Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Do you know much about that other racket sport that starts with a "T"? 😀Today, we'll tell you about the controversial pro tennis player who may be switching to pro pickleball, delve into an exhibition match for the ages, reveal powerful dinking advice from a former #1 player in the world, and more.

Let’s do this! 👇

You know what doesn't matter? Whether you do, did, or never cared about tennis. It really has no impact on your pickleball experience and potential.

HOWEVER, it would be naive not to at least realize that the two sports are connected in many ways. For starters, both pickleball and tennis are played on the same surface with lines and nets that look almost identical.

Plus, pickleball and tennis courts are usually placed next to one another in public parks, and the rules, while different, are very much related.

But another big comparison between the two sports, and even competition, has been the pool of potential players, both at the recreational and professional levels.

As pickleball became popular during and after the pandemic, many professional tennis players actually made the switch to professional pickleball, including the top American tennis players, such as Jack Sock, John Isner, Sam Querrey and Donald Young.

Well, pickleball may now be getting the biggest name yet to make the switch from pro tennis to pro pickleball: Nick Kyrgios.

Outside the world of professional tennis, Australia’s Kyrgios may not be a household name. But he is an extremely outspoken and controversial character, who has basically been the "bad boy of tennis" for the past 10 years. He's kind of like this era's John McEnroe.

Kyrgios has hinted at playing pro pickleball in the past, but it looks like he really means it now, as he is rumored to be playing in the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour Australia Open in January, teamed up with the aforementioned tennis pro turned pickleball pro, Jack Sock.

Are the rumors true? And if Kyrgios does play, will he be able to compete at the very highest levels of pickleball? Only time will tell, but we'll definitely keep you posted!

The Speedup is a Setup!

The purpose of a speedup isn’t to win the point outright — it’s to create an opportunity to finish on the second or third ball. A well-placed speedup to an uncomfortable spot is usually more effective than a hard, risky one that might sail long or come back even faster. When you target the right area, the ball often returns high and off-pace, giving you an easy put-away on the next shot.

Here’s what most of us think our good points look like. 😃👇

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Welcome back to the section where we will define a word or term that is widely used in the pickleball world…

ATP (noun)

An ATP stands for “Around the Post,” and it is a legal pickleball shot that happens when a player hits the ball around the net post as opposed to over the net. This shot is only possible when the ball is hit wide enough so that the net is no longer blocking the other side of the court. While it may look and sound like a trick shot, it is actually the most effective shot to attempt when dealing with a ball that bounces way off to the side of the court.

As you may have noticed, we don’t talk about professional pickleball players that often, but hey, sometimes things come in pairs. 😉

Actually, what we’re about to discuss now isn’t really pro pickleball, but rather an exhibition match featuring some professional players.

It’s Pickleball Slam 4, the latest edition of the annual series featuring stars of pickleball (and yes, tennis), which will be held on April, 15 2026 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

This year’s main event will pit the ladies against the gentlemen! On the women’s side, it will be the greatest female pickleball player of all time, Anna Leigh Waters, teamed up with another tennis pro turned pickleball pro, Eugenie Bouchard.

On the men’s side, it will be tennis legend, Andre Agassi, who will partner with former #4 tennis player in the world, James Blake.

We are calling the match, “The Blondes vs. the Balds,” and if you don’t understand why we’re naming it that, just take a look at the picture above.

The best player on this court will undoubtedly be Anna Leigh Waters, and the second best player will most likely be Eugenie Bouchard, although not by as wide a margin.

So at least on paper, it looks like the ladies should win this contest. But who knows, those shiny bald scalps may conjure up some powerful pickleball luck. 😆

We’re not crying, you’re crying. 😪👇

You may not have noticed, but the holiday season is RIGHT NOW! And another thing you may not have realized is that a big part of this season is GETTING GIFTS for your loved ones. OK, sorry, we'll stop screaming. 😉

But seriously, it's the season of gifts, and we've got the essential pickleball-themed Holiday Gift Guide for your friends, family, and (shhh) even yourself. We have specific gift ideas from 8 different pickleball brands, and each one comes with a pretty sweet discount. So yeah, you're on the late side to be getting your gifts, but hey, it's never too late!

The name of the game in pickleball is getting up to the kitchen line as soon as you can. As the returning team, the returner just has to return the serve and run. As the servers, you've got to hit a good third shot and then work your way up. But what do you do once you get there? How do you impose your will so that you can win more points? Well, we've got former #1 player in the world, Simone Jardim, here to show you exactly what to do. 👇

When you think of "Tesla," what do you think of? Nikola Tesla, the scientist? Maybe that would be the prevailing answer if we asked this question 100 years ago. But these days, most people are probably thinking about the car company that's named after him.

Of course, Tesla incorporates the latest technology into making modern cars. But it turns out that they also just came out with another product: a pickleball paddle! They teamed up with Selkirk to design the paddle, and it does look pretty cool, but at $350, we're not sure it's worth the money — unless it also doubles as a car. 😉

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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