Two words sum up a breakout season for the PPA in 2022: Big Firsts.
2022 was massive. The season included multiple national TV appearances, new celebrity events, new medalists, and new tournaments that highlighted what was an unforgettable year! Read on to look back with us at some of the biggest moments of 2022.
First-Ever National TV Appearances
In 2022, PPA Tour matches were covered by a national TV network for the first time ever. The PPA reached national audiences on multiple occasions this year, including appearances on CBS, ABC, and NBC. History was made when the Sketchers Invitational was telecast on CBS – the first time that a professional pickleball match has ever been aired at the national level. The live coverage was huge, attracting nearly three times as many viewers as expected by the network per industry standards. PPA matches were covered on CBS again during the n2grate Open – an impressive feat, considering the tournament aired in the middle of college football season. The PPA managed to reach the masses for a third time during the bubly Team Championships, and on this occasion, ABC partially covered the semifinals, as well as the entire final. To top the year off, NBC claimed coverage of the PPA Tour Holiday Special between Anna Leigh Waters/Riley Newman vs. Ben Johns/Jessie Irvine on Christmas Eve. Major props go to the PPA Tour’s 2022 roster of pros, all of whom played some of their best pickleball of the year in front of the largest pickleball audiences in the history of the sport.
New Celebrity Events
Pickleball exploded in popularity in 2022, and dozens of celebrities picked up the sport this year. The PPA Tour headed up several new celebrity pickleball competitions over the course of 2022, helping generate excitement around the sport. The first Celebrity Pro-Am of the year featured Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Phelps and took place in Arizona during the Desert Ridge Open. Fans loved seeing the celebs take the court so much that the PPA decided to host a number of other celebrity events, including competitions that incorporated the Gronkowski brothers, Rob, Chris, and Gordie; Giuliana Rancic, entertainment reporter and TV personality; Bill Rancic, entrepreneur and TV personality; Tyler Redding, professional racecar driver; and Quinn Ewers, Texas Longhorns quarterback. During the PPA Tour’s Celebrity Pro-Am in Dallas, Texas, fans got to watch Tony Romo, Dirk Nowitzki, John Isner, Scottie Scheffler, and Jordan Spieth take to the pickleball court alongside the world’s best. Finally, the year-end bubly Team Championships featured four world class tennis stars – John Isner, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey and Donald Young. Look for more familiar faces to appear on the PPA Tour this year!
New Medalists
Plenty of new faces made breakthroughs in 2022. Andrea Koop went on a massive run to win the women’s doubles title and mixed doubles title at the Takeya Showcase, alongside her partners – first-time PPA gold medalist Vivienne David and three-time gold medalist AJ Koller. Etta Wright, a brand-new face in the sport, made it to her first final in Newport Beach alongside Irina Tereschenko. Mary Brascia made several runs in women’s singles this year, and she and Julian Arnold were one of the few teams to beat Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters in 2022. Two men’s singles players, Federico Staksrud and Rafa Hewett, reached the final of the Acrytech Atlanta Open, with Federico triumphing. These two, along with James Ignatowich, who won the bronze at that event, all earned the first PPA medals of their career. Ryan Sherry broke through as well, winning a gold medal in North Carolina and a silver medal in Orlando. Callan Dawson racked up an impressive array of bronze medals and Meghan Dizon/Allyce Jones podiumed for the first time in 2022. JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier had some big moments in 2022, with wins over many of the top players. Salome Davidze began competing on the PPA Tour over the last year and managed to win several medals. Last of all, Steve Deakin mounted an incredible comeback late in 2022 after surgery to take the bronze medal at the Texas Open alongside his partner James Ignatowich, who is also a talented up-and-comer.
New Tournaments
The PPA introduced a number of tournaments to the Tour in 2022, including a new Grand Slam, the Masters, three 500 level events, and four Invitationals. The inaugural Skechers Summer Invitational introduced fans to an entertaining experience that featured made-for-TV matchups. Two of the new invitationals, the Selkirk Labs Showdown and bubly Team Championships, kept fans on the edge of their seats with matches that featured some bizarre doubles pairings. The Baird Wealth Management Open in Cincinnati, Ohio; the n2grate D.C. Open in College Park, Maryland; and the Ororo Indoor National Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota marked the first time a professional pickleball tournament had ever been held in each of these respective states. The PPA also added stops in Dallas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Los Angeles and will be expanding the Pro Tour even further in 2023, with a more than 25% increase in its pro tournament offerings.
2023 features a new partnership with Major League Pickleball, a handful of new tournaments and the return of all PPA superstars. Buckle up pickleball fans, the best is yet to come!
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