USAP countersues JOOLA over $200M suit

Poll results: Common pickleball injuries. New MLP serve rules wreak havoc.

April 25, 2025

If you thought the latest Major League Pickleball matches looked a little…brighter, you’re not alone. The courts got a bold makeover with eye-popping orange and blue paint, and let’s just say the internet has thoughts.

And while we’re talking about what’s hard to see coming, we’ve got some eye-opening results from our latest injury poll. Stay tuned for the top spot—you might guess it, but it’s still a knee-slapper.

In This Issue:

  • The court case causing a stir

  • Top pro divulges serving secrets

  • Proactive pickleball injury prevention

Let’s dive in (without spraining something).

Our Picks ☝️

🏀 Promotion: MLP Names New Commish

On this week’s PicklePod, UPA Chief Strategy Officer Samin Odhwani broke some big news: He’s been appointed as MLP’s new commissioner. Knowing him, that means a lot of fresh ideas. For starters, bringing some NBA inspiration into MLP.

💣 Ongoing: The Paddle Tap Debate

The origins of the post-match paddle tap are murky, but it’s become a polarizing ritual in rec circles. With paddle prices soaring well beyond $200, maybe a simple fist-bump would suffice? 

🤷🏻‍♂️ Status: Unknown

More and more paddle brands are weighing in on the tariff situation with China. The general consensus: If things don’t change, paddle prices will go up. When, by how much, for how long? Nobody knows. One brand owner weighs in. 

⁉️ Contentious: New Pro Serve Rules

MLP now allows the ball toss for a serve to travel upward, “but only equal to one height of the ball itself.” Already, it’s causing confusion. A marquee match yesterday got pretty heated.

The New State of Serving with Zane Navratil

In 2021, Zane Navratil changed the face of pro pickleball with the chainsaw serve—a spin-serve so deadly it was totally banned by the end of the following year.

Ever since, he’s been pushing serving rules to the limits. With the advent of more powerful paddles—and stricter rules—he’s now more focused on keeping his opponents back on their heels rather than trying to break their ankles.

Here are Zane’s tips for an elite serve in 2025 and beyond, with a little help from Selkirk pro Kyle Koszuta.

✅ Miss more serves — “There’s no shot in pickleball I should be making 100% of the time,” says Zane. Applied to your serve, that means taking more risks. The ball is quite literally in your hand; make the most of it.

✅ Open vs. closed stance — Zane is adamantly anti-open stance serves, primarily because he feels it limits your ability to generate power by transferring weight from the back leg to the front.

✅ Give yourself some space — Starting a few feet behind the baseline means you can finish your service motion and still be behind the baseline, in good position for the return. Beware the dreaded no-man’s-land.

✅ Placement is overrated — The objective of your serve is to make the third shot easier. Focus on height and topspin, pushing the serve to the back third of the court every time. Placement side-to-side is less important.

✅ Guessing game — Rather than trying to perfect one killer serve, focus on unpredictability instead. Hit one serve high and looping, the next hard and flat. Make tweaks depending on how each opponent reacts.

The game is always changing—but one thing remains constant: an effective serve helps win more games. Get the most out of yours.

A More Proactive Approach to Injury Maintenance

We recently polled more than 5,000 Dink readers on where they feel the most aches and pains during pickleball—and not surprisingly, our joints seem to take the most consistent beating.

When we first started chatting with the folks at KT Tape, we realized we didn’t even know how many ways we could be proactive about these aches. Turns out, KT Tape isn’t just about dealing with pain after it hits—it’s a solid way to keep yourself in the game longer and stronger.

We wanted to share some of the benefits we found:

  • Knees – The number one pain point. KT Tape around the patellar tendon can help reduce tension and keep you moving.

  • Feet & Ankles – Dealing with plantar fasciitis or Achilles issues? Taping here can give you some much-needed stability.

  • Back – If your lower back is barking at you, KT Tape can help support your lumbar region.

  • Shoulders – For those of us with overused shoulders, taping the deltoid or rotator cuff can make a difference.

  • Legs – Calf or hamstring troubles? Taping can support muscle recovery and boost circulation.

We’ve got a full guide on how to use it, because let’s be honest, we were clueless at first, too.

USA Pickleball Files Countersuit against JOOLA in Escalating Paddle De-Listing War

USA Pickleball just fired back at JOOLA with a whopper of a countersuit, accusing the paddle giant of defamation, false advertising, and trying to undermine the governing body’s authority.

This comes after JOOLA hit USAP with its own $200 million lawsuit earlier last year, claiming their paddles were unfairly de-listed.

Here are the highlights:

  • The countersuit is massive: USAP is seeking millions in damages and punitive penalties

  • USAP claims JOOLA crossed the line, alleging the brand ran a public smear campaign to pressure USAP into reversing its decision

  • JOOLA’s original lawsuit alleged that USA Pickleball violated its own rulebook by skipping the mandatory 180-day grace period before de-listing

  • USAP says the test paddles ≠ the retail paddles, pointing to major differences between what was approved and what hit the market

  • And here’s the twist: USAP alleges JOOLA exploited the controversy to juice paddle sales, making the whole firestorm a marketing move

Both sides say they’re protecting the integrity of the sport. The only guarantee? More lawyers than line judges.

Rally for Something Bigger

To honor Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Selkirk has partnered with the Parkinson’s Foundation to create limited-edition paddles that give back.

With every purchase, 12% goes toward the Foundation to improve care and fund research for Parkinson’s disease. It’s a powerful way to show your support, right in the palm of your hand.

And if you want to do even more: hit the courts at one of the Foundation’s nationwide charity events this month.

Click here to pick up a paddle and help fuel a movement that stretches far beyond the baseline.

There’s Only One True Champion

Throw the history book out the window. According to freshly minted MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani, there's only one true MLP Champion—and that's last year's Dallas Flash.

The league continues to evolve year after year, and 2025 will feature new rules resulting in more aggressive serves and a distinct advantage for home teams.

Tune in to a new PicklePod to learn about all the rule changes and how the league will reach more viewers in the new year.

And speaking of the MLP, we’re on the ground in Orlando, taking in the sights and sounds of the season opener.

And what a sight it is—in an effort to give the home team more ownership of their events, the league is empowering them to put their own spin on things.

In Florida, that means Championship courts painted a vibrant shade of blue and orange—just how the Orlando Squeeze wanted it. It’s been a polarizing choice, to say the least.

For lots more on the event, we’ve got a full preview.

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