2023 Pickleball Season Kickoff | New Partnerships, New Contracts & More
After a bit of time off, new partnerships, new contracts, and more… both professional tours are back in action this weekend.
A lot of players have signed contract with the PPA meaning we won’t be seeing them on the APP side. Another thing you will probably notice this weekend is all of the new partnerships. It’s going to be fun to watch and see how things unfold.
Unsure of which tour your favorite players will be on or the new partnerships? That’s what we will be covering in this article.
PPA Hyundai Masters
The PPA kicks off the year at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. Here are some of the new PPA players, partnerships and teams to keep an eye on:
Mens Doubles:
The top two teams in the world are sticking together for the 2023 season.
Ben Johns & Collin Johns
Matt Wright & Riley Newman
Here are some of the new PPA players and partnerships:
Tyson McGuffin and James Ignatowich.
JW Johnson & Dylan Frazier
Pablo Tellez & Federico Staksrud
Zane Navratil & Thomas Wilson
Jay Devilliers & DJ Young.
Julian Arnold & Rafa Hewett
Hayden Patriquin & Gabriel Tardio
Mixed Doubles
Once again, the top two teams in the world are about the only ones sticking together.
Ben Johns & Anna Leigh Waters
Matt Wright & Lucy Kovalova
New teams coming from the APP Tour:
JW Johnson & Jorja Johnson
Thomas Wilson & Vivienne David
Julian Arnold & Lauren Stratman
Dylan Frazier & Anna Bright
Other notable new partnerships
Tyson McGuffin & Catherine Parenteau
Jay Devilliers & Callie Smith
Riley Newman & Jessie Irvine
Gabriel Tardio & Lea Jansen
Tyler Loong & Allyce Jones
James Ingatowich & Lindsey Newman
Womens Doubes
I think every single partnership on the womens side is new. With Leigh Waters injury, Anna Leigh had to find a new partner and it seems like everyone else decided to switch things up too…
Anna Bright & Anna Leigh Waters
Callie Smith & Lucy Kovalova
Jorja Johnson & Vivienne David
Irena Tereschenko & Jessie Irvine
Allyce Jones & Lea Jansen
Mary Brascia & Maggie Brascia
Yana Grechkina & Catherine Parenteau
Michelle Esquivel & Lindsey Newman
APP Sunmed Punta Gorda Open
The APP will start their season this weekend at Pickleplex in Punta Gorda, Florida. With a handful of their top players switching over to the PPA, it will be an interesting first tournament to see who steps up to fill the top spots.
Here are some of the teams we think can step up and contend for APP Titles.
Mens Doubles
Andrei Daescu & Kyle Yates
Greg Dow & Anderson Scarpa
Eden Lica & Ryler DeHeart
Rob Nunnery & Austin Gridley
Mixed Doubles
Simone Jardim & Andrei Daescu
Parris Todd & Hunter Johnson
Shelby Bates & Kyle Yates
Megan Fudge & Ryler Deheart
Lee Whitwell & Eden Lica
Womens Doubles
Simone Jardim & Parris Todd
Lee Whitwell & Corrine Carr
Megan Fudge & Alix Truong
Conclusion
We are excited to see all the pros back in action this weekend. Can the teams who stick together hold off against the new partnership? Only time will tell… Who do you think will be the top teams of the year in the PPA & APP? Let us know.
