ALW & Agassi make US Open debut

Is pickleball fueling the growth of tennis? Apply now to work for a pro pickleballer.

April 30, 2025

The US Open Pickleball Championships are underway in Naples, Florida, with record numbers of participants and attendees expected to join “The biggest pickleball party in the world.”

Fueling the hype is a star-studded partnership with a ton of upside: teen sensation Anna Leigh Waters and tennis legend Andre Agassi, who play their first match together today.

Read on for our full recap below.

In This Issue:

  • US Open returns in record-setting fashion

  • Singles tips for a better doubles game

  • Want to work for a pro pickleballer?

Jorts for life.

Our Picks ☝️

👗 Gaga: Pickleball, But Make it Fashion

Lady Gaga took to Instagram in a “Pickleball Dress” from designer Norma Kamali. Apparently, the built-in bodysuit means “you can do whatever you want and it will never be too short.” We’ll have to take her word for it.

🔥 Insane: Just Watch this Clip

Our latest ClipTHAT post features an insane baseline tweener from Jack Munro and an even crazier desperation scorpion from his partner to win the point. See it to believe it. 

🩳 Jorts: For the Win

Channeling their inner Agassi, two absolute legends competed in—and won—a local pickleball tournament rocking jorts the entire event. The Punisher would approve.

📊 Poll: Pro Scoring Preferences

Post-MLP Orlando, pro Zane Navratil took to X to gauge how his followers feel about the switch to side-out scoring. The results, he concedes, were “a narrower margin than expected!”

Pro Singles Tips That Translate to Doubles

If you stopped reading at “singles,” we get it—most people stick to doubles and assume any singles-specific strategy is a waste of time. Way too much running. No thank you.

But wait. Selkirk pro—and new teammate to Rachel Rohrabacher—Catherine Parenteau knows a thing or two about winning: she’s ranked #7 in singles and #2 in women’s doubles on the PPA Tour.

Here’s how she dominates in singles no matter who’s on the other side of the net—and why you should apply her tips to doubles, too.

✅ Scout your opponents — Get an early read on where their strengths and weaknesses lie. And don’t just assume it’s the backhand. Now, exploit it as much as possible.

✅ Serve to win — A great serve sets you up for an easier third. It’s less about speed and more about topspin and deep placement. Don’t stress if you miss one here and there; that’s proof-positive that you’re going for it.

✅ Start with a bang — Open the match with your best shot. Whether it’s a drive, punch volley, or roll dink—bring it out early and big. Better yet, use your strength to target their weakness. (Remember that?)

✅ Gobble up open court — Now that you’ve set the tone with your paddle, back it up with your footwork. Charge the kitchen line at every opportunity. Make life hell for whoever is across the net. No easy points here.

👉 Take this singles mentality into your next doubles match and watch what happens.

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The 'Biggest Pickleball Party in the World' Returns in Record-Setting Fashion

The Minto US Open Pickleball Championships is back in Florida—and bigger than ever.

What began in 2016 as a pickleball passion project has ballooned to more than 3,500 players and 50,000+ fans flooding East Naples Community Park for “The biggest pickleball party in the world.”

This year features a 2,000-seat Championship Court (with tickets so in-demand they’re being resold on the secondary market) and a star-studded draw featuring top pros like Megan Fudge, Jack Munro, Bobbi Oshiro, Chris Haworth, and Grayson Goldin.

Plus, the highly anticipated partnership of Anna Leigh Waters and Andre Agassi, who play their first match today at 12:00pm ET, covered live on CBS Sports.

How to Watch

Follow live coverage on YouTube.

In addition, the following time slots are going to air on CBS Sports Network:

  • Wednesday, April 30 - Noon - 2pm ET

  • Thursday, May 1 - Noon - 2pm ET

  • Friday, May 2 - Noon - 2pm ET

  • Saturday, May 3  - Noon - 2pm ET

  • Saturday, May 3  - 5 - 6pm ET - Men’s Pro Doubles Gold

  • Saturday, May 3  - 6 - 7pm ET - Mixed Pro Doubles Gold

👉 Catch up on all the storylines right here.

QD Fired His Brother, Bao: Want His Job?

If you’re looking to work in pickleball, traveling the country with one of the sport’s top pros, this could be your chance.

Quang Duong has reportedly fired his teenage brother, Bao, from the role of “media guy” and is now on the hunt for his replacement.

Apparently, Bao spent too much time recording the family’s various culinary exploits rather than focusing on QD’s “beauty.”

Responsibilities include filming and editing all of QD’s tournaments, training, sponsorship content, and more, with an emphasis on social media. Expect a ton of travel and, we’re guessing, face-time with his hands-on coach, trainer, and father, Duc.

👉 The desired starting date is May 1, so act fast if you’re interested.

That’s One Way to Punch a Ticket to Nationals

Looks like a team just snagged a Dream Ticket this weekend and they’re heading straight to the 2025 The Dink Minor League Pickleball National Championships.

They took first at our State Championship in Oklahoma and now they’re locked in. Easy as that.

You’ve still got a shot. The next opportunity is the Northeast Regional Showdown, happening on May 17 at Robbinsville Pickleball House in New Jersey.

First place teams walk away with a Dream Ticket, and the DUPR 16 and 18 divisions are already starting to fill.

Is Pickleball Secretly Fueling the Growth of Tennis?

Pickleball may have borrowed tennis courts, players, and even some of its cultural cachet, but we were curious: with tennis’ growth seeing all-time highs, could pickleball be secretly fueling it?

We surveyed clubs around the country that offer both sports. The response confirmed mainly what we already knew: that tennis players are flocking to pickleball, not the other way around.

Most clubs reported little to no movement from pickleball back into tennis. Time commitment, skill level, and physical demands make tennis a tougher sell, especially for older players.

Still, there’s some anecdotal chatter that’s hard to ignore. Some facilities shared that pickleball has introduced new players to racket sports in general, and in rare cases, those players have gone on to try tennis. Plus, during our research, we heard from people who said pickleball inspired them to pick up a tennis racket after years of letting it collect dust.

So with USTA reporting that tennis has reached an all-time high of 25.7 million players, we’re hedging our bets that some of that growth is tied to the sport we all love.

👉 Read our full analysis here and let us know your thoughts by dropping us a comment—just click the issue rating below.

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