Both padel and pickleball have swept the recreational sports world in recent years. The public are now opting for the easier and more sociable alternatives to tennis instead. The pro pickleball tour has also gained momentum, with former tennis stars Jack Sock and Genie Bouchard among those making the switch.

It’s something that Djokovic hasn’t been too happy with. But he will now try his hand at the American version, pickleball, on Thursday. The world No. 2 is sponsored by racket brand Head and will appear at one of their pre-US Open events, putting tennis players to the pickleball test.

Djokovic will be joined by ATP No. 1 Jannik Sinner and recent Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova. “Ever wondered what it’s like to see these legends in action playing a different sport? Don’t miss this chance to see them like never before!” Head wrote on Instagram.

It’s an interesting sponsorship commitment for the Serb, who believes that pickleball is contributing to tennis’ decrease in popularity. The 37-year-old likes to stay involved with the tennis ecosystem – he was previously president of the ATP player council and left to set up his own Professional Tennis Players Association, fighting for things like better pay for those lower down the rankings.

And he hit out at padel and pickleball last month during Wimbledon, claiming that those in charge needed to ensure that tennis remained on top of the racket sports. “Now we have the paddle or padel, as you call it in the States, that is growing and emerging,” he said.

“People kind of have fun with it and say, Yeah, but tennis is tennis. Tennis is the king or queen of all the racket sports, that’s true. But on a club level, tennis is endangered. If we don’t do something about it, as I said, globally or collectively, padel, pickleball in States, they’re going to convert all the tennis clubs into padel and pickleball because it’s just more economical.”