Starting in 2019 the COVID-19 pandemic is thought to have given an extra boost to the growth of the sport as people sought alternatives to indoor activities. In 2021 and 2022 the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) officially reported that pickleball had become the fastest growing sport in the United States two years in a row. Over those years the number of players increased almost 40% to 4.8 million players. Some estimates predict there could be as many as 40 million players by the end of the decade.

NBA player LeBron James, retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk have all made investments in professional pickleball teams, spreading exposure of the sport.