Nick Kyrgios did not hold back after pickleball player Christian Alshon claimed that the paddle sport requires more skills than tennis.
Alshon, a former collegiate tennis player, switched to pickleball days after winning the Division III NCAA championship for the University of Chicago in 2022. The 24-year-old ranked No. 5 in men’s singles as per the PPA Tour (Pro Pickleball Association) website, recently opened up on his switch.
Alshon stated that pickleball made him a “better athlete” and opined that the activity calls for quicker reflexes than tennis.
“Pickleball has made me a much better athlete than Tennis ever did. Faster reaction time and speed are needed since the ball is only coming from 10 feet away.” Christian Alshon wrote on X.
The American added that according to him, the paddle sport requires “more skill” than tennis.
“Point for point, pickleball requires more skill than tennis,” he wrote.
Alshon was ridiculed for his remarks by several tennis fans as well as a few current and former tennis players, including Andy Roddick and Nick Kyrgios.
Kyrgios laughed off the “wild” claim, opining that someone like Roger Federer would be incomparable with even the best pickleball talent.
“Yeah. Let’s hide under the bed after this statement hahahaha bro get me the best pickleball player and compare his talent to Roger Federer. Wild tweet, wild thought,” he responded on X.
The Aussie, who co-owns the Miami Pickleball Club alongside the likes of Naomi Osaka and NFL player Patrick Mahomes, asked Alshon to retract his claim.
“Delete right now. I love pickle but you had too many tequilas,” Nick Kyrgios added.
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