Bill Gates Like PickleBall|Latest news 2025|

Bill Gates’ Love for Pickleball: A Lifelong Hobby

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and one of the most recognizable humans on the planet, has a long-running devotion to the sport of pickleball, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.
Gates’ involvement with the game, however, stretches much deeper than just hopping on the bandwagon. Indeed, he has known pickleball for over five decades (since 1976!), and was one of the sport’s early enthusiasts. His sincere passion for the game, along with his observations on its growth and accessibility, offer an intriguing look into both his own life and the broader cultural attraction of pickleball. Bill Gates Like PickleBall

Gates’ affinity for pickleball is not a new one, though. His father, Bill Gates Sr., was former friends with one of the game’s original creators, Joel Pritchard. He was one of the sport’s three founders. Pritchard, along with Barney McCallum and Bill Bell, invented the sport in Bainbridge Island, Wash., in 1965. In fact, Gates was raised with these families and was introduced to the sport from an early age. Even Gates’ family home in Seattle had its own pickleball court, in fact. That gave him reason to play often, and he grew to love the game. As a child and teenager, Gates spent hours playing with family and friends. This introduction to the game stuck with him.

By far one of the biggest reasons Gates still loves pickleball is how easy it is to play. It is simple to pick up according to him, so it is a sport for people of all ages and abilities. Unlike tennis, which calls for greater physical endurance and a more nuanced technique, pickleball is less demanding, which makes it more approachable for neophytes. Gates likes that the sport gets people active without being too difficult. He has emphasized how folks can break a sweat while having a blast. The mix of paddle techniques required, fast reflexes and calculated shots is compelling and great exercise. He also enjoys how social the game is. Whether you’re hosting a friendly game of pickleball or just there for a laugh, pickleball fosters socialization, laughter, even camaraderie.

Gates has been weighed in the explosive growth of pickleball over the last few years, especially in North America. The sport, once a niche activity, primarily enjoyed by families and retirees, has gone mainstream. Pickleball courts are popping up in cities and towns in every part of the United States, and pro leagues have drawn huge audiences.
Gates, who saw the sport develop from humble beginnings, has said he’s amazed by how things have grown. He remembers a time when few outside Washington state had ever heard of pickleball. Now, it is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, attracting people of all ages and backgrounds.
He’s seen how the game’s simplicity plays a role in its broad appeal. Requiring very little equipment a paddle, a wiffle Like ball. Bill Gates Like PickleBall

Besides being a fun social activity, he writes, Gates also plays for the health benefits. He has praised it for helping keep people in shape, especially older adults. “Besides developing cardiovascular fitness, agility, and coordination, it does so with minimal impact on joints.
Gates plays pickleball as part of his usual fitness regimen. He even schedules time for play, underscoring its importance to his holistic health given that everything else in his life is so hectic. The sport’s moderate intensity also makes it a perfect mix of exercise and recreation, perhaps a reason he remains so devoted to it.

He has also said he hopes it will keep its inclusive, community-based spirit while becoming more commercialized. It warms Gates’s heart to watch families, friends, and strangers connect through a game that he has loved for most of his life. If he is known primarily for tech innovations and philanthropy, his love of pickleball briefly reveals something personal — proof that even one of the world’s most influential men finds happiness in small, commonplace pleasures. Bill Gates Like PickleBall