The Dink (2026) proves that sometimes the funniest comedies are the ones you least expect.
Directed by Josh Greenbaum and written by Sean Clements, The Dink stars Jake Johnson as “Dusty,” a former teen tennis phenom whose promising career was derailed by an injury. Now a washed-up instructor working at his father’s tennis club, Dusty dreams of becoming the club’s go-to tennis pro, but another setback and the constant disappointment from his father, “Chuck,” played by Ed Harris, force him to do the unthinkable: turn to pickleball for rehab. As the club becomes divided over the rapidly growing sport, Dusty finds himself at the center of an unlikely rivalry where the laughs come as fast as the volleys.
At its core, The Dink is about self-worth, second chances, and realizing that the path you planned for yourself may not be the one that makes you happy. The battle between tennis and pickleball gives the movie plenty of room to poke fun at the snobbery surrounding both sports, especially as Chuck and several members of the club’s board treat pickleball like an embarrassing little hobby that has invaded their sacred tennis courts. Of course, the pickleball players are just as passionate, making the growing rivalry completely ridiculous in the best way.
Jake Johnson is perfectly cast as Dusty. He has always been great at playing lovable messes, and Dusty gives him plenty to work with. He is bitter, insecure, and still clinging to the version of himself he thought he would become, but Johnson keeps him likable even when Dusty is making terrible decisions. Ed Harris is equally funny as Chuck, a stubborn tennis traditionalist who would rather dig through an old club handbook than admit pickleball might have a place there. Mary Steenburgen brings warmth to the story, while Ben Stiller, Patton Oswalt, Chloe Fineman, and Chris Parnell round out the ensemble with memorable supporting performances that keep the comedy firing on all cylinders.
Much of the comedy comes from Dusty’s interactions with the colorful personalities around him. His friendship with PJ, his endlessly supportive “yes man,” delivers some of the film’s funniest moments, while Dusty’s inability to get out of his own way keeps the laughs coming. The comedy is broad without becoming cartoonish, but underneath the laughs is a genuinely heartfelt story about a man learning to stop chasing his father’s approval and redefine success on his own terms. The film also gets a major boost whenever Andy Roddick appears as Dusty’s longtime nemesis. Watching the former rivals cross paths again leads to some of the movie’s funniest moments, while sports fans will appreciate a few familiar faces sprinkled throughout the story.
The Dink is funny, heartfelt, and much smarter than a comedy about a tennis club’s war against pickleball has any right to be. Whether you’re a tennis purist, a pickleball fanatic, or somewhere in between, this is an easy recommendation and a genuinely entertaining watch.
The Dink is now streaming on Apple TV.
