Must-See: Djokovic, Sinner, Krejcikova Give Pickleball a Try at the HEAD 'NYC Mash Up'
There was plenty of interest in a friendly pickleball exhibition Thursday night in Manhattan, as 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic messed around with a paddle in his hand alongside ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and pro pickleballer Callie Smith.
The event was part of HEAD's "NYC Mash Up" get together ahead of next week's U.S. Open over in Queens.
Any time a tennis great picks up a pickleball paddle, fans of both sports are drawn to watch. Witnessing arguably the greatest men's tennis player of all time attempting to figure out pickleball on the fly is must-see TV, and The Dink was on hand to capture some of the "highlights."
The Dink Media Team
Djokovic was paired with Krejcikova for the match, while Sinner played with Smith. Suffice to say from the video below, Novak either doesn't know many of the rules of pickleball or didn't really care. Let's just say the kitchen saw plenty of action and a good time was had by all.
John McEnroe, himself a pickleball enthusiast having played in both Pickleball Slams, was the emcee of the event and also picked up a paddle at Djokovic's request.
It was cool to see a crossover event like this and for the players to embrace a new sport. Just remember this video when you watch Sinner, the 'Djoker' and Krejcikova next week over at The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center playing some of the best tennis you'll ever witness in their quest for a Grand Slam.
