Do Andy Roddick and John McEnroe Really Play Pickleball in The Dink Movie?

Quick Answer: Yes, both tennis legends appear in The Dink movie. Andy Roddick plays a fictionalized version of himself as Dusty Boyd’s childhood tennis nemesis, and John McEnroe also appears in the film. The Apple TV pickleball comedy streams starting July 24, 2026, alongside stars Jake Johnson, Ben Stiller, and Ed Harris.

Half the fun of a sports comedy is spotting the real athletes, and The Dink delivers two of the biggest names American tennis ever produced. Here’s exactly what Roddick and McEnroe are doing in a pickleball movie, and what their real-life relationships with the sport look like.

What Does Andy Roddick Do in The Dink?

Roddick plays Andy Roddick, sort of. In the movie he is Dusty Boyd’s childhood nemesis, the rival from Dusty’s junior tennis days who went on to the stardom Dusty never reached. It’s a fictionalized version of himself dropped into a made-up story, the classic sports-comedy move, and casting the 2003 US Open champion as the ghost of a failed tennis career is a genuinely funny piece of casting. Facing the guy who beat you as a kid is a wound every competitive player understands.

What About John McEnroe?

McEnroe appears in the film as well, and no studio hires John McEnroe to be quiet and agreeable. McEnroe has become the go-to tennis legend for comedies, with a long resume of playing exaggerated versions of himself, and his famous temper is practically its own character. The filmmakers have kept the details of his scenes quiet before release, which suggests the appearance is meant to land as a surprise.

Do Tennis Pros Actually Play Pickleball in Real Life?

Constantly, and this is where the movie’s joke touches reality. The list of tennis names who have shown up around professional pickleball includes Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Andy Murray, Eugenie Bouchard, Jack Sock, and Sam Querrey, several of whom have played real professional pickleball events. Agassi has become one of the sport’s most visible ambassadors. The premise of The Dink, a tennis player crossing over to the paddle side, is something the sports world has been watching happen for years.

Roddick himself has been open about racquet sports beyond tennis since retiring, and McEnroe has competed in just about every exhibition format ever invented. Neither man needed much coaching to hold a paddle convincingly.

Who Else Is in The Dink Cast?

The full lineup is stacked for a sports comedy:

• Jake Johnson as Dusty “The Hammer” Boyd, the washed-up tennis pro
• Ed Harris as Chuck Boyd, his pickleball-hating father
• Mary Steenburgen as Candace, the pickleball partner who teaches Dusty the game
• Ben Stiller, also a producer, as the doctor who prescribes pickleball
• Patton Oswalt, Chloe Fineman, Chris Parnell, Christine Taylor, Aaron Chen, and Martin Kove in supporting roles

Director Josh Greenbaum has said through the production that he wanted the pickleball to look like a real sports movie, and star Jake Johnson trained with coaches and pickleball pros to make the on-court scenes credible. I’ll be watching Steenburgen’s technique closest of all, since her character is supposed to be the one who actually knows what she’s doing.

FAQ

Does Andy Roddick play himself in The Dink? Yes, a fictionalized version. He appears as Dusty Boyd’s childhood tennis rival, using his real name and tennis legacy inside a fictional story.

Is John McEnroe really in The Dink? Yes. McEnroe appears in the film, though the production kept his scenes under wraps before release.

Do Roddick and McEnroe play pickleball on screen? The trailer keeps their court time mostly hidden, so exactly how much paddle work each legend does is one of the movie’s surprises.

Have real tennis pros switched to pickleball? Yes. Agassi, Graf, Sock, Querrey, and others have played professional or exhibition pickleball, and former pros keep crossing over every year.

Who plays the main character in The Dink? Jake Johnson plays Dusty Boyd. Johnson trained in both tennis and pickleball for the role after never having played pickleball before.

When can I watch The Dink? It streams exclusively on Apple TV starting July 24, 2026.

Tennis players picking up paddles isn’t just a movie plot; it might be you next. If the crossover is calling, our guide to how tennis skills translate to pickleball covers what carries over and what has to be relearned, and our directory can point you to courts and coaches near you.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.