MLP Mesa shows pickleball can be just as easy to consume as it is to play

MESA, Ariz.—When you hear about pickleball’s surge in popularity, one of the first things that comes up is how easy it is to play. Young and old, athletic novice or regular on a court, this sport doesn’t discriminate, which is why so many people fall in love with it. And while that is mostly something indicative of the booming recreational scene, you do get some of it on the biggest stage in the sport: Major League Pickleball.

On Saturday, January 28, fans at MLP Mesa, at Legacy Sports USA—a massive, 320-acre sports and entertainment complex—witnessed a clash between the New Jersey 5’s and St. Louis Shock. Within that match-up, we saw New Jersey’s Anna Leigh Waters and Hayden Patriquin take down St. Louis’ duo of Simone Jardim and Jay Devilliers in an intense mixed doubles match.

The significance of that result is that Waters is just 16 years old, while Patriquin is only 17. That’s a doubles team with a combined age of 33 years on this planet, yet one of their opponents, Jardim, is 43.

After the match, Patriquin was asked what gave him the confidence to believe he and Waters had what it takes to defeat a team of veterans—Devilliers is 27, and considered to be a Top 10 player in the world. The California native gave an interesting answer.

“At first I wasn’t confident at all,” said Patriquin, before noting that his teammates gave him a pep talk that fired him up. Then he said, “it’s just all about confidence and having fun.”

Let's be clear about something: this wasn’t some shocking upset. According to Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR), Waters (6.41) and Patriquin (6.27) were rated a little higher as a duo than Jardim (5.77) and Devilliers (6.60). But seeing the two youngsters finding belief in themselves was fun to watch, and the crowd was eating it up. Patriquin was something of a showman out there, breaking out what looked like a Dikembe Mutombo finger wag after one of his bigger shots.

The reason this match-up was so intriguing is that it embodies the “pickleball is for everybody” mantra. Jardim was 27 years older than her female counterpart in the match, yet this was still one that went down to the wire, with the 5’s earning a 21-19 victory. And that brings us to our next point: this sport is also incredibly easy to consume.

While it might be hard for some people to admit—including the guy writing this column—the average attention span seems to be shrinking rapidly. Readers are flocking to stories that are 300 to 500 words, rather than committing their time to long-form pieces. Videos are running into something similar, with the average person willing to watch something that is 60 to 90 seconds more than sitting down for at least five minutes. In many ways, pickleball is that short-form alternative to tennis.

The match featuring Waters and Patriquin defeating Jardim and Devilliers wasn’t just exciting, but it lasted a total of 16 minutes, and pushed the limit of the maximum number of points you can see in this sport. You barely have to invest any time while watching the sport at the highest level, which makes it hard for anybody to get bored or distracted—even non-sports fans. (I can attest, as I watched with one, and she couldn't take her eyes off the court.)

If you’re reading this story, you probably love tennis as much as I do. But there’s no denying that it can be a drag to sit through a match that lasts three or more hours. Pickleball gives you something that scratches the dramatic, on-court itch, but is easier to digest. It might not be for everybody when it comes to viewership, but there will undoubtedly be a market for it as it continues to grow. And sports bettors are likely to be amongst the biggest fans of the sport, as it will one day give them something they can win money on quickly.

It will be hard to convert tennis fans into pickleball fans—the last thing anyone should do is force it on anyone. But if you’re a little more open-minded, try to check out some MLP action the next time it’s on. The beauty of this sport is that it’s not just easy to play, but it’s easy to watch. That’s a delightful combination as we enter uncharted territory with this sport.