Pickleball seeing boost in the United States during COVID-19 pandemic Thursday, 11 February 2021 Coronavirus has helped the sport of pickleball continue its participation growth across the United States, with more schools playing in a time of social distancing. Pickleball, a racquet sport that is a mix of badminton and table tennis, is played on a court half the size of a tennis court. "Compared to other sports where you have a lot of contact with each other, in pickleball you're very rarely getting close to each other," said USA Pickleball representative Laura Gainor. "You see everyone keeps a safe distance on the court, so you're for the most part keeping that six-feet of separation."