The pickleball equipment market could balloon to $3 billion or above worldwide by 2032, according to a new report, nearly double where it is today. That’s largely on the backs of innovative new paddle releases and heavy investment in new courts.
But it mostly comes down to this: More people are playing in more countries than ever before, a trend that’s only expected to increase over time. We dig into the findings below.
In This Issue:
— Add this cheeky serve to your repertoire
— How to break up with your pickleball partner
— Storylines from MLP San Clemente
Time for a new paddle?
Our Picks 👆
🚫 Fighting Words: Pro Spat Spills Onto the Court
A reported disagreement Saturday between MLP Phoenix Flames teammates Jessie Irvine and Genie Bouchard led to the women’s doubles pairing splintering for the rest of the weekend. Alex Walker subbed in. Now, trade rumors are flying.
🥯 Bread-Winner: Anna Leigh’s Off-Court Talent
When Anna Leigh Waters isn’t earning bread on the court, she’s making it fresh from her kitchen. In a development that should surprise exactly no one, the teenage phenom bakes a mean bagel from scratch. We’ll take two poppy seeds, to go.
🤬 ‘Pickle Mafia’: Tensions Flare in Florida
A proposed private pickleball facility along US 1 North in St. Johns County, FL, has met some resistance from local residents, citing traffic and parking concerns caused by the “pickle mafia” who would frequent the four new courts. It wasn’t enough, though — the plan was approved unanimously.
🏆 Top 10: Jack Sock’s SportsCenter Moment
At MLP San Clemente over the weekend, Jack Sock pulled off a forehand, inside-out ATP so jaw-dropping, it earned the top spot on the following day’s SportsCenter Top 10 plays list. Even better? A few games later, he did it again.
Why You Need It: The Short-Angled Serve
You’re not acing anyone with your pickleball serve, so it’s better to be crafty than to rely on sheer power every time you serve. Hit one deep and hard, hit another high and with heavy topspin. Then try this: the short-angled serve.
Content creator Ed Ju, back from a brief hiatus (Hi, Ed!), hit the court with third-ranked women’s singles player Kaitlyn Christian for a lesson in serving.
Here’s how to hit the short-angled serve — and why you should add it to your service rotation.
✅ For you righties, mix this in when you’re serving from the right side of the court. Stand as wide right as possible and keep an open stance, with your hips square to the net.
✅ Aim for the bottom left corner of the service area. This is the shallowest, sharpest angle you can hit from where you’re standing.
✅ Think placement over power. Keep it short and wide and you’ll force a weak return. Just remember, you’re hitting this fairly soft, so if you push it to the center of the court instead, you could be giving up a juicy return opportunity.
✅ Hit this serve with moderate to heavy topspin so the ball kicks out sideways upon impact.
✅ The goal is to surprise your opponent and run them off the court. If they get to the ball, chances are their return will be weak and toward the center of the court. Be ready for it and this should be an easy put-away.
Pros like Kaitlyn and Rachel Rohrabacher are relying on this serve more and more to keep their opponents guessing and earn easy points as a result. Now it’s your turn.
Wimbledon Vibes. Pickleball Energy.
The Open Back Polo Dress from MUEV serves clean lines, breezy movement, and sneaky-smart details like a legit ball pocket and hidden shorts.
Lightweight. Sleek. Built to move. Big Wimbledon energy. Zero pretense.

Pickleball Equipment Market to Surpass $3 Billion by 2032
How many pickleball paddles does a billion dollars buy?
Not nearly enough to cover the sport’s surging demand, according to a new study by Meticulous Research, which predicts the global pickleball equipment market will grow from $1.61 billion in 2025 to $3.1 billion by 2032, a 10.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
The paddle segment will continue to dominate market revenue, fueled by players of all ages hungrily seeking the latest in tech and innovation.
Follow the money:
Professionalization of the sport. Marquee leagues like the MLP and PPA continue to attract world-class talent and pull in larger viewing audiences. The more people get hooked, the more they’ll want to play themselves.
Growing international markets. North America dominates in equipment sales, but parts of Asia, in particular, are seeing eye-opening participation numbers.
Infrastructure investment. New court construction — from municipalities to private facilities — is continuing to attract new players, leading to more equipment sales. Facility pro-shops and standalone pickleball retail spaces also help lead this charge.
Pro Event Recap: MLP San Clemente
Major League Pickleball took over in San Clemente, CA, over the weekend, just four days after the PPA Tour had cleared out.
Premier level action didn’t disappoint — there were a few fresh faces on court, a strong showing by a team in flux, and one high-profile disagreement among partners.
The Brooklyn Pickleball Team went 3-1 despite their top three guys being out with injuries or illness. Super-subs AJ Koller and Rafa Hewett stepped up in a big way.
The Columbus Sliders haven’t had a healthy roster in seven weeks, but went 3-1 in San Clemente, earning 10 points and jumping from eighth to fifth place in the standings.
The Phoenix Flames are having some personnel issues, thanks to an alleged spat between female starters Genie Bouchard and Jessie Irvine. It’s a matter of commitment and effort level, says Erik Tice, who was at the event, and it’s likely been simmering for some time. Now, it could mean one of them gets traded, and fast.
We’re one event away from the mid-season tournament and the playoff picture is starting to crystallize. Nobody is mathematically eliminated, but the Phoenix Flames and New York Hustlers are likely out of contention.
The Utah Black Diamonds, Miami Pickleball Club, Chicago Slice, Atlanta Bouncers, and (maybe) the Carolina Hogs are all competing for the final two playoff spots.
Park Like a VIP. Roll Up Like a Pro.
You told us biking and eBiking is one of your favorite ways to stay active off the court, and we get it. It’s low impact, gets the blood flowing, and yeah, you don’t have to circle the block looking for a parking spot.
The Discover 2 from Velotric keeps that vibe going. Smooth ride, comfy seat, easy pedal assist. Top speed of 28 mph. Up to 75 miles on a charge.
And you still show up feeling fresh and ready to play. Try one out and see how smooth showing up can be.
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
How do you tell your trusty pickleball partner that it’s time to part ways? That this just isn’t working out? That it’s not them, it’s you (but it’s really them)?
A cheeky post on Reddit poses this very question:
“Need advice on how to break up with my mixed doubles partner. She was great in the beginning, but we have gradually been playing worse together and our morale is the lowest it’s been in years.”
The facetious post swerves us in the end — spoiler: they’re actually married, with children — but the conundrum remains valid.
Sometimes it’s best to try something new (the pros do it all the time), but how do you break such an intimate bond without leaving some shrapnel behind in the process?
Don’t outright divorce your wife (or your pickleball partner) over some bad vibes. Here’s what we’d recommend instead:
Keep it casual and non-personal. Mention you're interested in trying tournaments with different partners to mix things up.
Say you found an event with a DUPR cap and need someone whose rating fits perfectly to hit the limit.
Suggest trying new partners for a few tournaments so you can play against each other to better assess strengths and weaknesses.
Give yourselves an ultimatum: Podium at the next event or you shake things up. Maybe what you need is to raise the stakes.
Leave us a reply and let us know: How would you do it?

Headlines & Quick Hits
Pro to 13-Year-Old: ‘I Read You Like a Book’
What Pickleballers Actually Do When They’re Not Playing Pickleball
‘Our Biggest Problem Has Been Us’
Highlights
Pro POV: The reward-based contract model
Ryan Fu absolutely goes off
Never celebrate too soon
One of the best points you’ll ever see
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