By Gordon Watson
There are pickleball tournaments players enjoy, and then there are tournaments players circle on the calendar the moment dates are announced.
For the past five years, the Townsville stop on the Queensland Pickleball Tour has firmly belonged in the second category.
For many players across Australia, Townsville has become far more than another tournament. It is a destination event, combining elite competition with North Queensland hospitality and some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. Some players proudly compete in every edition. Others, myself included, return year after year because the event delivers something increasingly rare in modern sport: genuine community.
At the heart of it all is Michelle Jones.
Since the inception of the Queensland Pickleball Tour, Michelle has been the driving force behind the Townsville event, helping transform an ambitious regional tournament into one of the premier stops on the Australian pickleball calendar.
And what a setting it is.
Hosted at the Townsville Tennis Club, the tournament unfolds beneath the towering presence of Castle Hill, the dramatic red granite monolith rising from the centre of town. Just a few hundred metres away, the shimmering waters of Cleveland Bay stretch towards Magnetic Island.
Few pickleball venues in Australia, and arguably few anywhere in the world, can rival the backdrop that Townsville offers.
But while the scenery creates the first impression, it is Michelle’s attention to detail that players remember most.
Her background as a teacher translates naturally into tournament management. Every draw is carefully considered. Every schedule is meticulously planned. Every player is welcomed with genuine warmth.
Under Michelle’s leadership, the Townsville event has developed a reputation for running with remarkable efficiency, no small achievement in a sport powered heavily by volunteers and growing at breakneck speed across Australia.
In many ways, Michelle embodies the spirit of pickleball itself: organised yet inclusive, competitive yet community-focused, passionate yet humble.
Her contribution extends far beyond the courts of Townsville.
Michelle has served Pickleball Association Queensland as Secretary, helping guide the sport’s rapid growth throughout the state. Much of that work happens quietly behind the scenes, coordinating tournaments, supporting clubs, and creating opportunities for player development across regional Queensland.
During her time with the association, the Queensland Pickleball Tour has expanded from five events to ten, while reaching emerging pickleball communities including Cairns, Bundaberg and Yeppoon.
That growth has been particularly important for regional players who once faced significant travel barriers to compete in major events. Today, more Queenslanders than ever have access to high-quality competition closer to home, something Michelle has played a significant role in making possible.
Her contribution has also been recognised nationally.
In 2025, Pickleball Australia appointed Michelle as a State Administrator Officer supporting Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT, further recognition of her tireless service to the sport.
Perhaps the most remarkable story, however, is what has happened in Townsville itself.
If you're following how the global game is shifting week by week, the World Pickleball Report breaks this down every day in our morning briefing.
The first Townsville tournament attracted only a handful of local players. Today, local competitors account for roughly 40 per cent of fields that regularly approach 200 entries, a remarkable reflection of how deeply the sport has embedded itself within the local community.
That transformation does not happen by accident.
Michelle helped build more than a tournament.
She helped build a culture.
Players arrive in Townsville knowing they will find smiling volunteers, exceptionally well-run courts, and an atmosphere that balances competition with camaraderie.
Newcomers feel welcome. Veterans feel valued. Rivalries develop on court before friendships continue off it over dinners, conversations, and stories shared long after the final point has been played.
That culture starts at the top.
At the conclusion of this year’s tournament, Michelle stepped down from directing the Townsville event, bringing an important chapter in Queensland pickleball history to a close.
The tournament will undoubtedly continue to thrive, but there is already a strong sense throughout the pickleball community that the next tournament director inherits enormous shoes to fill.
Because Michelle Jones leaves a legacy.
A legacy of service.
A legacy of professionalism.
A legacy built not through fanfare or self-promotion, but through years of hard work, consistency, and genuine care for the people around her.
For everyone fortunate enough to compete in Townsville over the past five years, her influence will remain woven into the fabric of the event.
Michelle helped build more than one of Australia’s best pickleball tournaments.
She helped create one of its most cherished communities.
Further Reading
- Latest pickleball news from around the world
- Tournament coverage and results
- Rankings and player profiles
- Regional pickleball coverage
Did you enjoy this June magazine article? You can download the whole issue to read at your own leisure here.
Chris Beaumont
Founder and Editor-in-ChiefChris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…
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