Once a booming trend across Vietnam in 2024, pickleball is now showing clear signs of cooling. Surveys across inner districts of Hanoi indicate a sharp decline in players, leaving many courts noticeably underused compared with previous years.
Thu, who operates several pickleball courts in Trung Hoa Ward, said customer traffic has dropped significantly compared with 2024. “Courts used to be fully booked from 8 am to 12 pm, but now bookings have fallen by around 50 per cent,” she said.
The downturn has persisted since the start of the year, with even regular customers gradually dropping out. “Many people no longer find the sport enjoyable after the initial experience,” she added.
Across multiple inner-city venues, empty time slots remain common despite steep discounts during off-peak hours and incentives such as free drinks and balls. Operators say the challenge lies less in pricing and more in shifting player behaviour.
“Many people are only curious in the first few sessions. Once that fades, even added perks fail to bring them back,” Thu said.
Hung, a sports business operator in Dong Da Ward with more than a decade of experience, believes pickleball in Hanoi is entering a natural decline phase.
“A year ago, office workers crowded courts during lunch breaks despite the heat. But recreational sports often attract large crowds at first, then narrow to a core group of committed players,” he said. Others tend to move on to newer trends or return to sports they are more passionate about.
The rapid proliferation of pickleball courts across Hanoi has also led to oversupply. Vu Minh Quang, who runs a court complex in Ba Dinh Ward, said the market has become increasingly competitive as facilities have “sprung up like mushrooms after rain”.
“Two years ago, finding an available court was almost impossible. Players were willing to travel three to four kilometres through traffic and heat just to play. Now the situation has completely reversed,” he said.
To retain customers, operators are being forced into costly upgrades of facilities, while aggressive pricing strategies and promotions are eroding profit margins.
