While we primarily take interest in what pickleball fans want to see from their sport, there is something valuable in giving pickleball pros themselves a platform. They spend countless hours — and quite a few dollars — to compete at the top level, entertaining more and more fans each year. So: what do the pros want to see happen […]
I know what you’re thinking: That headline can’t be what he meant to say. But it is what I meant to say, and I think I can back it up with sound logic that goes against what most amateur players think. Why lobbing (some) tall players works If tall players are using their height to […]
Leigh Waters put an exclamation point on her return to the PPA Tour on Sunday, securing the title in women’s doubles at the Daytona Beach Open with her daughter, Anna Leigh Waters. The mother-daughter duo defeated Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black 7-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 in the gold medal match. After dropping the first game […]
The winningest men’s doubles team in PPA Tour history — Ben and Collin Johns — have ended their partnership ahead of the 2025 season. The Johns brothers, who won 33 doubles titles together and 43 total medals while playing together for the past four seasons, will play with different partners next year after a disappointing 2024 […]
From staggering payouts to record-setting broadcasts, pro pickleball saw immense growth in 2024. Here are the three biggest figures driving pickleball’s narrative heading into the new year. $30 million: breaking the pay ceiling If you think pickleball is still a niche sport, think again. Pro players under contract with the United Pickleball Association (UPA)—which oversees […]
Dreamland, the beloved pickleball facility nestled in Dripping Springs, Texas, is set to close its doors for good at the end of 2024. The iconic venue, home to countless pickleball battles and community celebrations, is bowing out. The decision, as shared by the Dreamland team, is part of a shift in the owners’ vision for […]
New Belgium’s Fat Tire Ale is a testament to the idea that a company can do more for the world than generate revenue. Before the first Fat Tire brewed, New Belgium’s founders committed to a company that reduced its impact on the planet. For the next 33 years, New Belgium put coworkers and community at […]
The 2025 USA Pickleball Rulebook has landed, and it’s time to unpack the changes that will shape the way many play on the court next year. Here are the most notable changes you need to know about (full rulebook here): 1. No more spectator input on line calls (rule 6.C.4) It’s official: spectators are completely […]
For the first time, Major League Pickleball’s events will line up with its teams’ home markets. The 2025 MLP schedule just dropped, aligning events with team markets and offering select amateur play events within a five-month season. Cities like Atlanta, New York, and Miami set the stage in 2024, but 2025 promises even more local […]
Maybe I shouldn’t admit this. After all, I work in pickleball, and I’d like to keep my job. But here goes nothing: apart from pickleball, I’m not a sports person. At least, that’s how I used to think of myself: more of a nerd than a bleacher creature. Then, I discovered pickleball, and therefore discovered what I […]
