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Nick Kyrgios is scary on the pickleball court
Get a FREE kitchen hat when you buy a JOOLA Pro V
Following last week’s Major League Pickleball draft, several trades were announced Tuesday that have a major impact on multiple contenders.
The biggest name on the move is Christian Alshon, who was traded from the Texas Ranchers to the Brooklyn Pickleball Team. He’s far from the only player changing uniforms, though, as a flurry of deals were announced throughout the day Tuesday. Find all the details below.
Also in this issue:
Nick Kyrgios is scary on the pickleball court 🇦🇺
Andre Agassi weighs in on the pickleball vs. tennis debate 🎧
Buy a JOOLA paddle, get a Kitchen hat for FREE 🧢
Our Top 10 amateur pickleball highlights from February 😮
PPA Tour back in action in Newport Beach 🏖️
Did Enhance Pickleball just create the best $100 paddle ever? 💸
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Nick Kyrgios shows off on the pickleball court
There’s long been rumors that tennis star Nick Kyrgios could make the jump over to pickleball. Social media clips like this one recently gave us a glimpse at what that could look like, as Kyrgios picked up a paddle at a Vulcan event in Las Vegas.
As expected, Kyrgios’ athleticism and racket skills were on full display during this point, which was filmed in POV by his opponents. While Kyrgios’ future in pickleball is still unknown, we can say for sure that we’d be interested in seeing him on the smaller court more often.
🔗 Check out this highlight on Instagram
PICKLEBALLERS
Andre Agassi settles the tennis vs. pickleball debate
In case you missed it last week, Andre Agassi joined Pickleballers to explain why he’s gone all-in on pickleball in the past two years. He gives his take on the pickleball vs. tennis debate, explains why pickleball is as mentally exhausting as it is physically and what he’s focused on in his game.
Andre also tells the story of playing the U.S. Open with Anna Leigh Waters — including the one thought he couldn’t shake: “Don’t be the first person to lose with Anna Leigh.” He shares how a back injury nearly derailed the run, how fierce Anna Leigh is as a competitor, and why pickleball has genuinely changed his life — physically, mentally, and socially — even in his mid-50s.
JOOLA x KITCHEN BUNDLE
Buy a JOOLA Pro V, get any Kitchen Hat for FREE
JOOLA Pro V paddles are officially available everywhere! Buy one from The Kitchen website and you can choose ANY Kitchen hat for FREE as a gift with your Pro V. JOOLA doesn’t offer any discount codes on their paddles, so this is the best deal you’ll find out there!
VIRAL VIDEOS
The best amateur pickleball highlights from February
Recently we asked you in this here newsletter to send us your best amateur pickleball highlights, and it wasn’t long before hundreds of insane rallies from around the country and world flooded our inbox.
It wasn’t easy, but we narrowed it down to the Top 10 amateur highlights of February, which had everything from incredible ATPs to dramatic diving saves. To help us break down the clips and bring a dose of humor to the proceedings, Chris Cali of Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball hosts the monthly show.
Submit your BEST clips to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in next month’s video.
THE PROS
Several trades shake up Major League Pickleball landscape
Several Major League Pickleball trades were announced Tuesday, and a couple of them have big implications for teams that could be contenders.
But before we jump into who is on the move Tuesday, let’s rewind to last Friday. The MLP draft gave us some surprises, with the St. Louis Shock setting a league record by bidding $1.23 million for the No. 1 overall pick. They selected Anna Bright, which means they will likely go into the 2026 season with the same starting four they had in 2025 -- Bright, Kate Fahey, Gabe Tardio and Hayden Patriquin.
That makes St. Louis one of the best teams on paper again this year, but a clear favorite to win the title emerged during the draft on Friday. The New Jersey 5s out-bid the Dallas Flash for the No. 2 pick and selected Jorja Johnson, who was last year's league MVP. The pick cost New Jersey $800,000 and gives them a dominant women's doubles team (Anna Leigh Waters and Jorja Johnson) and two very strong mixed doubles teams (Will Howells and Noe Khlif are their likely men's starters).
We break down all the picks and hand out some draft grades here. And you can find the full list of the 66 players picked in the draft here.
POST-DRAFT TRADES
Teams weren’t done building their rosters after making their draft selections. Several trades were made in the immediate aftermath of the draft, and a few of them were announced Tuesday. Below are the moves we know of for sure, but more trades are expected throughout the week.
TRADE #1
Texas Ranchers receive Dylan Frazier, Matthew Barlow, and cash considerations.
Brooklyn Pickleball Team receives Christian Alshon and Luca Mack.
TRADE #2
Texas Ranchers receive Layne Sleeth.
California Black Bears receive Sahra Dennehy and cash considerations.
TRADE #3
Los Angeles Mad Drops receive Genie Bouchard.
Florida Smash receives Paula Rives Palau and cash considerations.
TRADE #4
Atlanta Bouncers receive Jessie Irvine.
Phoenix Flames receive Daria Walczak and cash.
TRENDING
After a week off, the PPA Tour is back in action this week on the west coast.
The Newport Beach Open started Monday with pro qualifying, and main draw matches will start on Tuesday, with one round in every division to be played each day through Championship Sunday.
The event is being held at the Tennis Club of Newport Beach, and the weather is expected to be near perfect, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-70s for most of the week.
GEAR
Did Enhance Pickleball just create the best $100 paddle ever?
Enhance Pickleball is getting a lot of buzz in the pickleball paddle industry this month because of the release of its new Turbo paddles, which are built similarly to some of the best-selling paddles on the market but priced significantly lower.
The paddles were released March 1 and there are currently four models available in the Turbo line, all priced at $119.99 -- and $99.99 after using code "KITCHEN."
EPP Turbo: The EPP Turbo uses a full floating foam core with an EPP foam center and an EVA foam ring around the perimeter. This is a similar construction method to the Bread & Butter Loco series ($199) and the Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik ($333), and it produces a firm feel with high power and pop. The EPP Turbo is available in three shapes: Elongated, Widebody and Hybrid.
MPP Turbo: The MPP Turbo uses a full floating foam core with an MPP foam center and an EVA foam ring around the perimeter. MPP is a softer foam, which creates a more springy and smooth feel than the EPP Turbo models. The MPP/EVA construction is similar to the Luzz Pro 4 Inferno ($229). The MPP Turbo is only available in the elongated shape.
QUICK HITS
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