AARP Hearing Center
Is Pickleball Really Better for You Than Tennis? Experts Weigh In
Both serve up health perks, but one may be a little easier on your body
AARP (Getty Images,5)
Key takeaways
- Both sports boost heart, muscle, bone and brain health.
- Tennis is typically more intense and rougher on your body, while pickleball is a lower-impact sport.
- Social aspects of both sports may support longevity and improved mental health.
It’s the ultimate match: pickleball vs. tennis. Pickleballers and tennis players have been at odds since the picklers started taking over court territory. The new film The Dink highlights the culture war: In the comedy, a washed-up tennis pro hoping to return to the sport reluctantly picks up a paddle to rehab an injury, but discovers the joys of pickleball. Players of each sport think theirs is the best for health, so who’s right?
“Both sports are amazing opportunities for fitness, health and wellness,” says Dr. William N. Levine, a shoulder, elbow and sports medicine surgeon at Columbia University Irving Medical Center who plays tennis and pickleball regularly.
More Ways to Benefit
- Related Benefit 1
- Related Benefit 2
- Related Benefit 3
- Related Benefit 4
- Related Benefit 5
While there aren’t many studies comparing the health benefits of tennis and pickleball head to head, research has found advantages and drawbacks to each. Both offer cardiovascular exercise, muscle and bone strengthening, brain boosts and a social outlet that can improve mental health.
Tennis can provide more intense exercise than pickleball, but pickleball typically has more back-and-forth volley time than tennis, says Dr. Berkcan Akpinar, a sports orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone Medical Associates in Florida.
AARP’s Guide to Pickleball
Learn how to score, get tips for playing, read about ways to win and more here. Plus, find free pickleball clinics in your area.
“The underhand serving motion [in pickleball] is also gentler on shoulders compared to tennis. The shorter court allows for competitive play even with reduced mobility,” says Dr. Lisa K. Cannada, an orthopedic trauma surgeon and adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina.
About 27 million Americans played tennis last year and 24 million played pickleball. While this and other statistics show slightly more people are opting for tennis rackets, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States.
1. Tennis leads the match for heart health
A 2022 study in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity tracked heart rate and steps in older adults who played singles and doubles pickleball for one to two hours at a time. One-on-one pickleballers averaged 3,322 steps per hour while double teams got 2,791. Average heart rates for both were 111 beats per minute (bpm), and tennis players stayed in the moderate to vigorous intensity zone for more than 70 percent of the play time.
Research from Apple comparing both sports found the average peak heart rate was 152 bpm in tennis and 143 bpm in pickleball.
The sports make meeting physical activity recommendations easier because they’re so enjoyable, says Sandra Webber, a professor in physical therapy at the University of Manitoba. Pickleball is a moderate-intensity activity, while playing singles tennis is vigorous, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While both activity levels are beneficial, recent research shows added benefits for working in bursts of vigorous activity.
Pro tip: Don’t limit your workouts to the court. Incorporating a variety of exercise types — think weights, resistance, stretching, balance — is a must, Levine says.
2. Tennis pulls ahead for muscle tone
Both sports are good for your muscles. The required shifting movements cause muscles to contract and activate, Webber says.
A 2019 report in Sports Health found better musculoskeletal function in tennis players compared with those who didn’t play. Experts agree that pickleball delivers similar benefits.
And although both sports can help combat age-related muscle loss, Akpinar notes that tennis engages more muscles than pickleball.
Tennis may just be a better workout for some muscles.
Pickleball, however, is likely to cause fewer muscular injuries.
3. Tennis gets the ace for bone health
The Sports Health report confirmed that tennis builds bone strength in younger people and maintains it in older individuals. Weight-bearing impact can keep bones healthy. And tennis, Akpinar adds, can put more impact on the body due to its explosivity.
Webber’s trying to prove the same for pickleball. A study she’s involved with is attempting to determine if jumping and changing direction create enough impact to meet recommendations for optimal bone health; results look promising, she says.
4. Tennis and pickleball tie for brain health
Staying active is beneficial in general for brain health, and both sports deliver. Coordination, agility and quick decision-making encourage your brain to learn, adapt and grow — to increase neuroplasticity — which can shift brain structure and improve executive function, according to a 2025 report that hasn’t been peer-reviewed.
A 2021 study of 21 individuals ages 50 to 75 found that pickleball boosted cognitive health and muscle function. Playing the game regularly can improve the vestibular system, which is responsible for balance and critical to preventing falls.
The game also works your proprioception, or sense of space, says Dr. J. Mica Guzman Jr., an assistant professor of surgery and perioperative care at the University of Texas at Austin.
Once you get beyond the beginner level, there’s strategy involved — that’s mentally stimulating as well, Webber adds.
Many people say scoring is the hardest part of pickleball to learn, so just keeping track of the relatively complicated scoring system is a good brain workout. (To learn, see “How to Keep Score in Doubles Pickleball.”) When you combine the social aspect of pickleball, as well as the cardiovasuclar and muscular exercise that’s great for your brain, the newer sport serves up a brain workout that rivals tennis.
5. Pickleball takes the win for mental health benefits
Tennis has social components, but “from a social gathering perspective, there’s something unique about pickleball,” Levine says, adding that it tends to have more of a community.
Playing pickleball singles or doubles is “fantastically great for social engagement,” which is very important as we age, Guzman agrees.
In general, racket sports can also ease anxiety and relieve depression, some evidence shows.
6. Pickleball pulls ahead 10-6-1 for fewer injuries
Regardless of which court you’re on, injuries can happen, Akpinar says.
Tennis tends to cause more big ligament injuries, while pickleball has less impact, although it can lead to injuries such as meniscus issues, says Akpinar. When four doctors reviewed footage of professional pickleball and tennis players, they found pickleball had more risks for Achilles tendon injuries, according to a 2024 report in Foot & Ankle Orthopedics.
Many people worry about damaging arms or knees, but don’t forget to protect your eyes, especially in pickleball, Webber warns.
Levine sees more injuries from pickleball because people don’t prepare their bodies for the game — he believes that’s because they don’t perceive it as an actual sport. Make sure you work on balance and agility before you start playing, especially if you don’t exercise regularly, Levine suggests.
“With pickleball, especially, don’t underestimate it,” Levine says. “Don’t look at it as a nonsport.”
7. Pickleball beats tennis for ease of play as we age
Many of Akpinar’s patients who enjoy tennis shift to pickleball as they get older because it’s “lower impact in general,” he says.,
Nikolas Webster, a clinical assistant professor of sport management at the University of Michigan who created a pickleball motivation scale based on more than 500 pickleballers, says many tennis players pick up pickleball as they age due to the slower speed and reduced stress on the shoulders and elbows.
“Tennis can be harder to enjoy as we age, due to the higher intensity and typically longer games,” says Megan E. Holmes, a professor and director of the Physical Activity and Wellness Laboratory at Mississippi State University. The smaller court and slower pace of pickleball mean less running and fewer hard direction changes, which is overall easier on hips and knees, she says.
8. The call for longevity is under review
Some say tennis is the best of any sport for longevity, but this may not be a fair ruling because the oft-cited research on the subject was done before pickleball was popular (pickleball was invented in 1965 by a group of dads in Washington state desperate to entertain their children).
A 2018 study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that tennis players lived about 10 years longer than people who didn’t exercise, and longer than swimmers, soccer players, cyclists, joggers and the other types of weekend warriors included in the analysis.
Another older study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that racket sports can reduce all-cause mortality by 47 percent and the risk of death from heart disease by 56 percent.
There’s not as much long-term data on pickleball — partly because the sport hasn’t been around long enough — but a 2024 study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health found it could provide the types of mental, physical and social health benefits that have been shown to extend life expectancy.
Final score
Which sport wins? Tennis may be better for hearts and muscles, but pickleball pulls ahead for fewer injuries and ease of play. As for your brain, both win. Whatever you pick — or if you pick both — you’ll reap health benefits and maybe earn some bragging rights as well.
Whichever sport you play, don’t let your age stop you, Akpinar says. “Both [sports] are free reining for all age groups,” he says.
Just warm up before you play.
VIDEO: Get Ready for the Pickleball Court With These Stretches
The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
AARP Membership
Join AARP for only $15 per year with automatic renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of benefits, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
More From AARP
4 Key Exercises for Aging Well
Experts share the four exercise types that support healthy aging
Squats: The Best Exercise to Do for Your Health
Squats not only help tone your muscles; they also can improve your balance and joints. See why you need to add them to your regular workout routine.
25 Surprising Ways to Live Longer
Science-backed ways to extend life expectancy