Stoker combines his tennis experience with a passion for pickleball as he competes at the 2026 Paramount Cup in Subang Jaya.
AFTER spending nearly a decade showcasing his skills on the tennis court, Kyle Stoker has ventured into a new sport, taking up competitive pickleball around two and a half years ago.
Despite being 35, the Aussie is still adapting to the key differences between the two sports as he looks to draw on his years of experience as an athlete.
“Very different,” he told theSun. “There are differences in the size of the court and the trajectory of the ball.
“The tennis ball bounces a lot higher, while the pickleball stays much lower. Plus, the game of pickleball is much quicker.”
Having spent 28 years as a professional tennis player, Stoker competed against world-class opponents and even earned a place in the ATP rankings.
However, as he grew older, he decided to explore a new sporting challenge, with pickleball emerging as his preferred choice.
Beyond his playing career, Stoker also has ambitions to grow the sport in Australia by offering coaching sessions to people of all ages.
Having competed against international opponents in both tennis and pickleball over the years, he hopes to pass on his experience and knowledge to the next generation of players, particularly those at grassroots level.
“I am mainly a coach currently and only playing part-time. As a coach, I’m just looking for technical flaws and things to be improved.
“One of my tips for junior players is to be patient, as it takes a while to build your game up and learn the right techniques.
“Players are going to make a lot of errors, but that’s the whole point of training — to learn and keep improving,” he added.
Despite only venturing into competitive pickleball recently, Stoker has already demonstrated his ability to compete at the international level, having participated in several overseas tournaments.
His latest outing was at the 2026 Paramount Cup, where he finished runner-up in the men’s singles category after losing 8-11, 8-11 to the Philippines’ Patrick Ares Mendoza in Thursday’s final.
However, Stoker will have another opportunity to make his mark at the tournament when he teams up with compatriot Alexander Tran in the men’s doubles category today.
Stoker and his partner will be looking to go one better after their campaign ended in the quarterfinals at the 2025 Paramount Cup.
“I just want to have fun and enjoy myself, and do my best, as I had a minor leg injury last year. For this campaign, I just want to enjoy it and play well.
“Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. There can only be one winner at the end of the day, but I will still do my best,” he added.
Stoker is among 1,000 participants from 18 countries taking part in this year’s Paramount Cup, held from Oct 22 to 25 at the PLAYA Racquet Club @ PARC Subang in Subang Jaya.
The second edition of the tournament introduced several new features, including its designation as an APP Asia Qualifier and the introduction of the Under-10 (U10) and Under-12 (U12) divisions.