Pickleball players and spectators turned out in record numbers to support the PPA Seattle Open, the PPA’s first tournament in Washington State.
The Carvana Professional Pickleball Association’s tour stop in Seattle at Lower Woodland Park in July exceeded expectations. The PPA tour has 25 stops in 14 states, but 2023 is the first year the PPA has held a tournament in Washington. Washington has the dual distinction as the birthplace of pickleball and the state where pickleball is the official sport.
Pickleball players and fans turned out in record numbers to support the event, with standing room only on Championship Sunday. PPA CEO and founder Connor Pardoe stated 12,500 tickets were sold, with 1,000 courtside tickets sold per day and over 1,000 registered players participating. CBS and ESPN broadcast the tournament, which was also streamed live on YouTube.
The tournament featured pros competing for $300,000 in prize money and amateurs competing for golden tickets on 24 pickleball courts. Several Washingtonian pros played including Riley Newman, Lindsey Newman, Lea Jansen and Vivian Glozman. Anna Leigh Waters earned another triple crown.
The pros who came to play at PPA’s newest tour stop in Seattle were treated to a grand tour of the Seattle Metro area. They volleyed on top of the Space Needle and dinked on the original court on Bainbridge Island. They delighted players by showing up unannounced at local courts. Ben Johns played at Seattle’s Miller Park and Anna Leigh Waters played at Everest Park in Kirkland.
Local politicians are paying more attention to pickleball, especially since it became the official state sport in March 2022. Part of pickleball’s appeal is the revenue tournaments generate for the cities and towns who host them. Seattle Parks and Recreation stated, “This event will bring millions of dollars of business to the city, especially to businesses in the Green Lake vicinity.”
Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell wowed the crowd with his support of pickleball by presenting the women’s doubles championship trophy.
Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell awarded the women’s doubles championship trophy at the sold-out PPA Seattle Open, saying, “We need more pickleball courts, it’s as simple as that! We see you! We hear you!” Contrast that with a November 2020 interview with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin on Age Friendly Seattle Civic Coffee Hour. Interviewer Anthony Derrick asked, “Mayor, how can we get more pickleball in Seattle?” Mayor Jenny Durkin replied, “You know, that is the first time in three years anyone’s asked me about pickleball.”
SMPA volunteer Chon Vargas posted his experience on social media, saying, “Everyone, I gotta tell you, I attended the Seattle Open and had a wonderful time. Saw all the pros and many of my local PB friends who were spectating or competing. I don’t travel much so I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see the top players.”
The senator who introduced legislation to make pickleball Washington’s state sport attended the PPA Seattle Open three days in a row.
Senator John Lovick attended the tournament on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, impressed with the spectacle of the largest pickleball tournament in Washington. Said Lovick, “Passing the bill to make pickleball our state sport is one of the highlights of my career. Attending the PPA was very special. You felt like you were touching the player. Watching the players, you know why pickleball is a sport and not a game.” Lovick said that during his sixteen years in Olympia, he has worked on important pieces of legislation, but none has excited the public as much as pickleball.
SMPA would like to thank Seattle Parks and Recreation for their support in hosting the PPA Seattle Open at Lower Woodland Park’s ten tennis courts. These courts are one of three places in Seattle which host USTA sanctioned league matches and tournaments. Lower Woodland Park now joins the ranks of other venues where the PPA has hosted tournaments, including the Indian Wells Tennis Center, the La Quinta Resort Tennis Club and the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Ohio.
The Seattle Metro Pickleball Association would like to thank Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell for supporting the PPA Seattle Open. We are encouraged by Mayor Harrell’s words, “This is how we’re going to get our city back, so we need more pickleball courts!” The Seattle Metro Pickleball Association is working with Seattle Parks and Recreation on the planning and construction of dedicated pickleball courts at Magnuson Park. We hope to make an announcement about these efforts soon. The Seattle Metro Pickleball Association wants to hold world class pickleball tournaments on dedicated pickleball courts. Let’s get to work, SPR!