Just because tennis and pickleball look similar at first glance, they are in fact very different sports!
If you’ve played on these popular racket sports, you might be wondering what the difference between tennis vs pickleball is.
Whichever sport you’re familiar with, you may be wondering whether you can switch from one to the other.
And, if you’re completely new to racket sports, you’re probably wondering which one is best to start with.
Some people who want to get introduced to these sports want to know if there’s even a difference between the two or if one sport is easier to play than the other.
Knowing the main differences between tennis and pickleball will help you choose the best sport for you (and avoid any unnecessary purchases when it comes to buying different equipment!).
Here is everything you need to know about tennis vs pickleball.
Is there a significant difference between pickleball and tennis?
Since pickleball is closely related to tennis, it’ll come as no surprise that there are a number of similarities between the two sports.
Both are a type of racket sport, for a start. And there are also elements of tennis that will be familiar in a game of pickleball.
Like padel and pop tennis (formerly known as paddle tennis), the rules of pickleball are also loosely based on tennis.
All of these sports involve a court, a net and a ball being hit from one side to the other.
Since tennis is such a well-established game, many of the games mentioned above are played on converted tennis courts – whether temporary or permanent.
This is certainly true for pickleball because, with a few little changes, it’s fairly easy to play pickleball on a tennis court!
However, despite how similar they may appear at first glance, there are many differences between all of these sports.
Tennis vs Pickleball: Key Differences
The biggest difference between tennis and pickleball largely comes down to the equipment used and the scoring rules.
Let’s take a look at the differences between pickleball and tennis for each area of the game.
Scoring
The comparison table shown below shows the difference in scoring between tennis vs pickleball.
| Tennis Scoring | Pickleball Scoring | |
| Any player from the team can make points. | The serving team is the only ones that generate points. | |
| 4 points make up a game, 6 games make up a set, then 2 sets make up a match. In order win a game, a team or a player must win 4 points. If a player or two teams win 3 points, one of them must score a 2-point lead to win the game. Overall, the first player or team to win 2 sets is declared the winner. | Players have to play until one team reaches 11 points, which must be won by a 2-point lead. Depending on the tournament, the first player or team to accumulate 2 or 3 sets wins the entire match. | For pickleball tournaments, one of the teams must reach a score of 15 or 21 points, which must be won by a 2-point lead. |
| Tennis players only change courts after the first and third game, and then every odd game per set. | If the serving team’s score is an even number, the first player who served must situate themselves in the right/even court when receiving or serving. However, if the score is odd, then the player must situate themselves in the left/odd court when receiving or serving. |
Serving
There are similarities and differences when it comes to the serving of tennis vs pickleball.
One might argue that tennis may be a bit more complicated when it comes to serving compared to pickleball – which is great news for pickleball players!
Here are the key differences between serving in pickleball vs tennis.
| Tennis | Pickleball |
| When hitting the ball with the paddle, it must not be above waist level. | |
| The serving player gets two shots at landing a good serve. | Only one serve is allowed per server. |
| The serving player commonly uses an overhead serve. In addition, the serving player may use an underhand serve as well as long as they don’t bounce the ball before hitting it. | The positioning of the arm after hitting the ball must be in an upward arc. |
| When in contact with the ball, the head of the paddle mustn’t touch the wrist’s highest part. | |
| The receiver must let the serve bounce before hitting it. The server must ensure that the receiver is ready before they make the serve. | Once the ball is served the receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning it. The same rule applies to the serving team. |
| When drop serves are done by players, the rules of serving aforementioned are waived. | |
| A serve must be made diagonally to the service box located across the court. | A serve is made diagonally and must enter within the confines of the opponent’s diagonal court. |
| The serve must be made using a stationary position and it must be done behind the baseline located between the centre mark and sideline. The singles sideline is for a singles match and the doubles sideline is for a doubles match. | Once a ball is struck, the one who served mustn’t let their feet touch the area outside of the imaginary sideline or centerline, and the court itself. Also, one foot must be placed behind the baseline or the floor behind the baseline. |
Want to know the nitty-gritty of pickleball serving rules? We recommend you read this article.
Paddles vs rackets
The sports equipment used between tennis vs pickleball has major differences. In fact, there are very few similarities between pickleball and tennis here!
Most people are familiar with tennis rackets, which are larger and make use of strings. On the other hand, a pickleball paddle is the complete opposite.
There’s a reason why this is so and it all has something to do with the type of ball used in both sports.
| Tennis rackets | Pickleball paddles |
| Tennis rackets usually come in 27-inch to 29-inch sizes. | Pickleball paddles are usually 16 inches long and 8 inches wide. Although, size may vary according to what type of paddle they are. |
| Tennis rackets have strings. | Pickleball paddles have a smooth flat surface. |
| There are different types of strings used for tennis rackets, some of which include: synthetic gut, multifilament, natural gut, kevlar, and polyester/co-poly. | Pickleball paddles vary in terms of thickness and material used for the hitting surface. These include graphite, aluminium and polypro materials. |
Balls
As we mentioned earlier, the balls used in tennis and pickleball are very different.
They are so different that using a pickleball paddle for hitting a tennis ball just wouldn’t work.
There’s a science behind why a pickleball ball is made a specific way and the same goes for tennis balls.
In pickleball, you can also find specific indoor pickleball balls and outdoor pickleball balls. If you’re curious about the differences between them, check out this article.
| Tennis ball | Pickleball ball |
| Covered with felt and doesn’t have holes. | A plastic ball with holes – just like a wiffle ball. |
| Heavier than a pickleball ball. Has more bounce compared to a pickleball ball. | Lightweight and has less drag due to the holes. Has a low bounce to it. |
The court: indoor courts, outdoor courts, and the kitchen
When seeing pickleball for the first time, one thing you’ll likely notice is the court size. Pickleball is played on a much smaller court than tennis.
But it isn’t just the size of the court that is different. The general difference of a tennis vs pickleball court can be seen in the table below.
| Tennis | Pickleball |
| Tennis courts are huge. They measure at around 78 feet long and 27 feet wide for singles. As for doubles, they measure at 78 feet long and 36 feet wide. | Pickleball courts are a lot smaller than tennis courts and usually measure at 44 feet long and 20 feet wide for both singles and doubles. |
| A tennis court doesn’t have a non-volley zone. | A pickleball court has a non-volley zone called “the kitchen” on both sides of the court and is 7 feet deep from the net. Players aren’t allowed to step in this area in the midst of volleying. |
Both tennis and pickleball can be played indoors, and this applies to both leisure matches and competitive matches.
While there aren’t any major differences between indoor and outdoor play, indoor pickleball differs slightly more than indoor tennis.
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Terminology
Like any other sport, both tennis and pickleball have their own set of lingo.
For instance, the common pickleball court terms used are:
- Non-volley Zone
- Non-Volley Line
- Backcourt
- Double Bounce Rule or Two Bounce Rule
- Centerline
- Sideline
- Baseline
- Permanent Object
- Rally
OPA is another term in pickleball’s vocabulary and this is used as a cheer after a 3rd shot has been hit and an open rally has commenced.
Pickleball is rich in vocabulary and the ones we’ve mentioned in this article are just some of the more common terms you’ll hear on a pickleball court.
Of course, tennis has its own set of terminologies as well. For example, a term that’s unique to tennis is love – meaning 0.
It’s said that tennis is the only sport that uses this term to represent zero, and there are many theories why this exists.
How easy it is to learn
Right off the bat pickleball is easier than tennis by a mile.
The sport of pickleball doesn’t require too much movement in the court given that pickleball courts are a lot smaller (but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good exercise!).
Plus, thanks to the slower pace, there aren’t as many reports of injuries when it comes to playing pickleball.
Pickleball balls don’t bounce too much, so players won’t have to be on their toes since they can easily see the movement of the ball.
As for tennis, the ball bounces around much more and it may be harder for beginners to keep up with the pace. Because of this, they can end up tiring themselves out.
The Community
When it comes to the community, we think there is a clear winner between a game of tennis vs pickleball.
Arguably, there are far more experienced players in the sport of tennis.
On the flip side, pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports – and that means you’ll be in the company of many other beginners when you start.
As a team sport, pickleball is centered around community. Add in the number of pickleball camps and events that you can join, and we think it beats tennis hands down!
Nonetheless, both communities are fun to be a part of!
FAQ: Tennis vs pickleball
Still to got questions about the differences between pickleball and tennis? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions – and they answers:
Is pickleball easier to play than tennis?
Yes, technically, pickleball is easier to play than tennis since it doesn’t require that much physicality.
Further, a pickleball court is smaller too, so there’s no need for players to chase the ball across the court as intensely as they do in tennis.
What is more popular tennis or pickleball?
Tennis is still more popular than pickleball simply because it’s been around for a longer time.
Apart from that, USTA also states that around 22% of America’s population participated in tennis in 2020, which roughly equates to around 21.64 million people!
Despite that, pickleball is quickly becoming one of the most popular sports – especially in the USA.
Why are tennis players switching to pickleball?
There’s no straight answer for this. After all, there could be a number of reasons why tennis players switch to pickleball.
According to some of our community members who formerly played tennis, they’ve decided to switch to pickleball since it’s easier on their joints.
Aside from that, people just enjoy the social togetherness pickleball brings to a community of players who enjoy making new friends.
Is pickleball scoring like tennis?
No. There’s a very big difference between tennis vs pickleball scoring.
Tennis has a more complicated scoring system in many ways. It’s comprised of points that make up a game, a game that makes up a set, and a set that makes up a match.
On the flip side, pickleball has a scoring system that determines a winner once they reach 11 points.
Can a tennis court be used for pickleball?
Yes, a tennis court can be used for pickleball, so long as the lines are changed in accordance with the official pickleball court dimensions.
Another important thing to consider is the tennis net height vs pickleball net height.