A new racket sport is emerging—designed for longer rallies, quieter play, and culture-first adoption.
A new racket sport called typti is entering the U.S. market, positioning itself as a pickleball alternative with deeper gameplay and a stronger connection to tennis fundamentals.
The sport was developed by Steve Bellamy, founder of Tennis Channel, alongside Drew Brees, and has already attracted high-profile backers including Nick Kyrgios and Tony Robbins.
The bet: America still wants social racket sports—but the category isn’t finished evolving.
typti is played on existing pickleball courts using a custom strung racket and a foam ball, creating a hybrid experience that leans closer to tennis than pickleball.
Key design choices are intentional:
By co-opting existing pickleball infrastructure, typti avoids the biggest barrier new sports face: court access.
Racket sports are no longer just recreational—they’re cultural platforms.
While pickleball exploded in the U.S. (up 311% in recent years), participation growth is beginning to normalize. At the same time, padel—long dominant in Europe—is accelerating stateside, with a reported 51% year-over-year increase in U.S. clubs.
Brands and athletes are following the momentum:
The category is splitting:
typti is entering the conversation right as this divergence becomes clear.
America is getting a new racket sport before pickleball even peaked.
That’s not a threat—it’s a signal. Infrastructure-led sports scale faster, culture-led sports last longer, and the next winners will understand both. If typti aligns with pickleball instead of competing head-on, it could extend the lifecycle of the entire category—while offering a new on-ramp for players who want more depth, more flow, and more culture baked into the game.
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