US Open Founders Proud of How Event, Sport Has Grown

By Stephen Hunt
Red Line Editorial

As founders of the US Open Pickleball Championships, Chris Evon and Terri Graham were uncertain about what to expect when hosting the inaugural edition of what has become known as the “tournament for the people.”

Since that first edition at East Naples Community Park in Florida in 2016, the US Open has grown into one of the sport’s most prestigious tournaments and the world’s biggest pickleball party. And for USA Pickleball CEO Mike Nealy, having the Open (April 13-20, 2024) and USA Pickleball’s Mesa and Las Vegas Golden Ticket tournaments all in April, which is National Pickleball Month, represents the ultimate synergy.

“The US Open has been one of the most successful and well-known tournaments through the history of our sport,” Nealy said. “We are pleased to watch it continue to grow in scale each year and welcome more pickleball fans to our community.

“I tip my hat to Chris and Terri, who started and built a fantastic event for new owners Pickle4, who will no doubt build upon such success.”

The 2024 US Open was the eighth and final edition for Evon and Graham at the helm as they recently sold the event to Pickle4.

“We could have never imagined it would have grown this much and this fast,” Evon said. “When we started the event in 2016, we were hoping maybe we would get 500 players and ended up with over 800. We were pleasantly surprised then. Then you fast forward and I don’t think we would have guessed it would grow to (now) over 3,200 players.”

Evon credits the event’s immense growth to word of mouth. Those attending those early Opens told their friends, who realized they too wanted a similar experience.

“It was a lot of fun, a park environment at East Naples Community Park, that low-key, good vibe, family-friendly atmosphere that people loved,” Evon said. “It was really relaxed, and it was a good time. We heard a lot of people put the US Open on their bucket list.”

Before starting the US Open, Evon and Graham both worked for Wilson Sporting Goods. Evon did marketing and promotions for racquetball, squash and badminton from 1998 through 2009, while Graham was a business director for indoor racquet sports between 1994 and 2015.

They both started playing pickleball in 2015 and were quickly hooked.

“We both came from the racquetball world,” Evon said. “We were very competitive in the racquetball world, and then we started diving into (pickleball). We thought, let’s try it. It took us a little bit coming from racquetball, but we got hooked pretty quickly like everybody does.”

And as avid picklers themselves who, like many, were almost instantly enamored with the game, they have enjoyed seeing pickleball’s astounding recent growth.

“It’s definitely been a group effort,” Graham said. “The USAP Ambassadors program really helped the growth of the sport. I think that (first US Open being on national TV) was the launch pad for many people for what it (pickleball) was about. Then, the Ambassadors Program helped spread the sport from Arizona and Florida to all over the country.”

Evon sees pickleball’s recent surge in popularity as largely resulting from how easy it is to play and learn in addition to how inexpensive it is compared to many other sports.

“Families can play together,” she said. “Friends can play together, whether you have a lot of skill or not that much skill. Then (there’s) the great part of the communities and friendships formed when people start playing pickleball.

“I think there was something to fill with FOMO (fear of missing out). I remember in 2016 (when we started the US Open), we had to take 10 minutes to explain what pickleball was. Now, people know what it is, and they don’t want to miss out on it. They’re doing their best to get on the court and see what this is (all about).”

Another reason so many people have gravitated toward pickleball is because the sport can literally change lives by encouraging many to get off the couch and become active by participating in a sport that is low impact yet provides some great exercise for players of all ages and skill levels. In short, pickleball has positively impacted countless lives, which Evon and Graham have seen firsthand.

“I don’t know if proud is the right word. I’m happy for the lives that this event has touched,” Evon said. “I had a guy that had three kids in the event this year, three juniors. He said, ‘Thank you for the memories and the experience that you have brought to my family.’ That’s stuff that really makes us happy. I just hope that people would say that we’ve left the sport better than we found it.”

Stephen Hunt is an accomplished freelance writer and sports statistician who has been blessed to cover a multitude of subjects and sports in his time. He is a freelance contributor to USA Pickleball on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.

Photo Credit: Yeung Photography