Professional Players Weigh In on New Pickleball Court Dimensions

Players Share Insights on Narrower Courts

During the recent PPA Challenger Series in Houston, professional pickleball athletes shared their diverse opinions regarding the newly adjusted court sizes for singles matches. The modifications, which reduced the court width from 20 feet to 17 feet by narrowing the sidelines by 1.5 feet on each side, sparked considerable discussion among competitors.

Zoey Weil expressed her enthusiasm for the narrower courts, noting that they encourage players to be more inventive with their shot choices. She stated, “I’m a big fan of the new singles courts here. I think especially for the women’s game, it gives us the ability to showcase some more creativity, some more shot selection. We definitely have some of those longer points that we used to see in pickleball before the game sped up a lot,” as reported by Pickleball.com.

Christopher Crouch, who prefers doubles play, mentioned that the narrower courts enhance the dynamics of the game. He remarked, “It’s a lot more fun for me because I’m more of a doubles player, so it’s a little bit more cat and mouse than the regular singles is now, so I’m enjoying it. I’m definitely getting used to some of the passing shots and have been in the doubles alleys a little bit too much, but overall, it’s fun.”

Alli Phillips highlighted that the new court dimensions are beneficial for women, making the game more engaging. She commented, “The lines are a lot tighter now, so it’s not allowing people to kind of want to hang back and do that kind of singles tennis style. I think this is actually encouraging the ladies to even get up and play more of that traditional kitchen game in singles, which I think is really interesting, seeing that change.”

Jada Bui noted the need for players to adjust their strategies to accommodate the new court size. She said, “It was definitely interesting. I definitely couldn’t play my best and how I’m used to. Some of my shots couldn’t work, especially because passing is very hard on this court because you lose a lot of space. I wouldn’t want it for the future.”

Despite the varied reactions from players and spectators, Tanner Groff, Vice President of the PPA Challenger Series, emphasized the importance of experimenting with new rules. He stated, “With a focus on honing and elevating the game of pickleball at all levels, the PPA Challenger Series is the perfect stage to test new ideas. Game innovation is crucial for all sports to continue to hone rules and regulations. Just as the Next Gen ATP Finals and Minor League Baseball are laboratories for game modifications in tennis and baseball, the PPA Challenger Series is that laboratory for pickleball.”

The modified singles lines will be utilized again at the upcoming 2026 AdventHealth Tampa Bay Challenger, scheduled for March 6–8 in Tampa, Florida.