No Comments2023 was a year of many trends, from Barbiecore to the sober curious movement. One of the most prominent came in the form of a simple sport with a sour name: pickleball.
In recent years, pickleball has exploded in popularity, transcending its once-niche status and becoming a full-blown cultural phenomenon. It’s not the only player in the game, though; other formerly lesser-known racket sports are seeing a similar surge in popularity. So, what will these trends look like in 2024? Will pickleball remain king of the court, or will it finally be usurped?
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Pickleball: America’s Fastest-Growing Sport
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)’s 2023 Topline Report, pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in America for three consecutive years. Its popularity first began to boom during the pandemic as people looked for safe ways to get out of their homes, socialize, and stay active.
Since then, the sport — which combines elements of ping pong, tennis, and badminton — has only continued to grow.
- In 2023, sales of pickleball equipment grew 118% year-over-year on Amazon
- In the last 6 months, sales jumped nearly 60%
Amazon search trends reflect the increasing number of shoppers looking for equipment, apparel, accessories, and more for their new favorite sport.
Amazon Search Trends: Pickleball
| Search Term | Search Volume (2023) | % YoY Growth |
| Pickleball paddles | 7,651,838 | +98.79% |
| Pickleball set | 2,873,368 | +42.06% |
| Pickleball | 1,803,158 | +89.54% |
| Pickleball paddles set of 2 | 1,591,709 | +747.18% |
| Pickleball paddle | 1,363,475 | +133.16% |
Data reflects total search volume for full-year 2023. Year-over-year percentages reflect full-year 2023 as compared to full-year 2022.
The number of brands and products in this Amazon market is up by 67% and 54%, respectively, leading to increased competition and market share volatility as emerging brands gain traction and pull ahead of established leaders. As this market share battle plays out, branded searches are also on the move.
In 2023…
- Searches for “K-Swiss pickleball shoes for women” grew 1,500%+ YoY
- Searches for “Franklin pickleball paddles” grew 1,000%+ YoY
- Searches for “Franklin pickleball balls” grew 560%+ YoY
- Searches for “Selkirk pickleball paddle” grew 500% YoY
Amazon Market Share Leaders for Pickleball Products
| Brand | Market Share |
| Joola | 8% (+109% YoY) |
| Mten | 7% (+100% YoY) |
| Franklin Sports | 6% (-11% YoY) |
| Selkirk Sport | 5% (+16% YoY) |
| Niupipo | 4% (-50% YoY) |
Data reflects market share in the pickleball products market niche only, for full-year 2023. Plus/minus percentages reflect the year-over-year change in market share for the specified brand.
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Emerging Amazon Trends: Other Racket Sports
Pickleball may be ruling the court now, but its popularity is also fueling a growing interest in other similar sports. The SFIA’s report found that participation in every racket sport has increased in the last three years.
Amazon data from Jungle Scout Cobalt shows a parallel rise in sales of some racket sports products, indicating which are most likely to emerge as trends in 2024.
Padel
As pickleball has become a sensation in the United States, padel has been steadily taking over the rest of the globe. Padel combines elements of tennis and squash and – while more physically demanding than pickleball – is still an accessible sport for players of different skill levels.
In 2024, padel is expected to start making enough waves in the United States to rival pickleball’s immense popularity. In the last quarter of 2023, sales of padel products on Amazon were up nearly 50% compared to the previous year, with many brands experiencing impressive growth.
Amazon Sales Trends: Padel
| Brand | % YoY Revenue Growth | % YoY Sales Growth |
| Adidas | +326% | +401% |
| Head | +269% | +226% |
| Babolat | +205% | +178% |
| Tourna | +161% | +172% |
Data reflects Amazon revenue and unit sales for padel products only, for full-year 2023.
On Amazon, the trend has already begun to take hold, with a number of padel products experiencing major sales increases.
Adidas’ Drive padel racket is one of the most popular on Amazon, with year-over-year sales growth of nearly 420%.
Although they look similar to tennis balls, padel balls are designed to have their own unique speed and bounce. For this 3-pack from HEAD, sales have jumped more than 525% in the last year.
Padel grip helps players keep a firm hold on their rackets as they play. Sales of this version from Tourna have grown over 400% year-over-year.
Ping Pong
Ping pong is a parent sport to pickleball, which borrows some of its gameplay elements. In addition to nearly 20% year-over-year sales growth, ping pong products are also generating increased search interest on Amazon.
Amazon Search Trends: Ping Pong
| Search Term | Search Volume (2023) | % YoY Growth |
| Ping pong paddle set | 121,228 | 5,802.04% |
| Ping pong table topper | 19,382 | 763.34% |
| Ping pong balls 100 pack | 74,000 | 708.30% |
| Ping pong table foldable | 148,441 | 452.09% |
Data reflects total search volume for full-year 2023. Year-over-year percentages reflect full-year 2023 as compared to full-year 2022.
Those searches are generating sales for most of the leading players in the niche, with 6 of the top 10 market share leaders experiencing 10%+ year-over-year sales growth.
Amazon Sales Trends: Ping Pong Market Share Leaders
| Brand | Market Share | % YoY Sales Trend |
| Joola | 32% | -23% |
| Stiga | 14% | +40% |
| Pro Spin | 10% | +11% |
| Gosports | 5% | -10% |
| Butterfly | 4% | +10% |
| Franklin Sports | 3% | +53% |
| Nibiru Sport | 2% | -12% |
| Kevenz | 2% | +72% |
| MD Sports | 1% | +13% |
| Kettler | 1% | -7% |
Data reflects Amazon market share and unit sales for ping pong products only, for full-year 2023.
Badminton
While badminton products in the Sports category have had the leanest sales growth of these racket sports (just 4% YoY), Amazon search trends indicate a growing interest in the sport over the last year.
Amazon Search Trends: Badminton
| Search Term | Search Volume (2023) | % YoY Growth |
| Badminton sets for backyards with net | 174,748 | +292% |
| Badminton racket yonex | 83,508 | +161% |
| Badminton shoes men | 72,249 | +137% |
| Badminton net for backyard | 21,292 | +106% |
| Badminton | 320,459 | +36% |
Data reflects total search volume for full-year 2023. Year-over-year percentages reflect full-year 2023 as compared to full-year 2022.
Growing interest in racket sports is also beginning to spark a noteworthy badminton trend in the Clothing category. In its 2024 Pinterest Predicts report, the social media channel noted that searches like “badminton outfit,” “badminton shoes,” and “badminton aesthetic” all grew 45% or more on the platform last year.
Amazon sales data supports this trend, with year-over-year growth for badminton clothing outpacing growth for equipment like rackets and nets.
Amazon Sales Trends: Year-over-Year Unit Sales Growth
| Product Type | % YoY Sales Growth |
| Badminton apparel | +25% |
| Badminton equipment | +4% |
Equipment data reflects unit sales growth on Amazon for badminton products only, excluding apparel. Apparel data reflects products within Men’s, Women’s, Boys’, and Girls’ Clothing categories with “badminton” in the product title.
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Cross-Category Opportunities in 2024
The popularity of these sports isn’t just impacting sales of sports equipment. From fashion to books, racket sports enthusiasts are shopping for related products across many categories. This is creating new opportunities even for brands that don’t sell in the sports and games niche.
In 2024, keep your eyes open for opportunities to leverage consumer trends, even if they aren’t directly within your current product categories. By tracking and analyzing shopping behavior, you can find space to put your products in front of new audiences or expand your catalog.
See how Jungle Scout Cobalt can help you track trends, identify white space, and grow sales.
About This Report
The product data in this report is representative of the U.S. Amazon market. Market insights on Amazon products were sourced from Jungle Scout Cobalt, an industry-leading market intelligence, advertising optimization, and ecommerce reporting platform powered by nearly 2 billion Amazon data points. Year-over-year trends reflect full-year 2023, as compared to full-year 2022. Some percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
We encourage you to share, reference, and publish this report’s findings with attribution to “Jungle Scout Cobalt” and a link to this page.
For more information, specific data requests, media assets, or to reach the report’s authors, please contact us at [email protected].
