Pickleball injuries rising with game's popularity: Docs

Pickleball might be among the fastest-growing sports around.

One doctor has even gone as far as to call the game a “drug” — suggesting some weekend warriors and retirees will chase a game at all costs.

That includes overlooking injuries in the name of returning to the court.

According to the New York Post , 19.8 million people played pickleball in 2024 – a 311% increase since 2021, per the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.

Injuries have come with that phenomenal growth.

“Across the board, there’s an uptick,” Dr. James Gladstone, the chief of sports medicine at NYC’s Mount Sinai Health System, and an orthopedic consultant for the U.S. Open, told the Post.

Medical experts say the injury surge is driven by sheer numbers, but also by the game’s demographics: Quasi-fit retiree