Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

What's your favorite footwear or apparel brand? Now imagine getting paid millions of dollars just to wear it. Today, we'll take a look at the most significant sponsor deal ever for a pickleball athlete, check out some new data behind pickleball’s growth, visit a floating pickleball court, and much more.

Let’s do this! 👇

By now, most people know that pickleball is insanely popular and has been growing rapidly since 2020.

But how fast is it growing? And can it keep up that pace? Of course, the short answer is "no" because when there is a finite number of human beings in America, the growth rate can't keep rising at the same level.

And that's not a bad thing. In fact, having your growth rate slow down because tens of millions of people already love you and you're just running out people who don’t know about you is a pretty nice problem to have.

However, every industry needs to grow, which is why pickleball is expanding internationally so it can reach untapped audiences. And when that market is saturated, we're bringing it to aliens in other galaxies. 😀

But we digress. Let's take a look at the growth of American pickleball courts in 2025 based on findings from the latest issue of The Business of Pickleball...

As you can see above, there is a steady growth of new pickleball courts being built. While there are roughly twice as many outdoor courts than indoor courts, they are both increasing at almost the same rate. 

In terms of pickleball franchises being built, according to The Business of Pickleball, The Picklr is leading the way with nearly 60 U.S. locations, tripling its competitors' totals, including Pickleball Kingdom, Ace Pickleball, and Dill Dinkers, which have roughly 20 locations each.

If we look at total DUPR users, America still has the most and is followed by Malaysia, Canada, and Vietnam. But if you look at countries by fastest user growth, Malaysia tops the list, followed by Indonesia, The Philippines, India, and The Netherlands.

Finally, the number of registered pickleball patents in the United States has been virtually doubling year over year since 2023, which is yet another strong sign that the industry is continuing to grow. 💪

Use Your Timeouts: They Change Matches

Pickleball is a momentum-driven game. Once a team gets hot, it’s common for them to rip off five or more points in a row. If you’re on the wrong end of that run, don’t wait, call a timeout. A well-timed break can disrupt your opponents’ rhythm and help you reset mentally and strategically. I’ve been in matches where I was down 5–0 or worse, only to completely flip the momentum after taking a timeout and come back to win. You’re given two timeouts, use them with intention. If I’m trailing, I plan to use both. Leaving timeouts on the table is a missed opportunity. Next time you’re down in a tournament match, take one. You might be surprised how much it changes the game.

Big points deserve big celebrations! 👇

Many endurance athletes, such as cyclists, wouldn't imagine going on a ride without bringing electrolytes. It's just part of their routine, like wearing a helmet or wearing the proper cycling shoes. Why? Because they know that we lose valuable minerals through sweat, and that we need to replenish those minerals in order to maintain energy levels and avoid cramping.

Enter Holey Performance, an electrolyte and hydration brand specifically designed for pickleball players to help us stay fresh and healthy. They designed a program consisting of pre-game (for pick-me-up energy), in-game (for hydration), and post-game (for recovery and muscle health). It's a powerful combination that improves your energy, focus, and healing. Grab some for yourself and use code (clinic20) for 20% off.

You can play and enjoy pickleball anywhere — you really can. But that's not what this section is about. To be featured as our "Court of the Week," you (meaning the court ) have got to be really cool, beautiful, unique or maybe even a combination of all three!

Well, this week, we're heading south of the border to Riviera Maya, a stretch of Caribbean coastline on Mexico’s northeastern Yucatán Peninsula. Just south of Cancun, and filled with beach resorts, today's courts are part of the Ventus at the Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort. As you can see, these three courts are on a roof, right in the heart of a gorgeous resort, just steps away from the ocean. (Not a bad sight for some of us who are seeing snow these days when we look out the window.)

There are few brands that make it to the very top of their industries. And if they do, they may just barely edge out their competitors such that it's really more of a shared dominance.

Of course, even when a company does reach the pinnacle, the months or years it stays there are limited, such that only a select few stay on top for decades. On the short list are brands like Apple, Google, and... Nike.

In the last 40 years, there has been no company more associated with excellence than Nike — and for good reason.

The greatest athletes in the world (from Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, and John McEnroe to Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, LeBron James, and Cristiano Ronaldo) have been sponsored by Nike.

Nike doesn't sponsor A or A- athletes, but rather the absolute BEST of all time. And it is because of those athletes that Nike has perhaps the most well-known symbol (the swoosh) and tagline ("Just do it") on earth.

Then it's only fitting that as Nike decides to sponsor its first pickleball athlete ever, it does so with the most dominant pickleball player of all time, Anna Leigh Waters.

″Growing up, I watched my idols wear the swoosh in their biggest moments, so joining the Nike family is a dream realized,” said Waters. “Nike is the gold standard in performance and I can’t wait to step onto the court representing a brand that believes in the same relentless pursuit of greatness that drives me every day.”

Waters used to partner with FILA, but she will now represent Nike for apparel and footwear. Anna Leigh also just switched paddle brands, as she moved from Paddletek to Franklin, another iconic brand in the world of sports.

The new Nike sponsorship is very exciting for Waters, but it's also a defining moment for our sport as a whole. So congratulations to Anna Leigh Waters and hooray for pickleball!

Or even worse, it’s flying 10 feet out AND it was your opponent’s return of serve. 😆

As we discussed above, Anna Leigh Waters just became the first-ever pickleball athlete to get a Nike sponsorship deal for footwear and apparel. But do you remember which brand she moved to for her paddle? Franklin. Yup, Waters can choose any paddle in the world and she chose Franklin.

You probably know that Franklin also makes pickleballs. And not just any pickleballs. Franklin's X-40 ball is consistently the best-selling product in the entire sport of pickleball — and it's not even close. That's because it’s the most balanced, consistent, and durable ball out there. Pick some up today and use code (clinic15) for 15% off.

The topspin drop is one of the most important shots in pickleball because if you can hit it well, then not only will you get up to the kitchen, but you’ll also put pressure on your opponents as you come in. It's a tough shot to hit consistently, though, and there are many common mistakes people make. That's why we've got Coach Matt to show you the 4 topspin drop mistakes holding you back. 👇

When you think of boat shows, you might not think of pickleball. But it's time to think again because at the 68th edition of the Toronto boat show, there is a pickleball court that’s floating on the world's largest indoor "lake" next to boats and people water skiing.

When asked about what it's like to play on the floating pickleball court, Terry Reid of Pickleball Nation said, "It's a little bit like playing pickleball on a waterbed. So it's a little bit different, but the bounce is there and it's a great workout." We never thought we'd have to worry about dodging a jet ski while playing pickleball, but it looks like we may have been wrong. 😀

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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