From Wimbeldon to the pickleball court

Automated line calls coming to pro pickleball

July 10, 2025

 

How’s this sound: A week full of non-stop pickleball at an upscale Orlando resort, a chance to meet and learn from several top pros AND get a free new paddle of your choosing. Oh yeah, and Walt Disney World is right around the corner.

This year’s JOOLA Pickleball Celebration will be held at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center from Aug. 29-Sept. 4. The event includes a team tournament, pickleball clinics taught by top JOOLA pros such as Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin and more, a pro exhibition and plenty of opportunities to meet new players at open play.

It’s one of the best pickleball events of the year, and we’re giving away 15 spots for readers who want to play for Team Kitchen. Learn more below.

Also in this issue:

  • MLP Mid-Season Tournament underway in Michigan 🏆

  • Automated line calls coming to pro events in 2026 ☝️

  • There’s nothing more satisfying than a good shake & bake 🎂

  • Sam Querrey relives tennis highs on Pickleballers Podcast 🎧

  • JOOLA goes Beastmode with Marshawn Lynch collab 💪

Let’s cook. 🧑‍🍳

JOOLA PICKLEBALL CELEBRATION

Play for Team Kitchen at Orlando event

Join Team Kitchen for THREE FULL DAYS OF PICKLEBALL at the JOOLA Pickleball Celebration in Orlando from Aug. 29-Sept. 1.

We'll be picking 15 WINNERS (5 per team) to join us. Our teams are fully paid for and winners also receive ANY Joola paddle of their choice. ($500 value!)

If you're interested, please COMMENT IN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP why you should be chosen and what your DUPR is!

We’ll have a lower level team (3.0-3.9), an intermediate team (4.0-4.9) and an advanced team (5.0+) at the event.

We'll be picking winners on Aug. 8!

*Please only respond if you can make it those days. Your registration is free but winners will need to get to Orlando and pay for hotel ($180/night). BTW, the resort is AWESOME!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

The greatest move in pickleball … the shake & bake

There’s nothing more satisfying than a well-executed shake & bake.

In this throwback point from a couple years ago, Vivian Glozman sets up her partner, Dekel Bar, perfectly with a dipping drive down the line.

Bar, who has no trouble covering huge swaths of the court with just a couple steps, makes sure the next ball doesn’t come back.

PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST

Sam Querrey: From tennis stardom to pickleball underdog

Tennis legend Sam Querrey joined the Pickleballers Podcast this week for one of our favorite episodes yet. We cover everything from him beating Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon to becoming the No. 1 draft pick in Major League Pickleball.

Pickleballers co-hosts Jared Paul and Roscoe Bellamy dive into Querrey’s wildest tour stories, what it’s really like facing Djokovic and Nadal and why he once promised he’d be top 10 in pickleball within 6 months.

PICKLEBALLERS 24 HOUR GIVEAWAY: Every week The Kitchen & Pickleballers will be doing a 24-hour paddle giveaway to celebrate the latest episode. This week, we are giving away any JOOLA Pro IV paddle of someone’s choice! Enter here.

🔗 Watch the full episode on YouTube or Spotify

THE PROS

Standings points and cash up for grabs at MLP Mid-Season Tournament

The much-anticipated Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament kicked off Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with first-round Challenger Level matches.

Premier Level matches started Thursday.

The Mid-Season Tournament is a modified double-elimination format with teams seeded based on points per match thus far this season. It's not a true double elimination bracket because teams cannot "come around" to win gold after dropping a match -- the best they can do from the backdraw is bronze.

The tournament is held in conjunction with the Beer City Open, an annual amateur event founded and still operated in part by pro player Andrea Koop.

STANDINGS POINTS AWARDED TO TOP 3 FINISHERS

1st place = 6 additional standings points
2nd place = 4 points
3rd place = 2 points

TOURNAMENT PAYOUTS

Premier Level
1st = $50,000
2nd = $25,000
3rd = $12,500

Challenger Level
1st = $7,000
2nd = $3,500
3rd = $2,000

FEATURED STORY

What to expect at JOOLA Pickleball Celebration

This year’s JOOLA Pickleball Celebration will be held at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center from Aug. 29-Sept. 4. The event includes a team tournament (with teams of 3-5 players), pickleball clinics taught by top JOOLA pros such as Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin and more, a pro exhibition and plenty of opportunities to meet new players at open play.

Our team was there last year, and we can tell you that the event is truly a celebration of all things pickleball. We can’t wait to go back this year.

TEAM TOURNAMENT TAKES CENTER STAGE

When we say a week full of non-stop pickleball, we’re not kidding. Unlike other tournaments where you’re at the venue all day and somehow end up only playing a few matches, the JOOLA Pickleball Celebration tournament format ensures that all players get plenty of time on court.

There are three doubles matches per round and teams are guaranteed to play six rounds – that’s 18 matches. The tournament is open to players of all skill levels (and grouped into different divisions by DUPR) and players can expect to play 6-8 hours of pickleball per day, JOOLA says.

There also is a juniors-only tournament open to players ages 8-18 of all skill levels, and an 80s night on the Saturday of the event that will feature costume contests, games and a live DJ.

Registration is $1,399 per team – or $279 per person for a team of 5, plus each participant will receive a free JOOLA paddle or Pro bag of their choice along with a free T-shirt. Kitchen readers can use code KITCHEN2025 to get $200 off.

Are you interested in going to this year's JOOLA Pickleball Celebration?

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TRENDING

In addition to shifting to a new prize-money structure next year, the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball will also be implementing an automated line call system in partnership with PlayReplay, a sports technology company specializing in AI-powered line calling and performance analytics.

The two big changes in 2026 for the United Pickleball Association -- the governing body of the PPA Tour and MLP -- go hand-in-hand, as there was a growing concern that line call disputes and outright cheating could become a bigger issue with big prize money on the line in pro matches.

The PlayReplay system uses four cameras mounted on the net posts that work to detect events like line calls, foot faults and kitchen violations.

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

JOOLA teams up with Marshawn Lynch to release 'Beastmode' pickleball set

JOOLA has teamed up with former NFL running back and Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch to release a pickleball paddle set exclusively on Amazon.

The set (which you can buy here) includes:

-2 JOOLA 10mm Essentials Paddles featuring the official Beastmode logo.
-2 Indoor balls + 2 Outdoor balls.
-1 Beastmode sling bag — lightweight, durable and made to match your flow.

And if you’re looking for any other pickleball gear, JOOLA is currently offering its biggest sale of the year, with up to 55% off select items. Shop the sale here through July 14.

NATIONAL PICKLEBALL LEAGUE

NPL to host 3rd event weekend of season

The National Pickleball League will host its third event weekend of the season in Kansas City starting Saturday.

If you don’t already know, the NPL is a team-based league for Champions Pro (age 50+) players. The 2025 NPL season includes 12 teams representing cities across the country. Each team has a roster of at least 14 players, and more than 200 Champions Pros total will compete in the league this season.

QUICK HITS

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