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Homeowners in Boise took legal action against a public park with popular outdoor pickleball courts they felt were too close to their house, claiming the “continuous, random auditory assault” was making life unbearable. Now, nearby courts have similarly been deemed unfit for pickleball play.

Speaking of outdoor courts, thousands of tennis facilities nationwide are being converted for pickleball. And a New York Times reporter has thousands of stunning aerial photographs to prove it.

In This Issue:
— Guy Fieri’s son has dreamy pickleball wedding
— Zane roasts roll-out courts on the PicklePod
— Major upset headlines PPA Las Vegas

Take that, tennis.

Something about playing pickleball without any natural light brought the unexpected to PPA Las Vegas. John Lucian Goins won men’s singles. Kaitlyn Christian took women’s singles. And Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson toppled ALW and AB in women’s doubles. Our full event recap, right here.

Anyone familiar with Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives remembers Guy Fieri’s son, Hunter. Well, he’s all grown up now and just tied the knot with burgeoning pickleball pro, Tara Bernstein. The reception and dance floor event went down on a custom pickleball court.

The PPA Tour Asia held an event in Fukuoka, Japan, with a number of top pros making the trip to compete. King of Twoey Nation, Connor Garnett, absolutely showed out, winning all three events: men’s singles, men’s doubles (with Tyler Loong), and mixed doubles (with Allyce Jones). Take a bow, king.

Terrell Owens made his high-level pickleball debut at APP Chicago, going a respectable 2-3 in the 4.0 35+ division. At 51 years old, the 6-foot-3 physical specimen and NFL great proved he’s still got it. It helps that he can get to the kitchen line in about two steps.

Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters were 45-0 in women’s doubles heading into PPA Las Vegas. Water cooler chat (at The Dink office, anyway) speculated whether they’d lose at all in 2025, if ever. Their dominance knew no bounds.

That is, until they crashed into Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black in the Sin City semifinals, losing in three games in the upset of the tournament. In her newsletter, AB took it like a champ, acknowledging the better team won and some areas where she can up her own game.

In pickleball as in life, she conceded, “sometimes you need to be kicked in the face.”

In his own YouTube recap, Zane Navratil analyzed the game tape and pulled out a few strategy adjustments the winning team employed to get the advantage. Take notes, you can (and should) steal these insights for your own game.

✅ They made speed-ups uncomfortable. The Annas cooked in game one taking speed-ups out of the air. So Tyra/Jorja adjusted, keeping their dinks low and deep and in the gaps. It sounds simple, but making your opponent consistently hit weaker shots is a recipe for easy points in bunches.

✅ They pushed the pace. Heading into game three, AB and ALW just couldn’t find any offense, so they went into lockdown mode. Tyra and Jorja weren’t having any of it, and actually poured gasoline on their offensive attacks. The imbalance ultimately proved too much to overcome for the team, playing back on their heels.

✅ They never backed down. Nobody scares Jorja and Tyra. But they were certainly the underdogs heading into this particular matchup. It never showed. From the first point to the last, they played their game and played it hard.

And you should, too. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day.

➡️ Watch Zane’s full PPA Las Vegas breakdown.

Humana wants you to keep that paddle in your hand. As a proud sponsor of pickleball’s biggest tours, they’re there for every serve, every rally, and every dink.

Whether you’re just figuring out the rules or already racking up medals, Humana has resources to help you stay active, healthy, and ready for what’s next.

Think warm-ups and exercises to keep you loose, the 2025 schedule of Humana-sponsored matches, even guidance on Medicare Advantage plans.

And they’re not just on the sidelines, they’re bringing pickleball to communities across the country.

➡️ So if you’re looking for a little extra support on or off the court, head to humana.com/pickleball and get moving.

A New York Times reporter analyzed more than 100,000 aerial photos to confirm a trend we’ve all heard of or experienced firsthand: Outdoor pickleball courts are gobbling up real estate across the country, often at the demise of existing tennis courts.

“We were able to identify more than 26,000 outdoor pickleball courts made in the last seven years — a majority of them at the expense of once-exclusive tennis spaces and created since the onset of the pandemic in 2020,” concluded reporter Ethan Singer.

The before and after shots are a sight to see, to be sure. But it’s worth noting this is by no means a comprehensive analysis of U.S. pickleball participation. In fact, those numbers are actually leveling off according to recent reports.

So can this pace continue? Or should it?

"By 2024," says Singer, "14 pickleball courts were being built or drawn each day, on average, across the country."

➡️ Read the full article.

On this week’s PicklePod, the guys push through their MLP hangover to cover a bunch of hot-button topics hot off of PPA Las Vegas.

✅ New LA Mad Drops co-owner Alex Geesbreght talked to Zane about the obligation he feels to help bring MLP to the next level. He then turned the tables on Zane, asking if he thinks players are happy with the current product: “I do think all signed players have their own individual preferences,” Zane said. “Some like PPA better. Some like MLP better. Some don’t care.”

✅ The roll-out courts in Las Vegas were a problem. They’re too gritty. They impact the bounce of the ball. They’re consistently inconsistent. While they do allow the sport to host events in unique venues like the Las Vegas Convention Center or New York’s Central Park, it’s time for a change. “Every pro hates using these roll-out courts,” said Zane.

✅ John Lucian Goins won his second PPA men’s singles gold in a row, dismantling the newly crowned #1 seed Hunter Johnson. At 17 years old, JLG aka Johnny G aka Looch is looking like a force to be reckoned with. But, wondered Zane, how will he fare now that he’s a favorite rather than the underdog?

All that, plus, Zane answers your questions:

➡️ Watch this week’s PicklePod.

Pickleball’s fun until your ankles start dictating how you play. A quick cut to the kitchen, a pivot to chase down a lob. Suddenly you’re hesitating, and your game feels half a step slower.

That’s the reality for a lot of players, especially if you’ve dealt with a sprain, rolling your ankle, or just the wear-and-tear of nonstop rec nights. The truth is, ankles take a beating in this sport.

The TayCo AthleticX Brace was designed to change that. It slides right over your shoes, locks down side-to-side movement, and stabilizes your ankle without making you feel like you’re stuck in cement.

Clinicians back it. Pro and NCAA programs use it. And everyday players swear it gives them the confidence to move like themselves again. Lightweight, breathable, and made for the stop-and-go rhythm of pickleball.

➡️ Check it out here and use code DINK20 for $20 off. Your ankles (and your game) will notice the difference.

Players at a set of popular outdoor pickleball courts in Boise’s Manitou Park were met with unexpected news recently: A sign on the chain-link door saying the courts were being shut down.

Earlier this year, a tort claim was filed by homeowners who lived adjacent to nearby Willow Lane Park, who claimed the near-constant “oppressive” noise levels and “continuous, random auditory assault” emanating from those courts made life unbearable for “much of the year,” according to the Idaho Statesman.

After reviewing the facts of that case, Boise’s Parks and Recreation Department reportedly decided to crack down on Manitou, too.

“This decision has not been made lightly and is based on a variety of factors including but not limited to… the noise emanating from those courts, the courts use patterns, and the proximity of the courts to homes,” according to the City of Boise website.

While these types of noise complaints are far from new, it is less common that the pickleball courts in question are shuttered entirely as a result. Instead, steps are typically taken to mitigate the noise levels, like set times for play and enforcing the use of quiet paddles on certain courts.

As for the homeowners at the heart of the original legal action, they are also reportedly seeking “$1.6 million in damages.”

➡️ Read more.

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