Madison Keys, John Isner & more American pros playfully roast Sam Querrey for proving his 'haters' right as he retires from pickleball

Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady, and several other American tennis personalities gave hilarious send-offs to Sam Querrey as he retires from pickleball. Querrey had boldly predicted a quick rise in the ranks of the sport during his early days, but his final results fell well short of those expectations.

During the latest episode of the Nothing Major Show, a podcast hosted by Querrey, John Isner, Jack Sock, and Steve Johnson, the American ex-pros discussed Querrey's retirement from pickleball. They shared some hilarious tributes along with stats.

Firstly, Isner queued an old video where Querrey is heard saying that he will enter the Top 20 in three months and Top 10 in four months in pickleball. However, he achieved no such feat. Reacting to it, Isner was reminded of a meme, and he said:

"Have you ever seen that meme? It's like the haters said it couldn't be done and honestly the haters were right."

Later, it was noted that Querrey, a former World No. 11 on the ATP Tour, lost every official pickleball match in 2025. He held a 0-9 record in doubles and a 0-6 record in mixed doubles.

A short clip of the segment was shared on Instagram by the podcast's official page.

Reacting to it, Jennifer Brady wrote:

"Mixed dubs specialist… 8-21 💀"

Further, World No. 7 Madison Keys hilariously added:

"Ending on a highlight of a season 👏"

Jack Sock wrote:

"The pioneer of the tennis to pickle transition 👏"

John Isner added:

"Pickleball is going to miss @samquerrey . A true pioneer"

A screengrab of the comments on the Instagram post

Later, during the segment, Querrey admitted that he initially believed he would become one of the top 10 pickleball players fairly quickly. However, after a few matches, he realized that wouldn’t happen. Still, he felt he had to stick to his bold prediction, keep up the confidence, and simply accept the outcome.

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Pickleball pro Ben Johns shares his hilarious retirement message for Sam Querrey

Sam Querrey at the Delray Beach Open - Source: Getty

During the same segment of the Nothing Major Show, the hosts asked one of the 'GOATS' of pickleball, Ben Johns, to share a 'happy retirement' message for Sam Querrey. The 26-year-old said (from 2:20):

"I’ve got to be straight with you [Sam Querrey], I thought you were retired. I didn’t even know you were still playing. I honestly thought you were just showing up at tournaments to commentate with Manassie or just watch me or something. But all that being said, I guess… happy retirement, buddy."

Johns is widely regarded as the greatest pickleball player ever, dominating the sport since he turned pro in 2016. He has held the No. 1 ranking in men’s doubles and mixed doubles, and has also been top in singles. Johns boasts over 120 PPA titles, including a record 21 Triple Crowns (winning singles, doubles, and mixed at the same event).

Edited by Aliasgar Ayaz