Pickleball gains momentum in China as participation and events surge

The sport of pickleball is rapidly gaining popularity in China, with a larger number of competitions and growing public participation helping the activity reach a much wider audience. CGTN Sports Scene's Zhu Mandan visited the National Tennis Center in Beijing to find out what's driving the boom.

Pickleball attracted large crowds in the capital over the National Day holiday, as its annual promotion campaign alongside the China Open tennis tournament returned for a fourth year.

The initiative was first launched at the tennis event in 2023, when pickleball remained unfamiliar to much of the Chinese public. Participation has since increased significantly over the last three years, with around 20,000 people experiencing the sport through the campaign in 2024 and 25,000 in 2025.

Nearly 30,000 people have taken part so far in 2026, highlighting the speed at which pickleball has gained recognition among recreational sports enthusiasts.

The Chinese Tennis Association has also been developing a more structured system for the sport, including competitions at various levels and programs for developing coaches and training referees.

The China Pickleball Tour, launched in 2024, has experienced particularly strong expansion. The circuit began with 80 stops in its first year, while more than 1,000 stops are being held in 2026.

Efforts to broaden the sport's reach have also included events and activities at the grassroots and community levels, providing more people with opportunities to play, while also helping improve the competitive standard of participants.

International competitions have been introduced as well, allowing leading overseas players to compete alongside Chinese athletes while offering more opportunities for domestic players to test themselves against high-level opposition.

With its fast pace, accessibility and relatively simple rules, pickleball has developed from a little-known activity into an increasingly familiar part of China's recreational sports landscape.

The game's growth has also reflected a wider rise in sports consumption over the National Day holiday, as sporting events and recreational activities become an increasingly prominent part of leisure spending.