Well, well, well—who had pro pickleball on their bingo card as the highest-paying women’s sports league of 2024? Not the WNBA with Caitlin Clark-mania, not the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) with its skyrocketing franchise values, and not even the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) with backing from sports royalty like Billie Jean King. Nope—it’s pickleball. The sport that sounds like it was invented at a backyard barbecue and looks like a mix between tennis, ping-pong, and your grandma’s Thursday morning rec league.
But numbers don’t lie. Female pickleball players pulled in an average salary of $269,000 this year, courtesy of the United Pickleball Association (UPA)—the organization behind the Carvana PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP). And yes, that figure puts the average earnings of female pickleball players leagues ahead of their WNBA and NWSL peers, where salaries hover around $120,000 and $50,000–$60,000 respectively.
The reason? For one, pickleball players are employees of the UPA, not independent contractors like tennis and golf players. This means a steadier paycheck and more predictable income. The UPA has committed a staggering $30 million to players—split evenly between men and women—proving that equity isn’t just a buzzword when there’s actual cash on the table.
But beyond salaries, the rise of pro pickleball has been one of the more fascinating stories in sports this year. What started as a recreational pandemic trend has rapidly scaled into an actual professional ecosystem. Ticket sales for pickleball events surpassed amateur registration revenue for the first time this year—a key milestone in showing that fans aren’t just playing the sport, they’re willing to pay to watch it.
That said, let’s not kid ourselves—pickleball still has an uphill climb. It’s not exactly appointment viewing yet. For every passionate fan in the stands, there’s another person who can’t stand the clack-clack-clack sound of paddle meeting plastic ball. And while the sport is exploding at the grassroots level, the pro game is still searching for its breakout star—the Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe, or Caitlin Clark who can transcend the court and become a household name.
But the UPA isn’t blind to these challenges. They’ve been upgrading their TV production—gone are the days of livestreaming matches from a tripod-mounted iPhone. They’ve introduced jib cameras for dynamic angles, improved their broadcast graphics, and partnered with Fox Sports and the Tennis Channel. And let’s not overlook Pickleball TV, their free, ad-supported streaming channel.
Still, the most fascinating stat might be this: 13.6 million Americans played pickleball last year, a meteoric rise from 4.2 million just two years prior. For context, that’s about as many people as play outdoor soccer in the U.S. It’s clear there’s a massive recreational base, but converting those players into fans of the professional league remains the golden ticket.
One person who’s optimistic is Samin Odhwani, the UPA’s Chief Strategy Officer. He’s pointed out something interesting about mixed doubles pickleball: women are often the deciding factor in winning. Opponents tend to direct shots at the female player, assuming she’s the weaker link, but data suggests that strategy often backfires. In short, female players aren’t just an equal part of the game—they’re often the key to victory.
But here’s the big question: Can pro pickleball make it? Can it grow beyond niche broadcasts and sporadic SportsCenter highlights into a full-blown, mainstream professional league? History offers mixed lessons. Soccer took decades to reach its current heights in the U.S., and pickleball doesn’t have the cultural head start that sports like baseball or football enjoyed.
