Finance & economics | Free exchange

The economics of the tennis v pickleball contest

Don’t hate the new players—or the new game

Illustration of a pickleball player and a tennis player facing off like fencers
Illustration: Álvaro Bernis

Which is the greatest rivalry in tennis? Older players might reminisce about the “fire and ice” contests between the cool-headed Bjorn Borg and the tempestuous John McEnroe; those a generation younger might rave about the all-American duels between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. After a two-decade-long era dominated by rivalries between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, younger players are at last starting to shine. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, aged just 21 and 22, respectively, produce electric tennis—and have claimed four grand-slam titles between them since 2022. Do not be surprised if they meet again at Wimbledon, which starts on July 1st.

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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Don’t hate the game”

From the June 29th 2024 edition

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