**🎬 Netflix Serves Up Smash Hit: New Docuseries “PICKLEBALL: The Underdog Revolution” Set to Premiere This Fall**
**By Netflix Newsroom | July 21, 2025**
In a bold move that signals just how far pickleball has come from quiet courts to global obsession, Netflix has officially announced its latest original docuseries: **”PICKLEBALL: The Underdog Revolution”** — a gripping, fast-paced, and emotional look at the rise of the world’s fastest-growing sport. Premiering globally on **October 3, 2025**, this six-part series is set to rally fans from every generation, introducing millions to the underdog sport that became a phenomenon.
📺 **About the Series**
From backyard beginnings to multi-million-dollar arenas, *PICKLEBALL: The Underdog Revolution* traces the sport’s unlikely journey—from suburban hobby to ESPN primetime. The series dives deep into the lives of its most magnetic stars, including world champions **Ben Johns**, **Anna Leigh Waters**, **Tyson McGuffin**, and **Catherine Parenteau**. Viewers will get rare behind-the-scenes access to their training regimens, personal stories, rivalries, and the pressure of playing at the top of their game.
The series also features legendary athletes from tennis and other sports—including cameos from Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic—who have recently embraced or invested in pickleball, adding credibility and excitement to its meteoric rise.
🎾 **More Than a Game**
Directed by Emmy-winning documentarian **Lauren Covell**, the series is about more than just paddle battles and trick shots. It explores pickleball’s deep social roots—how the sport brings together retirees and teenagers, suburban moms and pro athletes, first-time players and seasoned competitors. From country clubs to community centers, pickleball is not just uniting people; it’s transforming lives.
“We wanted to tell the story of why this sport has exploded,” Covell says. “It’s not just fun—it’s addictive. And it’s also a reflection of something deeper: people looking for connection, healing, and purpose.”
🔥 **Dramatic Highs, Crushing Lows**
The show doesn’t shy away from the drama. Viewers will witness fierce rivalries and heartbreaking injuries, controversial tournament decisions, and emotional moments—like Ben Johns proposing to Anna Leigh Waters after a championship match, which shocked and delighted fans around the globe.
There’s also an entire episode dedicated to the **2025 Global Pickleball Championships** in Dubai, where record-breaking crowds and multimillion-dollar sponsorships prove that the sport has officially arrived on the world stage.
🌎 **A Global Obsession**
Narrated by actor and pickleball enthusiast **Jason Sudeikis**, the series highlights how the sport has spread across continents. In Japan, players train on rooftop courts. In Brazil, pickleball has become a tool for social development in underprivileged neighborhoods. From Canada to Kenya, paddle and ball have become symbols of a new kind of movement—equal parts athletic and cultural.
💬 **Early Reviews Are In**
Critics and industry insiders who previewed the show are already calling it “Netflix’s next *Drive to Survive*,” referring to the F1 series that turned auto racing into a cultural juggernaut.
“Pickleball may have started as a backyard game,” says *Rolling Stone* critic Matt Stone, “but this series proves it’s evolved into something truly cinematic.”
🎟️ **Watch It First**
Netflix is hosting exclusive pre-screening events in New York, Los Angeles, and Austin, where fans will get to meet players, participate in pop-up games, and watch the first episode with cast and crew.
📍 **Mark Your Calendar**
*PICKLEBALL: The Underdog Revolution* launches worldwide on **October 3, 2025** — only on **Netflix**. Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a curious newbie, or someone who’s heard the *pop-pop* of the paddle echo through your neighborhood, this series promises a thrilling ride through one of the most unexpected sporting revolutions of our time.
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🎾 **Streaming Soon. Serving Stories. Only on Netflix.**