Nick Kyrgios has arrived

Pickleball pro faces suspension.

May 30, 2024

A pro pickleball player just received the biggest fine in the sport's history. Pickleball crime is at an all-time high. And Tyson McGuffin recently suffered a net cord cruelty.

You may think it's all negative this week, but on the flip side...cities are investing in pickleball courts across the U.S. Can you guess which ones have built the most?

Also, is Nick Kyrgios coming around on pickle? 🤔

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Let’s go.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

You Can FEEL Tyson's Pain

Tyson McGuffin, near side, plays this singles point against Ben Johns perfectly.

He hustles to return to center. He tries for all the angles. He doesn't hold back.

But one unfortunate tape shot against Ben and all you can do is toss the paddle.

FEATURED STORY

The Biggest Fine in Pickleball History

Not even halfway through his 2024 season, pro Andrei Daescu has already experienced massive highs and crushing lows.

In March, he and temporary partner Anna Bright pulled off a win against the juggernauts Anna Leigh Waters & Ben Johns.

Now, Andrei is suspended from play for 60 days, has to cough up a whopping $50,000 fine to UPA (PPA's/MLP's new parent company), and is "on probation" for a whole year.

So, how'd he end up here? Truth is, we only know one side of the story (the UPA's), until Andrei releases his own statement:

On Tuesday, UPA drops a statement identifying Andrei as the player whose paddle failed an onsite test during MLP Atlanta.
Further testing revealed an illegal substance was indeed on the paddle's face.
The statement confirms that "at no point was the paddle in question used during competition in Atlanta."

We've read countless posts claiming that this was an accident; that Andrei or a teammate accidentally replaced a legal, unaltered paddle with an altered one.

We've heard that pros sometimes alter their practice paddles to simulate certain conditions while drilling.

Considering that, not too long ago, $50K used to be an unattainable yearly salary for pro pickleball players, we can't help but be stunned by the punishment.

Clearly, UPA is trying to make an example of the situation. More on this soon.

INSTRUCTION

Better Balance = Better Shots

Top five pickleball pro James Ignatowich here. What isn’t talked about enough is how your positioning and shot selection are connected.

EXAMPLE: If someone hits a dink a little too high, but you’re on one leg and off balance, then maybe it’s NOT the right ball to speed up.

But even the best players will still miss, or pop the ball up, when they are stretched.

One thing that separates the pros from rec players is that they stay within their means when they are off balance, and attack when their balance is strong.

You won’t find too many pros who speed the ball up off balance, on one leg.

Papa Jimmy has more tips for improving your court positioning and balance. Find them here.

CELEBRITIES

King Kyrgios Playing Pickle

Tennis star Nick Kyrgios didn’t like it when pro pickler player Christian Alshon claimed pickleball had made him a better athlete than tennis.

But King Kyrg seems pretty pleased to be on the other side of the fence in this video…

NEWS

Pickleball Crime Spree

Pickleball needs a caped vigilante.

Over the last few months, a string of crimes have been committed against equipment and retailers:

In Manhattan's Upper West Side, a vandal is shredding nets at the courts in Riverside Park, costing the city about $2,500.
In the D.C. region, racquet sport retailers are warning each other about a pattern of pickleball paddle thefts.
Stores in other areas of the country have already been hit by (presumably) the same string of paddle-nabbers who use distraction
tactics to make out with thousands in gear.

Got a cape and a mask? Learn more about the cases here.

COMMUNITY

These Cities 💗 Pickleball Most

Any guesses as to which 3 U.S. cities have the most pickleball courts per capita?

Here's a hint: the top 3 are NOT in Florida, Texas, or California. Nope, not in Utah or Arizona, either.

Some of those made the top 10, but surprisingly not as high up as you'd think. Remember, this is courts per 10,000 people.

Give up? Here they are:

Louisville, KY
Madison, WI
Honolulu, HI

According to the Trust for Public Land, the number of outdoor pickleball courts in the 100 most populous American cities skyrocketed from 420 in 2017 to 3,182 in 2024.

Find the full top 10 here.