Pickleball Kingdom, an indoor pickleball franchise, said Wednesday it will open a facility in Tinton Falls, to take advantage of the soaring interest in one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.
The company plans to open a 30,000-square-foot facility in October 2025 at 3176 Shafto Road in the Monmouth County community. The facility is slated to have 30-foot ceilings and designed to support 11 pickleball courts.
“We are thrilled to bring another Pickleball Kingdom to New Jersey, this time in Tinton Falls,” said Ace Rodrigues, founder and CEO of Pickleball Kingdom. “We are confident that this club will be a top destination for players of all levels in the area.” The franchise will be the fifth located or in the process of locating in New Jersey. The others are in Hamilton, Springfield, Toms River, and Marlboro.
Pickleball Kingdom is riding a tidal wave of interest in the sport. The website pickleballheads.com said there were an estimated 19.8 million pickleball players in the U.S. in 2024, a 45.8% increase from 2023. The U.S. now has 68,458 pickleball courts, with 18,455 courts added in 2024, according to usapickleball.org.
Monmouth County might be considered a sweet spot for locating a pickleball franchise. It is the sixth-largest county in New Jersey by population at 647,520, according to the U.S. Census, with a median income of almost $123,000. Pickleball is popular among senior citizens, and 20% of the county has people 65 years old and above, which compares with the national average of 16.8%. Tinton Falls’ population is estimated to have increased 1.4% to 19,435, according to the census, and the percentage of its population of those 65 and over is 25.6%.
“With a deep passion for pickleball and racquet sports, I’ve always been driven by the energy and camaraderie they inspire,” said Ved Mishra, franchisee of the Tinton Falls club. “As an avid pickleball player, I’m committed to promoting the sport and engaging with the local community to foster an active, healthy lifestyle.”
According to Pickleball Kingdom, Mishra “has more than 20 years of experience in technology leadership and team management. Throughout his career, he has led innovative projects focusing on growth and development. Now, Ved is merging his professional expertise with his passion for sports by joining the Pickleball Kingdom franchise.”
