Celebrating Pickleball: a Writer's Tribute and Star Insights

WHO:

Variety - Sean Clements, comedy writer; Jake Johnson, actor; Aaron Chen, comedian; Andy Roddick, tennis champion.

WHAT:

NY Post - The new Apple TV comedy titled "The Dink" features Jake Johnson and Aaron Chen, focusing on the sport of pickleball.

Variety - Pickleball has exploded in popularity in the last decade as a variation of tennis.

NY Post - Jake Johnson reflected on playing pickleball with Andy Roddick, stating, “Andy does not have a lot of respect for pickleball.”

WHERE:

Variety - The local turf war involving pickleball occurred in a community setting.

WHY:

Variety - Sean Clements was inspired to write about the pickleball community after hearing about a local turf war involving the sport.

HOW:

Variety - Clements described feeling "adopted by this whole crew of older women" in the pickleball community.

(UPDATED July 24, 2026 22:20 UTC)

A new Apple TV comedy titled "The Dink" is set to premiere, featuring actors Jake Johnson and Aaron Chen. The show will center around the increasingly popular sport of pickleball. Fans of both the actors and the sport can look forward to its debut in the near future.

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(UPDATED July 24, 2026 18:26 UTC)

Pickleball has seen a tremendous surge in popularity over the last decade, emerging as a fun variation of tennis that has captured the attention of many, including comedy writer Sean Clements and actor Jake Johnson. Recently, Johnson shared his experience playing pickleball with tennis champion Andy Roddick, who humorously noted that he doesn't have much respect for the sport. Inspired by a local turf war involving pickleball, Clements expressed how he felt "adopted by this whole crew of older women" within the vibrant pickleball community.