Aditya Ruhela, a prominent pickleball player, has issued a stark warning to players of other racquet sports: pickleball poses a significant threat to their respective domains.
Ruhela’s warning stems from the rapid growth and popularity of pickleball, a relatively new sport that has gained a massive following in recent years. He believes that the PWR ranking system, a legitimate global ranking system for pickleball players, will further accelerate the sport’s expansion.
With the sport growing globally, Ruhela urged athletes from other racquet disciplines to take note of the potential shift in dominance —excerpts from the interview.
an you elaborate on your journey from tennis to becoming the top singles Pickleball player in the country?
Oh, it has been great for me. All the things that I wanted to do in tennis, I’m doing in Pickleball now – enjoying tournaments, enjoying life, and, you know, having the competitiveness to perform at the highest level in the world. So, it’s been great. Transitioning from tennis to Pickleball was a little difficult because many people did not support my decision, as it was a new sport three to four years back. It was a very new sport. So, a lot of people were questioning me. Why would you do that? I was doing great in tennis. So, why would you do that? But I saw great potential in Pickleball in the coming years. So, I took the first mover advantage, and it worked well for me. And so, yeah, the journey has been incredible.
You have made quite a name for yourself. Dominate the baseline and attack with your forehand. How did you develop this technique?
Yeah, it has a lot to do with tennis, and a lot of my practice involves the same. Dominating from the baseline is basically the footwork and your shot placement, and I think I have great footwork moving on the baseline. So, I can be quick on the ball, reach the ball before time and have the placement to hit wherever I want. So, over the years, I developed this technique from watching tennis and a couple of YouTube videos where I am happy to dominate from the baseline because I see angles when I am on the ball before the ball comes in. So, it gives me a couple of extra seconds to place my shot, and it really helped me.
Where do you see yourself in next 5 years, having won 10 plus consecutive titles in 2022-2023 season?
Yeah, it’s not quite enough for me, though. I am winning here in Asia, but the goal is world domination. So, I want to be No.1 in the world. That’s my goal, and I think I am on the right track with the right people to be on the journey. So, the goal for the next 5 years, for the next 3-4 years, is to be number 1.
Talk us through your rivalry with Armaan Bhatia.
Armaan is one of the top players in the country and he is doing great in the Asia-Pacific region and I love seeing him on the court. He is a great personality on and off the court. And yeah, I have my plans ready for the next meet-up. I am waiting for the right opportunity to make this happen and make the score 3-2.
What changes have you observed in Pickleball in India recently?
Over the last couple of years, the sport has seen massive growth in terms of players, tournaments, accessibility of racquets, and everything else. Earlier, there used to be a lack of racquets everywhere. People did not get any racquets or the balls. So, the equipment had to be imported from the US, but now, with the growth in Pickleball, people can easily buy racquets here. There was a shortage of courts, but now people can find courts to play Pickleball. The growth is massive and in the coming years, it will surely overcome every racquet sport, which I hope. And I hope a lot of competition comes in because it will help all the existing pickleball players to improve their level and be great for the sport.
What challenges did you face while playing Pickleball, and has the situation improved?
Yeah, for sure. The ranking was not there when I started playing. There used to be only a couple of tournaments happening in India, and they had literally no prize money. So, players had to put up a lot of money just to play tournaments and get the feel of them. But now the problem is being solved. Tournaments have prize money, they have a proper ranking system. Initially, there used to be only five categories, but now, as the sport becomes bigger and bigger, you have intermediate categories, advanced categories, 35-plus categories, and junior categories. So, I see massive growth.
Do you think Pickleball’s popularity will eventually surpass other racquet sports in India?
Oh, yeah, for sure. Because the growth is 159% compared to last year. So, a lot of people know about the sport. They respect the sport. First, it used to be a casual sport, where people played it for leisure activities or for extracurricular activities. But now, as it has become competitive, it will surely surpass tennis, badminton, even padel or table tennis.
Can you share your thoughts on the creation of the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR) and its potential impact on players?
The PWR ranking system will give a legitimate ranking for the players to access their ranking, rating, and where they stand worldwide. Ranking always helps you improve. Once you know where you stand, you will want to improve so you play better. So, introducing the ranking system which is legitimate in the entire world would help all the players in the world to perform better and better. The involvement of Times Group in the PWR ranking system will only help the players and the community to grow better and better. Every racquet sport is in danger. Sorry. Yeah, but this is very true. All the racquet players, your sport is in danger. So, I want you to try Pickleball and stick to Pickleball
