Nike has finally ended the long wait as it stepped into pickleball earlier this week by signing 18-year-old phenom Anna Leigh Waters. It was a move that many observers felt was inevitable, but one that still raises a pressing question: is the sportswear giant arriving just in time, or already behind the curve?Waters will act as a global pickleball ambassador for the brand, marking Nike’s most significant entry yet into a sport that has surged from niche pastime to mainstream phenomenon. Also Read: 687,000 Paddles, $43.5M Revenue: Amazon Becomes the Go-To Marketplace for Pickleball PaddlesDespite pickleball’s explosive rise, Nike had largely stayed on the sidelines, prompting curiosity about why a global leader in athletic apparel had not moved sooner. Industry experts, however, believe the opportunity remains substantial.“They need to get into the business, because other people are already in the business,” said Lisa Delpy Neirotti, director of the sports-management programme at George Washington University’s School of Business, in comments to MarketWatch.
