From Fairways to Pickleball Courts: Golf Phenom Blades Brown's Secret Passion Revealed

Blades Brown, the 17-year-old golf prodigy, is making waves on the PGA tour. But his secret passion? Pickleball. This week, as he faces fierce competition at the American Express Championship, Brown also has his mind on the 20x44 court. He enjoys intense pickleball matches with his family, especially his mother, Rhonda Blades Brown, a former WNBA player. Pickleball has become a "favored pastime" for the Brown family at home in Nashville. Upon arrival for his tournament, he immediately contacted his mother to bring his pickleball gear so they could play during his downtime. Blades admits his mother is an intimidating player on the pickleball court. This glimpse into Brown’s multisport athletic background reveals the growing appeal of pickleball across different demographics.

History at the Cricket Club: Mumbai's Iconic Ground Hosts First-Ever Pickleball League

Mumbai's historic Cricket Club of India (CCI) is set to host the inaugural season of the World Pickleball League (WPBL), marking a significant moment in the club's history. This is the first non-cricket sporting tournament at CCI’s Brabourne Stadium in over 15 years. The CCI, established in 1933, is a renowned symbol of India's rich sporting heritage. The WPBL, co-founded by former Indian tennis players Gaurav Natekar and Arati Ponnappa Natekar, will feature six teams with celebrity and corporate ownership, powered by PNG Jewellers. The league aims to combine sports and entertainment to enhance fan engagement. Madhumati Lele Shrivastava, President of CCI, supports the league, highlighting its wide appeal. The WPBL begins January 24th, 2025. The full schedule is as follows:

• Match 1: 24th January - Mumbai Pickle Power vs Pune United
• Match 2: 24th January - Bengaluru Jawans vs Chennai Super Champs
• Match 3: 25th January - Bengaluru Jawans vs Hyderabad Superstars
• Match 4: 25th January - Mumbai Pickle Power vs Dilli Dillwale
• Match 5: 26th January - Chennai Super Champs vs Dilli Dillwale
• Match 6: 26th January - Hyderabad Superstars vs Pune United
• Match 7: 27th January - Mumbai Pickle Power vs Hyderabad Superstars
• Match 8: 27th January - Bengaluru Jawans vs Pune United
• Match 9: 28th January - Bengaluru Jawans vs Dilli Dillwale
• Match 10: 28th January - Mumbai Pickle Power vs Chennai Super Champs
• Match 11: 29th January - Chennai Super Champs vs Pune United
• Match 12: 29th January - Hyderabad Superstars vs Dilli Dillwale
• Match 13: 30th January - Mumbai Pickle Power vs Bengaluru Jawans
• Match 14: 30th January - Dilli Dillwale vs Pune United
• Match 15: 31st January - Hyderabad Superstars vs Chennai Super Champs
• Match 16: 1st February - Semi-final 1: 1st placed Team Vs 4th placed Team
• Match 17: 1st February - Semi-final 1: 2nd placed Team Vs 3rd placed Team
• Match 18: 2nd February - Finals

PPA Tour Referee Swaps Paddle for Fire Hose: Wildfire Duty Calls

Mark Thomas, a PPA Tour referee and a 25-year veteran firefighter, left the Zimmer Biomet Masters early to help with the Los Angeles wildfires. As a battalion chief with the San Jose Fire Department, Thomas was called into action on January 9th. He is a resource unit leader for an 80-person incident management team that tracks and manages resources for major incidents. Thomas's team operates a mobilization center, deploying equipment and personnel from across the country. Thomas's team is also ready to fight on the front lines if needed. Thomas has significant experience with California wildfires, including the Park Fire in Chico, the largest fire in the state's history. He says these Southern California fires are particularly devastating due to the significant property loss. Thomas emphasizes the fire service's commitment to bringing "calm to chaos".

DUPR Ratings Get a Dynamic Overhaul: Are You Ready for a Boost?

DUPR has implemented algorithm updates to make ratings more dynamic for active players, and to reflect the closer scores often seen in rally scoring matches. These adjustments will allow for more movement in player ratings with each match. All matches have been recalculated, which may result in a slight increase in players' Doubles and/or Singles ratings. These changes aim to make the DUPR rating system the most accurate and player-focused system available.

Bollywood Meets the Baseline: Karan Johar Champions Pickleball in India's $125K Open

The Global Sports Pickleball Indian Open 2025 has announced its team lineup, with Karan Johar as brand ambassador. The event will feature ten city-based teams and a prize pool of $125,000. The tournament, set for February 3rd to 9th in Mumbai, will be the largest pickleball tournament in Asia, with over 1,800 players competing. Hemal Jain, along with partners Shashank Khaitan and Yuvraj Ruia, are leading the initiative. The teams and their owners are:

• Mumbai Chhatrapati Warriors: Janhvi Kapoor and Josh Majumdar
• Ahmedabad Olympians: Anmol Patel and Aditya Gandhi
• Bengaluru Blazers: Amrita Deora
• Chennai Cool Cats: Anshuman Ruia, Radhika Ruia, and Yudi Ruia
• Delhi Snipers: Jai Gandhi, Krish, and Karyna Bajaj
• Goa Gladiators: Samrat Javeri, Atul Rawat, Rajesh Advani, and Sachin Bhansali
• Hyderabad Vikings: Akshay Reddy
• Jaipur Jawans: Luv Ranjan and Anubhav Singh Bassi
• Kolkata Kings: Varun Vora and Rohan Khemka
• Nashik Ninjas: Karishma Thakker

Picklr Assembles All-Star Team: Bright, Patriquin, and Garnett Join Forces

The Picklr has announced its ‘Pro Team’ for 2025, partnering with Anna Bright, Hayden Patriquin, and Connor Garnett. These pros, with a combined 94 PPA medals, will train exclusively at Picklr facilities and represent the franchise in matches. This partnership aligns with The Picklr’s vision to be the “heart of pickleball.” Connor Garnett will be hosting pro clinic tours exclusively at Picklr facilities. Tour dates for Garnett’s clinic tour will be announced on Jan. 17 on The Picklr Instagram. The three players all had strong starts to 2025 at the PPA Masters.

Staksrud Overtakes C. Johns for No. 1 PPA Men’s Doubles Ranking

Federico Staksrud has overtaken Collin Johns for the top spot in the PPA men’s doubles rankings. While the Johns brothers won gold at the Masters, Staksrud earned silver with Hayden Patriquin, which gave him enough points to pass Johns in the rankings. The PPA rankings are based on a rolling 52-week system, calculated from a player’s best 16 tournament results. Staksrud earned 1600 points from his silver medal this year, a 600-point jump from his 2024 performance. Staksrud is now ranked number one in both men’s singles and men’s doubles.

Graf vs. Agassi: Tennis Legends Clash (Again!) in Pickleball Equipment Showdown

Tennis legend Steffi Graf has launched her own line of pickleball equipment and accessories in partnership with JOOLA, following her husband Andre Agassi's collaboration with the same company. Graf hilariously claims that her paddle is superior to her husband’s. The couple will be playing together at Pickleball Slam 3 on February 16th in Las Vegas, against Andy Roddick and Eugenie Bouchard. Graf expressed excitement about her partnership with JOOLA, stating that her new paddle's enhanced control has added to her game.

The Fort Opens: New Pickleball Mecca Hosts the APP Tour's First 2025 Showdown

The Humana APP Fort Lauderdale Open will be the first APP Tour event at The Fort, the APP Headquarters, boasting 43 professional courts and a dedicated stadium. The tournament runs from January 16-19, and is the first of 14 stops on the APP Tour in 2025. The APP Tour will stream singles on Thursdays, and will feature a new ‘Players Court’ that will be streamed alongside the Championship Court. Singles matches will be best two out of three, rally scoring, with games to 15. The top seeds in women’s singles are Megan Fudge, Yana Newell, and Amanda Hendry, and Judit Castillo is a player to watch. The top seeds in men's singles are Chris Haworth, Grayson Goldin, and Jack Foster. Jill Braverman and Will Howells are the top-seeded team in mixed doubles, while Braverman and Megan Fudge are the top-seeded women’s doubles team, and Jack Munro and Will Howells are the top-seeded men’s doubles team.

UPA-A Announces 2025 Equipment Rules and Regulations

The United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A) has released its official 2025 Equipment Rules and Regulations, establishing standards for paddle certification and compliance at the professional level. The UPA-A collaborated with Pickle Pro Labs (PPL) and engineers from the Baseball Research Lab at UMass-Lowell. The new standards will apply to professional competitions at UPA events, including PPA Main Draws, Qualifiers, PPA Challenger Series Events, and Major League Pickleball. Amateur competitions at PPA events will continue to use USA Pickleball’s (USAP) approved paddle list. Registration for UPA-A Certification will start on February 1, 2025. UPA-A 2025 certification will be required for all professional play on September 1, 2025.