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Player suspended for using slur
We rank our Top 10 paddles on the market right now
The pickleball world revolted over the weekend after video surfaced of a Florida player making several bad line calls and using a homophobic slur during a recent PPA Challenger Series match.
Thousands of people in the pickleball community and several pro players chimed in to condone the behavior, and the PPA Tour ultimately suspended him for 90 days. But that’s not stopping him from meeting what he calls “softness” in the sport head on. More on the saga below.
Also in this issue:
Haworth claims first singles title of 2025 in Virginia Beach 🏆
TKO Atlanta is next week — REGISTER NOW! 💪
We’ve partnered with DUPR, UPA on Collegiate Pickleball Tour 💥
Take a pickleball vacation to Thailand ✈️
We rank our Top 10 paddles 🤓
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
PICKLEBALL DRAMA
Player suspended for egregious line calls, foul language
If you didn’t know the name Dennis Uspensky before late last week, there’s a decent chance you do now. He’s the player who went viral for all the wrong reasons after video surfaced of him making multiple egregious line calls and using a homophobic slur during a PPA Challenger Series match.
Uspensky has since been suspended 90 days by the tour, but doubled down in a statement after the incident, saying “I respect the game — just not the softness around it.”
🔗 Find Uspensky’s full statement and video of the incident on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
What do you think of the 90-day suspension for Dennis Uspensky? |
THE KITCHEN OPEN ATLANTA
Our tournament starts NEXT WEEK
WE’RE ONLY ONE WEEK from The Kitchen Open Atlanta! Spots are filling up fast, and as a subscriber to The Kitchen newsletter we’re offering you a $30 discount off the price of registration.
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY YOU CAN USE CODE “TKOATL” AND RECEIVE $30 OFF. REGISTRATION PRICE INCREASES TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. 💸
THE PROS
Waters/Bright rebound, Haworth claims his first singles title of 2025
Chris Haworth has been through the gauntlet in men's singles over the past 2 months.
The recent PPA Tour signee made his 2025 debut on tour at the Walgreens Open in Las Vegas in late August, but because he hadn't played an event prior to that since 2024, he was a 50-something seed in his first two tournaments.
That meant early round matchups against top players like Hunter Johnson, Jack Sock and Grayson Goldin, which made his path to Championship Sunday a minefield. And yet he still managed to make the semifinals in two of his first three tournaments.
Most fans and pundits thought it was just a matter of time before he broke through to make (and win) a final, and they were right: On Sunday at the PPA Tour Virginia Beach Cup, Haworth claimed his first gold medal of the year with an 11-8, 12-10 win over No. 4 seed Christian Alshon.
Haworth was the No. 15 seed coming into the week, and will likely move into the top 10 in the points standings after earning 1,500 points on Sunday with this event being a "Cup."
OTHER WINNERS FROM THE WEEKEND
Men’s Doubles: Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio won their fifth straight gold medal together with an 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 win over JW Johnson/CJ Klinger. It’s becoming clear that this duo has lifted and separated from the rest of the men’s field, a feat that many thought wouldn’t be possible after a stretch of unprecedented parody earlier this year.
Women’s doubles: Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright got back to their winning ways, taking gold with an 11-3, 11-1, 11-3 win over Jorja Johnson and Rachel Rohrabacher on Sunday. The victory capped a week in which Waters/Bright outscored their opponents 121-22 and looked much more like the team that was dominant in their first few events of 2025 than the team that hadn't made a final in their last two tournaments.
Mixed doubles: Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters claimed their sixth straight PPA Tour title with an 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 win over JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson, a matchup that we have now seen five times in a final in 2025. Johns/Waters lead the season series 4-1, with their last loss coming to the Johnsons at the North Carolina Open in April.
Women’s singles: Anna Leigh Waters was tested in Game 1 of the final against Brooke Buckner, which was pushed back to Monday because of rain in Virginia Beach on Sunday. Waters ultimately battled back from a deficit in the first game to win 12-10, 11-6 for her 36th Triple Crown and 162nd gold medal overall — just 2 behind Ben Johns.
TRENDING
The Kitchen has officially partnered with DUPR and the United Pickleball Association to provide promotion and exclusive coverage of the Collegiate Pickleball Tour.
The tour -- a nationwide series that was launched in the spring -- already has showcased college talent in a way we've never seen before and will award more than $100,000 in prize money this year alone.
The Collegiate Pickleball Tour's fall series of events is already underway with several campus regionals and three super regionals across the country leading up to the 2025 Collegiate World Championship, which will be held in Dallas from Oct. 31-Nov. 2.
More than 4,000 players from 200+ schools are expected to participate in the Collegiate Pickleball Tour this fall.
PICKLEBALL TRIPS
Pickleball vacation to Thailand? Yes, please.
Whether visiting one of the most stunning national parks in Thailand, learning how to care for elephants, or playing pickleball and making friends with locals in beautiful Hua Hin, this once-in-a-lifetime journey with Pickleball Trips in January is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
Southeast Asia is home to breathtaking landscapes, exquisite cuisines, wonderful people, striking wildlife, spectacular beaches and a unique blend of cultures.
If you want to combine pickleball, travel and cultural immersion — this is the trip for you!
Use code "Kitchen" to receive a $200 discount per person.
PADDLE CORNER
We’ve updated our Top 10 paddles list
There have been a ton of great paddles released this year from many of the game’s top brands. In fact, there’s so many good paddles now that whittling down all of the offerings to a Top 10 list is extremely challenging — but we gave it our best shot anyway.
Below is our most up-to-date list of the Top 10 paddles currently available on Pickleball Central:
JOOLA Perseus Pro IV: This paddle has been at the top of this list since it was released in March, and while there have been many great paddles released since then, this one is standing the test of time (for now). Check out our review here.
JOOLA Perseus 3S Dual 16mm: One of the most popular paddles among pros and amateurs of the past two years — the JOOLA 3S Series — has now been re-released with new colorways and the stamp of approval from both USA Pickleball and the United Pickleball Association of America.
Proton Series Three - Project Flamingo: The updated Series Three model from Proton features a more powerful core and a very gritty hitting surface for maximum pop and spin. Find our review here.
Franklin C45 Dynasty: The 16mm version of the C45 Dynasty is the current paddle of choice for JW Johnson and Hayden Patriquin. The C45 series has gotten great reviews and been a popular choice among pros and high-level amateurs. We break down the different C45 shapes here.
Paddletek Bantam TKO-CX: The TKO-CX stands out in the Paddletek Bantam line with an extra long handle, which is what a majority of top players want as two-handed backhands have become more prevalent.
QUICK HITS
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