From direct hits by fast-flying balls to accidental paddle strikes and falls on the court, pickleball players are increasingly suffering eye injuries. This trend is a growing concern for medical professionals.
In recent years, as pickleball exploded into America’s fastest-growing sport, eye injuries have sharply risen. Experts suggest that the sport’s rapid growth has attracted many new players who might be less experienced or physically fit, making them more prone to accidents.
Dr. Jonathan C. Tsui, a professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and senior author of a recent study on the topic, explained, “We’re seeing a significant influx of players unfamiliar with the game, which unfortunately creates many opportunities for injury.”
“They often aren’t prepared for how quickly the ball moves or how close they are to other players,” Dr. Tsui added. His interest in this issue was sparked when a colleague experienced an eye injury during a weekend pickleball game.
Some of these eye injuries are quite serious, potentially leading to lasting vision impairment. These include conditions like retinal detachments, fractures in the bones surrounding the eye, and hyphema (blood pooling in the front of the eye).
Dr. Tsui strongly advises all players to wear protective eyewear. Pickleballs are hollow and perforated, offering little air resistance, which allows them to travel at surprisingly high speeds.
A study published in a leading ophthalmology journal meticulously analyzed emergency room visits by pickleball players for eye injuries between 2005 and 2024. Dr. Tsui and his team based their findings on a national database of hospital injury data.
From 2014 to 2021, eye injuries averaged around 200 cases annually. However, as pickleball’s popularity soared, this number more than doubled, reaching approximately 405 cases per year between 2021 and 2024.
Alarmingly, out of just over 3,100 pickleball-related eye injuries reported between 2014 and 2024, more than a third—a staggering 1,262 incidents—occurred in 2024 alone.
Players aged 50 and above face a higher risk, accounting for 70 percent of all eye injuries. This increased vulnerability is attributed to natural age-related changes like decreased muscle mass, bone density, and balance, according to the researchers.
Despite this, the largest demographic of pickleball enthusiasts actually falls within the 25-to-34 age group, as reported by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
This isn’t the first time eye injuries from pickleball have been highlighted. Previous case studies have documented players suffering retinal tears or detachments, often requiring cryotherapy and laser treatments.
Other patients have experienced dislocated lenses within their eyes. For example, a 76-year-old woman sought immediate medical help after her vision blurred post-injury, while a 77-year-old man visited a doctor ten days after noticing worsening vision following a game.
Interestingly, ocular injuries in other racket sports like tennis and baseball have been on the decline.
Pickleball’s smaller court size means players are often just 14 feet apart. This close proximity leaves minimal reaction time to avoid incoming balls or errant paddles.
Modern paddles can propel pickleballs at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. Biomechanical studies reveal that a pickleball traveling at just 30 miles per hour can significantly deform the eye’s cornea, retina, and vitreous, generating enough force to dislocate the lens.
Despite the risks, eye protection is not mandatory for either professional or casual pickleball play. Last year, USA Pickleball, the sport’s official governing body, rejected a rule change that would have required eye protection in its tournaments, citing enforcement difficulties.
Similarly, most pickleball clubs and courts do not enforce eye protection. However, the American Academy of Ophthalmology did issue a recommendation last year for players to wear eyewear that complies with American Society for Testing and Materials F3164 guidelines, which are standard for many other racket sports.
In an editorial accompanying the study, experts Dr. Dolly Ann Padovani-Claudio (Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan) and Adam R. Glassman (Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, Fla.) acknowledged limitations in data from registries, as this study’s source only covered 2 percent of U.S. hospital emergency departments.
Nevertheless, these editorialists strongly urged USA Pickleball to establish clear guidelines for protective eyewear and to launch educational initiatives to boost awareness of these injury risks.