CNN
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Tom Brady may have his eye on retirement, but he’s certainly expanding his portfolio of extracurricular interests — this time, investing his money in pickleball.
Last month, the seven-time Super Bowl champion twice hinted that retirement wasn’t too far away, saying he was “near the end” of his NFL career.
Now the 45-year-old quarterback, along with former world No. 1 tennis player Kim Clijsters, has joined an ownership group that has purchased an expansion team for the 2023 Major League Pickleball (MLP) season. .
MLP founder Steve Kuhn said he was “delighted” to add the stars to the league’s list of strategic partners, adding that they “are champions in their fields and will now be Major champions. League Pickleball”.
Brady and Clijsters are following in the footsteps of other sports titans, including LeBron James and fellow NBA players Draymond Green and Kevin Love, who revealed earlier this year to have joined a consortium buying an MLP expansion franchise. as the competition grows from 12 to 16 teams.
“We are delighted to welcome them to our unparalleled list of strategic partners, who are individually and collectively contributing to help us elevate professional pickleball, show the joy it brings to millions of people around the world and continue our campaign. ’40 by 30′ – our mission to reach 40 million pickleball players by 2030,” Kuhn added in a press release.
The fundamental objective of pickleball, like other racquet sports, is to hit the ball over the net and prevent an opponent from returning it.
It can be played singles or doubles, indoors or outdoors on a 20ft by 44ft court – about the size of a badminton court – and lasts until one side reaches 11 points, with a two-point cushion.
Pickleball’s popularity has skyrocketed in North America, in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as it provides a safe and socially distant form of exercise.
He originally found a strong following among retirement communities where he was valued for his outgoing appearance, moderate exercise, and simply being fun.
Between 2018 and 2021, however, USA Pickleball membership nearly doubled, and the organization estimates that 4.8 million Americans now play the sport.
The New Yorker even asked if pickleball could save America, Ellen DeGeneres aired a segment about her “obsession” with it on her eponymous TV show, Vanity Fair wondered how he won everyone over, and the Kardashians played him on their own reality show.
Financial terms of Brady’s Clijsters investment were not disclosed.
