Apple TV's new sports comedy "The Dink" follows Jake Johnson as Dustin Boyd, a failed tennis prodigy who rebuilds his self-esteem by taking up pickleball, in a film critic David Rooney calls watchable but formulaic. Produced by and co-starring Ben Stiller, the film seems to aim for the same comic niche that "Dodgeball" carved out for its own sport, but director Josh Greenbaum's efforts are hampered by a predictable script from Sean Clements, leaving even a comedy-heavy cast unable to inject much genuine humour into proceedings.

Johnson's character, once nicknamed "The Hammer" for his devastating serve, saw his professional tennis dreams end after a broken wrist during a junior title match against real-life former pro Andy Roddick, who appears in the film alongside John McEnroe. Dustin now half-heartedly coaches children at his strict father's (Ed Harris) tennis club until a chance encounter with Mary Steenburgen's character draws him into the pickleball world he initially scorns, setting up a father-versus-son and tennis-versus-pickleball rivalry. The film, rated PG-13 and running 1 hour 43 minutes, also stars Chloe Fineman, Aaron Chen and Patton Oswalt, and is set for release on Friday, 24 July 2026.