Pickleball is most addictive sport, player says

The 2025 English Open is taking place at Telford's International Centre for the third time

A pickleball player who is one of 2,000 competing in the English Open in Shropshire has said the game is "the most addictive sport" she has played.

Sally Grace turned to the sport after spending much of her life playing tennis, which once saw her compete for Great Britain as a junior.

Despite taking on pickleball as a hobby, Ms Grace has ended up competing internationally, and picked up two gold medals at last year's competition.

For the third time, the 2025 English Open is taking place across 40 courts at Telford's International Centre.

Ms Grace said she quickly "caught the bug" three years ago, when she started pickleball - a smaller version of tennis using a foam paddle and hollow plastic ball.

"I just thought it would be something I do for fun, having had a lifetime of competing, and here we are at the English open which is such a phenomenal event," she said.

"I didn't think it would be all these competitions - I just thought it would be a nice Monday night.

"But the thing with pickleball is its completely addictive, so as soon as you start playing you get the bug you just want to be out there."

The Ukrainian Pickleball Federation brought a team of players to the competition for the first time

Ms Grace, competing in the over 50s tournament, is one of 2,348 players from 41 countries playing this year.

Also competing is a team of Ukrainian players who are attending the event for the first time.

Anna Glotova co-founded the Ukrainian Pickleball Federation for people who had been injured or affected by the war in her home country.

"We want to help our people to be resilient and to go back to normal, for our veterans and our civilians who got injured during the war," she said.

"Many many people have been injured, so it's important for us to bring them back into society because it's about movement, it's about being involved, it's about not being isolated."