Pickleball is not immune to sore losers — and violence.
A viral video shows a pickleball player in pink shorts kicking an opponent in the face after losing a match, sending the man crumbling to the court in a stunning scene.
According to the X account “The Kitchen Pickleball,” the man who was kicked is Peter Shonk, who shared the video with them and “wasn’t seriously injured.”
The video begins with the shocking kick before cutting to what led up to it.
A man in a green shirt, Shonk, appears to hit the winning point in the pickleball match, shouting “Come on! Let’s go!”
The four players then approach the net to shake hands, but Shonk knocks the paddle out of the man in the pink shorts’ hand and down to the ground.
The player in the pink shorts did not seem happy, but Shonk bent over to pick up the paddle, trying to make up for his mistake.
That’s when the guy in the pink shorts viciously swung his right leg into the face of Shonk, whose partner then confronted the kicker and shoved him as onlookers tried to keep them apart.
Shonk was able to get up in a crouching position.
His back was facing the camera, so it’s not known if he was bleeding as a result of the brutal strike.
It’s unclear where the incident took place.
Pickleball’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, with the likes of Tom Brady and LeBron James investing in Major Pickleball League teams.