From Tennis Courts to Pickleball Arenas: Jack Sock's Stunning Transition.

Talented American tennis sensation Jack Sock has decided to step back from the world of tennis and embark on a new adventure in pickleball, a fast-growing sport that's gaining popularity across U.S.

At 30 years old, Sock has some exciting plans lined up. He's participating in the US Open alongside his doubles partner John Isner. After this final tennis hurrah, he'll be diving headfirst into the Professional Pickleball Association’s PPA Tour. Sock's tennis journey has been quite lucrative, earning him a substantial $11.9 million throughout his career. This success came through clinching four ATP Tour singles titles, which led to his impressive climb to the No. 8 spot in the global rankings back in 2017.

Sock has contemplated this shift from tennis to pickleball for a while now. During periods when he had time off from his tennis commitments, he even participated in pickleball events. While pickleball might not be as physically demanding as tennis, it's worth noting that it has seen its fair share of injuries, particularly among older players.

In Sock's own words, "Maybe when my body doesn't quite cooperate for tennis anymore, and as I'm getting older, pickleball might take the reins. I'd like to serve as a link between these two sports, showing that you can absolutely find joy in both." He added, "Sure, it might be a bit tricky if you're a die-hard tennis enthusiast and suddenly some of your local tennis courts are transformed into pickleball courts. I get that it could feel like a setback. However, there's a middle ground here. There's no need for either sport to throw shade at the other."

Joining him on the PPA Tour is another former American tennis star, Sam Querrey, who also made the switch to pursue professional pickleball. Notably, a top-ranked pickleball player named Ben Johns reportedly rakes in around $250,000 annually.

The PPA is making big waves with broadcast partnerships involving Amazon and ESPN. Plus, it's recently introduced another revenue stream by being the first pickleball league in the U.S. to embrace legal sports betting.