Major League Pickleball (MLP) has officially launched last week. A kickoff ceremony took place at Dreamland in Dripping Springs.
It will hold its inaugural draft in Dallas on Friday, Oct. 1.
“Today pickleball, which is a hybrid of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, is the fastest-growing sport in America,” The Economist previously reported. “In the five years to the end of 2019, pickleball participation grew by more than 7%, while Americans’ overall activity level stayed flat, according to the Sport & Fitness Industry Association.”
The Pritchard Cup tournament, named after the founder of the sport, Joel Pritchard, will be held at Dreamland on Nov. 5-8, according to KVUE. The nationally broadcasted tournament will feature the world's best 32 professional players (16 women and 16 men).
Between 2019 to 2020, participation in the sport increased 21% and in 2021, over 4 million people played pickleball in 2021, KVUE reported.
In March last year, when most establishments like gyms, have been closed due to quarantine restrictions, “portable pickleball nets temporarily sold out,” according to The Economist.