Pickleball growth slows nationally, but surges in Northeast Ohio
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The pickleball craze may be cooling off nationwide, but it's still heating up in Northeast Ohio.
Why it matters: The rise of pickleball as one of America's fastest-growing sports over the past several years has spread in the region with an increase in courts and events.
The big picture: The number of pickleball courts across the 100 most populous U.S. cities increased just 4% from 2025 to 2026.
- That's compared to 13% growth in 2025 and 14% in 2024, according to data from the Trust for Public Land.
Yes, but: The nationwide total is still up 900% from 2017, and cities are still adding courts.
- The number of pickleball courts in Cleveland nearly doubled from seven in 2025 to 13 in 2026 (figures include courts striped for both tennis and pickleball).
Reality check: TPL's data looks at the number of pickleball courts in cities.
- Residents of Cleveland's suburbs know pickleball has become far more prevalent than tennis at many parks and recreation centers.
In fact, Cleveland Pickleball, the area's go-to hub for pickleball news and events, lists more than 300 indoor and outdoor pickleball facilities in Northeast Ohio.
- The list includes Cleveland Pickleball Center, the area's first permanent indoor pickleball facility, which opened last year with 10 courts.
What they're saying: "Pickleball growth in our region is very typical of how it has grown throughout other parts of the U.S.," Cleveland Pickleball owner Esther Daniels tells Axios.
- "It started with small, local community conversions of tennis courts to pickleball courts and, by 2023, the region was adding courts faster due to heavy demand."
What's next: The local pickleball season culminates in November with Pickle in the Land, an indoor tournament put on by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission that's in its fourth year.