Pickleball, a sport originating in the United States and combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, is gaining popularity across China, bringing new opportunities to cities and creating another platform for sporting exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

ZHENGZHOU, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The 2026 China National Pickleball Championships was held in early September in Hebi, central China's Henan Province, drawing more than 30 teams from across the country.

Preliminary statistics show that pickleball, once a niche sport, has been included as a mass-participation event in the games of 10 provincial-level regions this year, including Henan, Guangxi and Beijing. The China Pickleball Circuit, which had just over 80 stops when it launched in 2024, has expanded to 1,000 stops this year.

Originating in the United States and combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball is rapidly gaining popularity across China. The sport is bringing new opportunities to cities and creating another platform for sporting exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

A CITY TRANSFORMED BY A BALL

Every morning, the sharp crack of pickleballs echoes along the banks of the Qi River in Hebi.

Zhang Shaohua, a Hebi resident born in the 1970s, has been hooked on pickleball since she first tried it in 2024. To promote the sport more widely, she set up a players' community and built her own professional pickleball venue. She also travels regularly around the country to play and connect with other enthusiasts.

"In Hebi, pickleball started as a trend, but it has become a daily routine," Zhang said.

In just three years, the once-obscure sport has taken off in Hebi.

"Hebi has a solid industrial foundation and rich cultural and tourism resources, but its urban visibility and influence still need to be enhanced. We urgently need to build a highly recognizable city brand that can connect with both domestic and international markets," said Zhao Hongyu, secretary of the CPC Hebi Municipal Committee.

By 2025, the city had built 1,600 pickleball courts, giving it one of the highest densities of pickleball courts in China and forming a network covering urban areas, counties and townships.

Pickleball has not only raised Hebi's profile, but also helped spur the development of related industries.

Leveraging its existing coal chemical, rubber and plastics industries, Hebi has built a pickleball industrial chain that spans from raw materials such as polypropylene to the production of high-end equipment.

At a factory in Xun County, Hebi, machines hum as pickleball paddles, nets and sports flooring roll off the production line. The company, which started as a rubber and plastic products manufacturer, began making pickleball equipment in 2024. Its pickleball equipment sales exceeded 25 million yuan in 2025, up more than 50 percent year on year, and are projected to top 50 million yuan in 2026.

"We export pickleball-related products to Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia," said Xing Weimin, general manager of Henan Geli Sports Goods Co., Ltd. "Recently, customers have come to the factory almost every day to discuss business. The pickleball market has huge potential."

A SPORT SPREADING WIDELY IN CHINA

In 2026, pickleball is surging across China with unprecedented momentum, sweeping through cities large and small and drawing participants from schoolchildren to retirees alike.

"There are currently eight million people in China who regularly participate in pickleball, and about 20 million who have tried it," said Bai Xilin, director of the Tennis Administration Center of China's General Administration of Sport. "The number of active pickleball players in China may reach 30 million in the future."

Beyond Hebi, cities across China are exploring creative ways to weave pickleball into urban life.

Hangzhou's Gongshu District has turned unused space beneath an elevated highway into a 6,000-square-meter pickleball park with five standard courts. Beijing's Fengtai District has converted a former indoor basketball arena into a pickleball club that now hosts the Beijing Pickleball Super League. Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, has opened a 23-court complex, the largest in the province, which offered four hours of play for just 29.9 yuan during the summer, drawing scores of young players. Nanjing has 11 standard courts on the 51st floor of a shopping mall, offering panoramic city views.

Hosting pickleball tournaments has also emerged as a new way to blend culture, sports, tourism and commerce while stimulating local consumption.

"I believe that pickleball has the potential to become the next marathon-like popular sport," said Song Hongfei, general manager of the sports business division at Viva Goods Co., Ltd.

According to the China Sporting Goods Federation, China's domestic market for pickleball equipment and services exceeded 1.8 billion yuan in 2025 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 47 percent over the next five years.

Enthusiasm for hosting tournaments is also surging. In just over two years, China Pickleball Circuit events alone have been staged in 99 cities across more than 20 provincial-level regions, while grassroots tournaments have proliferated as well.

"Many cities host marathons, which not only promote national fitness but also play an important role in enhancing the city's brand, and pickleball is developing in the same direction," said Qiao Liang of Henan Dongcheng Sports Industry Co., Ltd.

MORE THAN JUST A GAME

Bai Xilin described pickleball's broad appeal as "three lows and three highs."

The "three lows" start with a low barrier to entry: men and women, young and old, and even complete beginners can pick it up quickly. Second is low cost-courts are flexible and equipment is relatively inexpensive. Third is low risk: as a non-contact sport, it suits a wide range of ages.

The "three highs" are its strong social dimension, high overall value and high safety rating. Its overall value encompasses fitness, social, economic and cultural benefits.

Pickleball has also seen rapid international growth in recent years.

According to 2026 statistics from a sports and fitness industry association in the United States, where the sport originated, pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the country for five consecutive years. In Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and the Philippines, it has also built a broad participation base.

In 2025, the Hebi International Pickleball Invitational brought together professional players from 14 countries and regions, including Spain, Italy and Sweden, to compete alongside Chinese athletes and exchange skills.

In February and August this year, two groups of American teachers and students visited Hebi. They paired up with local teenagers for friendly matches and shared pickleball skills. They also visited an ancient temple fair, experienced a molten-iron fireworks display and made traditional clay whistles known as "Nigugu," gaining deeper insight into Chinese culture.

Through friendly matches and cultural exchanges, pickleball is creating lasting bonds that transcend borders and bring people closer together.