Will there always be a need to write “vs.” between the words “tennis” and “pickleball?” Maybe not. In a surprising twist, the hallmark tennis event, the French Open, announces it will feature pickleball as a sideline event. This year’s Open runs May 26th to June 9th on the famed red clay courts of Roland-Garros. From the […]
Ben Johns recently told CNBC that he’ll clear $2.5 million in salary this year, not including income from endorsements or sponsorships. The 25-year-old pickleball phenom is probably the most well-known player next to his regular doubles partner, the worldwide top-ranked player Anna Leigh Waters. As of May 13, 2024, Ben has 123 PPA Tour titles under his belt. […]
UPDATE 6/25/24: Amateur and pro player registration is now open on theapp.global through September 23. Cross off another item on the list of “firsts” for pickleball. The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) announced a new global platform for female competitors at all levels: The APP Women’s Open. This APP Signature tournament will offer $75,000 in prize money and […]
Pro pickleball players are on the road for well over half of the year, entertaining us and competing for their livelihoods. It seems the least we can do is acknowledge that this job couldn’t be done by just anyone. It takes dedication, sacrifice, and hard work; and if you’re a mom, you may know something […]
Major League Pickleball (MLP) matches look a little different this year. Instead of teams “winning” entire events, they’ll seek to win as many matches as possible culminating in playoffs at the end of the year. With MLP Atlanta – the first event in 2024 – coming up this week, we thought we’d highlight some of […]
Let’s play a drinking game – or rather, a drink association game. I’ll say a sport, you tell me which kind of booze you associate that sport with: Football. That’s easy, it’s beer without question. Specifically, “lite” beers. Racing (cars). Again, easy. That’s light beer as well, or maybe a hard lemonade. Racing (horses). Probably […]
There are 50 million of us: 50 million people who have played pickleball in the last 12 months. And that’s just in America – pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the world. But why? Not the best name if I am being honest. It doesn’t really explain the game and sounds pretty silly. The game […]
There’s lots of buzz about pickleball paddle weight tape, and likewise, lots of confusion. So first things first: let’s answer some rapid-fire questions we know many of you may have already: Is it even legal, according to USAP guidelines? Yes, paddle weight tape (or lead tape) is allowed. Is it only for the highest-level players? […]
Earlier this year, The Kitchen team had the privilege to visit world famous entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson on his private island in the British Virgin Islands, Necker Island.Necker is a truly magical place, and we were honored to be able to sit down with Sir Richard to discuss this beautiful island he calls home, how Necker […]
Generations from now, this will come to be known as “The Battle at Presidio Wall.” Of course, we’re referring to the months-long controversy that rocked pickleball players in the Presidio neighborhood of San Francisco, California. In case you haven’t heard about this, here’s the short version: In August of 2023, multi-millionaires Holly & Carl Peterson launched a […]
