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- Things got HEATED in Texas 🔥
Things got HEATED in Texas 🔥
We rank the GRITTIEST paddles in the game.
Apparently the only thing hotter than the Texas salsa was the drama at MLP Austin. 🌶️🔥
Between the 90-degree temperatures, intense matchups, and some off-court storylines involving the sport's biggest stars, Austin gave us one of the most memorable events of the season.
The pickleball was elite. The drama was even better. See the most heated moments below.
Also in this issue:
Hannah Johns discusses rise of pro pickleball 🚀
We break down the GRITTIEST paddles on the market
New Jersey takes MLP Austin title, Columbus makes huge trade 🤯
Fourth-annual JOOLA Celebration set for Labor Day weekend 🗓️
This new tournament format is going to be WILD 💸
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
GIVEAWAY
Any JOOLA Pro V paddle of your choice! 5 Winners!
We’re excited to partner with Honcho and JOOLA to give away any 5 Pro V paddles of your choice! Honcho runs the most fun amateur pickleball leagues in the country, located in over 85 cities!
HOW TO ENTER:
Enter your information HERE & receive up to 500 additional bonus entries. 👊
Like this post & COMMENT “HONCHO” once you’ve completed step 1. 🙌
*** You MUST complete steps 1 & 2 to be eligible. ***
BONUS MULTIPLIER: JOIN & INVITE 5 friends to our Facebook community and ALL of your entries are DOUBLED! ✅
We will choose 5 random winners on 6/22! 🥳
HEATER OF THE WEEK
The Texas heat got people acting CRAZY
If you like body bags, then the mixed doubles match between the Texas Ranchers (Lea Jansen and Nico Acevedo) and the Atlanta Bouncers (Jay Devilliers and Jessie Irvine) is right up your alley.
Nico drilled Jay over and over again until Jay decided enough was enough and started firing right back at Acevedo. Lea Jansen wasn't having any of it, and that's when the fireworks started.
What began on the court eventually spilled off the court, then found its way back to the sidelines during the second mixed doubles match.
Safe to say this one had a little bit of everything. Get your popcorn ready, folks. 🍿🔥
PICKLEBALLERS
Hannah Johns discusses the rise of the Johns brothers and keys to good sideline reporting
In case you missed it last week, Hannah Johns joined the Pickleballers Podcast to pull back the curtain on the Johns family, discuss the wild early days of the PPA and tell us what it really took to turn pickleball into a legitimate professional sport.
She opens up about growing up as one of seven homeschooled kids on 12 acres, how Ben showed freakish hand-eye coordination before he could even talk much, and the moment the family realized pickleball might actually be something real — when the first major Franklin sponsorship came in and changed everything.
She also details her many roles at the PPA Tour, from being the main sideline reporter for multiple years to arranging player housing — and some legendary behind-the-scenes moments that came from that role.
🔗 Check out the full episode on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts
GEAR
Ranking every long lasting grit paddle (most gritty to least)
Long-lasting grit has quickly become one of the biggest innovations in pickleball paddles, helping players maintain top-tier spin for much longer than traditional raw carbon fiber surfaces.
In this video, we rank the major durable grit technologies currently on the market based purely on how gritty they feel to the touch, from standard carbon fiber all the way up to the grittiest paddle surface we've tested so far.
THE PROS
New Jersey keeps it rolling at MLP Austin, Tyra Black traded from Dallas to Columbus
After a slow start to the season and a fourth-place finish in their first event, the New Jersey 5s have been perfect.
They are now 12-0 in their last two events and have clawed their way back to the top of the league standings with three events (60% of their season) in the books. They got their second event title this weekend at MLP Austin, with a convincing 3-1 win on Sunday over Columbus — avenging an earlier loss to the Sliders in Week 1.
Mixed doubles has been where the 5s have improved the most since MLP Dallas in Week 1 — Noe Khlif/Anna Leigh Waters haven’t lost since that event, and Will Howells/Jorja Johnson are 9-1 in their last 10 games together.
“We have an extremely supportive team,” Howells said after Sunday’s win. “It really comes down to just leaning on each and every one of us — that’s how we got it done.”
TYRA BLACK TRADED FROM DALLAS FLASH TO COLUMBUS SLIDERS
A blockbuster trade this week sent Tyra Black from the Dallas Flash to the Columbus Sliders in exchange for rising women’s player Danni-Elle Townsend.
Updated rosters ⬇️
Columbus Sliders: Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger, Alexander Crum, Parris Todd, Tyra Black, Judit Castillo.
Dallas Flash: JW Johnson, Augie Ge, Ivan Jakovljevic, Danni-Elle Townsend, Brooke Buckner, Albie Huang.
Columbus is having a strong season so far (12-4), and this trade makes them a serious threat to repeat as MLP champions. For Dallas, it’s a clear sign that they’re building for the future after a slow start to the season (4-6).
FEATURED STORY
Fourth-annual JOOLA Pickleball Celebration set for Labor Day weekend in Orlando
JOOLA is hosting the fourth annual JOOLA Pickleball Celebration in early September this year, and spots are already filling up fast.
The event (Sept. 4-7) includes a junior clinic in partnership with National Junior Pickleball hosted by pickleball legend Simone Jardim as well as a unique amateur team tournament – all held at the upscale Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando.
The event is truly a celebration of all things pickleball, and continues to see year-over-year growth, says JOOLA events manager Kristen Carr.
She said there are already more than 100 teams signed up for the tournament, and they’re expecting to have 140+ by the time registration ends. It will be the biggest JOOLA Pickleball Celebration yet, she said.
“Every year we want to try to make it more exciting and more fun and different than the year before, because we have a lot of people who have gone to every one that we’ve done,” Carr said. “You play a ton of pickleball and we want to make sure that you get your money’s worth in that regard.”
HIGH-STAKES PICKLEBALL
One point. $25K on the line. The most intense pickleball format ever. 👀
Paddletek and Major League Pickleball are introducing a new high-stakes event this summer to bring amateur players into the pro pickleball spotlight.
The first-ever Paddletek One Point Challenge will debut July 9–12 during MLP’s Mid-Season Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan, held alongside the annual Beer City Open for amateur players. The event will feature 128 amateur doubles teams competing in a one-point-per-round, single-elimination format, where each matchup comes down to one rally-scoring point.
With $25,000 on the line and a format built around instant pressure, the challenge gives amateur players a rare chance to compete at an MLP event while adding a fast, unpredictable fan experience to the tournament weekend.
QUICK HITS
Patent lawsuit: Proton, JOOLA reach settlement agreement
Pickleball World Cup: Countries with the best pickle pros
Backpacks: Our favorite picks for the summer
CLEAN: That’s how you hit an ATP
Baby genius: “Ben Johns was special at 3 years old”
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