Targeting Women in Mixed Doubles: A Conversation Pickleball Needs

Mixed Doubles’ Uncomfortable Truth

Mixed doubles are a cornerstone of pickleball celebrated for balance, strategy, and teamwork. Yet beneath the surface lies an uncomfortable reality: female players are disproportionately targeted during play. What is often defended as “strategy” frequently crosses into patterned bias.

Globally, women make up an estimated 38–42% of recreational pickleball participants, but that representation drops at higher competitive tiers, particularly in mixed formats. Surveys across racket sports show that over 60% of female players report being targeted more frequently than their male partners in mixed doubles, especially during high-pressure points. Pickleball is no exception.

At first, it’s subtle. Warm-ups are friendly. Banter is light. Then the match begins. Hard drives, aggressive dinks, and angled shots repeatedly funnel toward the same player, most often the woman. Other players notice. Almost no one calls it out.

Why It Happens

The common justification is “smart strategy.” The reality is less flattering.

Performance analysis from mixed doubles play indicates that male players direct 55–70% of rally balls toward female opponents, regardless of actual skill parity. This targeting persists even when female players demonstrate equal consistency or superior net play.

This isn’t tactical intelligence, it’s assumption-driven risk avoidance. Targeting based on gender reflects fear of challenge, not mastery of the game.

The Impact on Women Players

The consequences extend beyond the scoreboard. Studies on mixed-gender sport environments show that repeated targeting increases cognitive load and emotional pressure on women athletes, leading to:

• Higher unforced error rates under pressure
• Reduced court assertiveness
• Lower long-term retention in competitive play

In pickleball communities, women already report leaving leagues or avoiding mixed tournaments at higher rates than men. When biased targeting becomes normalized, enjoyment declines and so does participation.

The sport’s image as inclusive and welcoming begins to fracture.

Normalisation Is the Real Problem

Perhaps the most damaging aspect is how quickly this behaviour becomes accepted.

Male players often dismiss it as “part of the game.” Female players are expected to endure it quietly. Over time, this creates an uneven social contract where one group adapts while the other benefits, unchecked.

Yet performance data shows something telling: elite mixed doubles players distribute shots more evenly, targeting positioning, patterns, and openings, not gender. Balanced targeting correlates with higher rally quality and win consistency, even at advanced levels.

Challenging the Norm

True mixed doubles excellence isn’t about exploiting perceived weakness. It’s about:

• Shot selection based on positioning, not identity
• Respect for skill, not stereotypes
• Pressure applied evenly, intelligently, and ethically

The most admired mixed teams challenge everyone equally and earn respect because of it.

Pickleball Culture Needs Accountability

If pickleball is to continue growing especially among women and younger players these dynamics must be acknowledged.

Respect is not optional. Winning is not an excuse. Mixed doubles should be a proving ground for collaboration, adaptability, and equality not a loophole for bias.

Communities, organisers, and players all play a role in setting the standard.

Growth Beyond Points

When mixed doubles are played ethically, everyone benefits. Rally quality improves. Learning accelerates. Confidence rises on both sides of the net.

And most importantly, pickleball remains what it claims to be: inclusive, challenging, and genuinely fun for all players.

This article is an excerpt from our interview with Prem Shanker. Watch the full interview here.