch the] final gold medal matches,” said Patrick Yan, founder of The Brine Agency, which represents Asian pickleball players. “The entire tournament was maxed out and with a waitlist.”Yan also noted that the Hong Kong region now has many more pickleball courts compared to only two when he visited in December and January.The Hong Kong Open was part of the inaugural PPA Tour Asia that includes matches in Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.Jack Wong …
