Pickleball Celebrities - Famous People That Play!
Have you become a big fan of pickleball these last couple of years? Well, you're certainly not alone. In case you haven't heard, it's the top growing sport in America, and its popularity seems to be getting bigger and bigger. Big-time events are being shown for the first time on network television, and even celebrities are getting in on the action.
So, who are some of these celebrity pickleballers? That's exactly what this article is going to help you find out.
Bill Gates
The former co-founder of Microsoft and current philanthropist Bill Gates is also a big fan of pickleball. He's a former tennis player who has converted over to the "brine" side. Word is, he even owns a Simon–one of the most advanced pickleball machines available.
Leonardo Dicaprio
We all know and love him from the big screen. He's played in some of the most iconic roles in cinematic history. He's been a Wolf on Wall Street, Romeo Montague, and probably (most definitely) could've fit alongside Rose on that door while the Titanic sunk. But, these days–rumored to be every day–you can find him on a pickleball court.
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert is the host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He's also one of the most outspoken ambassadors for how great pickleball is. So much so, that he's partnered with Funny or Die & CBS Studios to produce a show called Pickled. No release date has been announced, but we can't wait to see it!
Ellen Degeneres
American television host Ellen admitted her obsession with pickleball in an interview. As someone with over 96M followers on Instagram, and a whole slew of accolades under her belt, there's a good chance she's responsible for many new pickleballers joining on the fun in the last few years.
Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Phelps
Talking about high-profile athletes! Former NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and one of the most decorated Olympians, Michael Phelps, spend some of their free time not only playing pickleball but promoting it worldwide.
Jenna Bush Hager
Jenna Bush Hager is the daughter of former US President George W. Bush and a co-host of the Today Show. On the show, she did a segment about how she and her entire family play pickleball–even while on vacation!
Kim Kardashian
The star of Keeping up with the Kardashians is a big fan of pickleball. She even had an episode of the show where she and Khloe played together.
TONIGHT ON E! pic.twitter.com/RFuEymx5WX
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) April 7, 2019
Matthew Perry & Amanda Peet
The two famous actors (Matthew for Friends and Amanda for The Whole Nine Yards) are friends who like to play pickleball together. Amanda played so much at one point that she announced that she developed pickleball elbow (similar to tennis elbow). Perhaps these warmup drills would've helped!
George and Amal Clooney
Now you can brag to everyone that you have something in common with George Clooney. Because he and his wife not only love pickleball, but they actually have their own court at their home in LA.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic
Guiliana is an anchor on E! News, and Bill (her husband) was the first winner of The Apprentice. Both show off their pickleball games on their Instagram.
Doug Elin
The creator of Entourage, Doug Elin is known to be so addicted to pickleball that he chooses his vacation spots based on whether or not they have pickleball court access. He's even gone on record to say, "I literally want every person in the world to play this game." We couldn't agree more!
Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi
You would think that former American tennis stars would shy away from such an "inferior" game, but quite the opposite is true! They love to play against each other and even against other celebrity players (like Gary Vaynerchuk). Hey, how can anyone disagree if those guys think it's a great game?
Jillian Michaels
The former The Biggest Loser host and fitness guru, who has written several best-selling health books, is also a fan of pickleball. She's known for her competitive nature, and if she's doing it, you can bet that the sport is good for your health too!
Gary Vaynerchuk
As previously mentioned, Gary "Vee" is also a huge fan of pickleball. He's a best-selling author and social media influencer extraordinaire, so he doesn't have much extra time on his hands. However, at least some of that time is spent in the kitchen–the pickleball kitchen. He recently purchased a Major League Pickleball team and plans to majorly impact the sport over the next several years.
Conclusion
More and more celebrities and athletes are becoming fans of the fastest-growing sport in the world. So, if you're still on the fence, there's never been a better time than today to get yourself a paddle and head on down to the courts. Have fun out there!
