They might be the latest trending racquet sports, but padel and pickleball are proving dangerous to players’ eyes. A recent study found that 10.3% of 583 padel players reported having sustained an ocular injury, with up to a quarter of injured players reporting long-lasting effects (Aiello et al, 2026). In 2025, US researchers estimated 3,112 pickleball-related ocular injuries between 2005 and 2024, including 1,262 in 2024 alone (Lacher et al, 2025). 

Data from Prevent Blindness shows overall sports-related eye injuries in the US totalled 43,379 in 2024 – a third more than the previous year. The increase is likely to have multiple causes, including changes in participation and exposure, although available data does not establish the contribution of individual sports. Protective eyewear is also not routinely required for recreational players in these sports (Sbei et al, 2026). 

“Although the increase in ocular injuries may simply reflect the increasing number of players, it is also possible that casual players are more susceptible to injury due to limited experience, unfamiliarity with the game, or lower level of physical fitness,” write Lacher et al (2025).