The Ex-Tennis Stars Making Their Mark on the Pickleball Court

Jack Sock spent years as one of the most recognizable faces in American tennis. This season, he gave pickleball fans a reason to remember his name, too.

At April’s Fasenra Sacramento Open, Sock earned his first career win over world No. 1 Chris Haworth in the men’s singles quarterfinals. He isn’t the only tennis convert turning heads on the PPA Tour.

Jack Sock Topples Pickleball’s No. 1

The Sacramento result came three months after Haworth beat Sock 11-8, 11-8 in the men’s singles final at the PPA Masters, a match that ended with Sock hurting what appeared to be his hamstring on the final point. After toppling Haworth in Sacramento, Sock fell to Zane Ford in the semifinals.

The injury cost Sock two tournaments. When he returned, Haworth beat him again in the Newport Beach quarterfinals in March, making Sacramento his first win in the rivalry.

The former world No. 8 is still chasing his first PPA singles title. His lone PPA gold dates back to his 2023 debut, when he won mixed doubles with Anna Leigh Waters, the teen phenom SI profiled that same year.

Sock warned early that the switch wouldn’t be simple. “The tennis players that think they’re going to jump over and just kill it, it’s not going to be as easy as some think,” he told PPA broadcaster Dave Fleming in 2023.

Genie Bouchard’s Pickleball Breakthrough Is Coming

Genie Bouchard, the 2014 Wimbledon finalist, lost all three of her events at her 2024 PPA debut. Two years later, she’s a regular contender. Her full-time commitment only began last summer, when she played her final tennis match at the National Bank Open in her hometown of Montreal.

At February’s Cape Coral Open, she knocked off top seed Kate Fahey 6-11, 11-7, 11-5 in the quarterfinals, then beat Catherine Parenteau to reach the final. Kaitlyn Christian won the title 13-15, 11-6, 11-2, handing Bouchard her third career silver.

She has also shared the court with tennis royalty, joining Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf for the Duel in the Desert at the Pickleball Slam in Las Vegas.

The Pioneers Who Paved the Way

Sam Querrey, one of the first high-level tennis players to cross over, has since retired from pickleball after falling well short of his bold early predictions.

Others have found a longer runway. Former ATP doubles player Andrei Daescu is now an elite men’s doubles pro who took bronze with Federico Staksrud at the Atlanta Pickleball Championships, a Slam-level event, this spring. Donald Young, a former world No. 38 and 2017 French Open doubles finalist, joined MLP’s Florida Smash in his first year as a pickleball pro.

What’s Next for Tennis Converts

Sock has already hinted at the next big crossover. The idea of teaming with Nick Kyrgios was first floated for the PPA’s Australia stop in 2025, and when PPA CEO Connor Pardoe teased it again for 2026, Sock was confident.

It’ll happen 👀 https://t.co/HB3VrL25IC
— Jack Sock (@JackSock92) December 8, 2025

Fans are still waiting. Meanwhile, as farewell seasons like Stan Wawrinka’s final run at the US Open thin out tennis’ veteran ranks, the road to the kitchen line only gets busier.

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