What I learned during my tour of the UPA-A paddle testing lab

The United Pickleball Association of America recently invited paddle manufacturers and media members to a tour of the Pickle Pro Labs testing facility in south Florida.

The United Pickleball Association of America — which governs the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball — recently invited paddle manufacturers and media members to the paddle testing lab in south Florida where the organization has been developing its new paddle approval standards. The UPA-A’s paddle testing is being done by Pickle Pro Labs, which […]

You can now bet on PPA Tour tournaments via Kalshi futures markets

Futures markets for PPA Tour events are now available in the U.S. on Kalshi, a regulated exchange and prediction market where you can trade on the outcome of real-world events.

Futures markets for PPA Tour events are now available in the U.S. on Kalshi, a regulated exchange and prediction market where you can trade on the outcome of real-world events. A prediction market is a trading platform where participants buy and sell contracts based on specific events, ranging from pop culture to politics. Investors select […]

PPA Tour Cincinnati Showcase: Draws, schedule and storylines

All eyes will be on Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters at the 2025 PPA Tour Cincinnati Showcase.

The PPA Tour will head to Ohio this week for the tour’s third “slam” of the season — the Cincinnati Showcase. The event takes place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, which recently underwent a $260 million, campus-wide renovation designed to enhance the fan and player experience. The venue got rave reviews from those who […]

Report: Pickleball participation remains strong, but growth levels off from post-2020 spike

Pickleball players play at a Pickleball Kingdom location.

After seeing explosive growth each year from 2021-2024, the rise in pickleball participation has leveled off slightly, according to a new report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. The SFIA recently released its mid-year participation report, which shows that pickleball still remains the fastest growing sport in the U.S. with a 14.7% increase in participation […]

Major League Pickleball Finals deliver second-most watched pro match ever

Saturday's DoorDash Major League Pickleball Finals broadcast on CBS drew 433,000 average viewers, per Nielsen.

Photo courtesy of Major League Pickleball. Major League Pickleball delivered the second-most watched professional pickleball match of all-time on any network this weekend, with Saturday’s DoorDash MLP Finals (Columbus Sliders vs. New Jersey 5s) broadcast on CBS drawing 433,000 average viewers, per Nielsen. The event was hosted at CityPickle at Wollman Rink in New York […]

Major League Pickleball Finals live updates: Columbus caps off incredible postseason run with title

CJ Klinger celebrates after winning a point during the 2025 Major League Pickleball Finals.

The Columbus Sliders won the 2025 Major League Pickleball Premier Level Finals on Sunday evening with a best-of-three series win over the New Jersey 5s. We’ve been updating this live blog all weekend with results, analysis and quotes from players. We will have more coverage on TheKitchenPickle.com in the coming days.  Major League Pickleball Premier […]

How DoorDash partnered with Major League Pickleball to elevate the pro game

Since coming on as the title sponsor of MLP, DoorDash has been involved in several creative events designed to be fun, culturally relevant and highly engaging for pickleball fans.

The announcement back in the spring came as a surprise to many: DoorDash, a dominant player in the U.S. food and convenience delivery market, was coming on as the title sponsor of Major League Pickleball. The company, which was founded in 2013 and now operates in more than 30 countries, kicked off its big splash […]

MLP’s Los Angeles Mad Drops sell majority stake at $13M franchise valuation

Major League Pickleball’s Los Angeles Mad Drops have sold a controlling stake in the franchise at a valuation of $13 million.

Major League Pickleball’s Los Angeles Mad Drops have sold a controlling stake in the franchise at a valuation of $13 million to Mad Drippin SPV, LLC, headed by Alex Geesbreght, who is the owner and operator of PRAX Leadership. This transaction — along with the recent announcement of the expansion franchise Palm Beach Royals at […]

Video: How Columbus pulled off big upset in Major League Pickleball playoffs

The Major League Pickleball playoffs got off to a dramatic start as the No. 5 seed Columbus Sliders upset the No. 2 seed Dallas Flash in San Diego.

In case you missed it last weekend, the Major League Pickleball playoffs got off to a dramatic start as the No. 5 seed Columbus Sliders upset the No. 2 seed Dallas Flash in San Diego. This best-of-three series got a lot of attention because Dallas had their choice of opponent in the quarterfinals, and they chose […]