Ryan Fu Disputes UPA Termination Over Approved Japan Trip
Dallas, USA – A dispute over player contracts and exclusivity has erupted into the public sphere, as professional player Ryan Fu contests his firing from the United Pickleball Association (UPA).
What's the Score?
Ryan Fu, formerly ranked No. 39 in men's singles on the PPA Tour, has publicly claimed that his termination by the UPA was unjust. Fu, along with fellow pros James Ignatowich and Vivian Glozman, was released for alleged violations of their agreements. However, Fu has taken to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to assert that the "violation"—a trip to Japan—had actually been approved by the UPA committee months in advance.
Hit it deeper!
The controversy centres on a trip to Japan that the players undertook recently. According to the UPA, this constituted a "black-and-white violation" of their exclusivity agreements. Fu disputes this entirely, stating that the trip "was approved by the UPA committee in July". He further argued that the group had conducted an "exact same trip last December" which was also approved.
Fu's defence hinges on the nature of their activities abroad. He emphasized that the group, which included Parris Todd (whose status remains under review), "did not compete in any event" but rather participated in teaching clinics. This distinction is crucial, as participation in unsanctioned competition is usually the trigger for contract breaches in professional pickleball.
The firing appears to have been abrupt. Fu noted that "there was no conversation before termination," implying a lack of due process or opportunity for the players to explain their side. The fallout has been immediate: Fu and Ignatowich’s profiles have been deleted from the PPA Tour website, and Glozman’s profile has been removed from Major League Pickleball (MLP) channels. This follows the high-profile firing of Quang Duong in August, though Fu pointed out that, unlike Duong, he and his peers were first-time offenders with no prior record of violations.
The World Pickleball Verdict
This incident exposes the volatility of the "Talent Wars" in professional pickleball. The UPA's zero-tolerance approach—firing high-profile players like Ignatowich and Fu without a prior hearing—suggests a tightening of control over its assets.
If Fu's allegations are true—that the trip was pre-approved—it raises uncomfortable questions about the stability of player contracts. It could indicate that the UPA is using technicalities to shed contracts or reshape its roster, or that there is a severe breakdown in communication between the players and the league's front office. Regardless of the legal outcome, this public spat damages trust between the league and its talent pool. It sends a message to every other contracted pro: the league's interpretation of "exclusivity" is strict, shifting, and potentially retroactive.