👟 Nike signs its first pickleball star, and it says a lot

😲A no-look ATP winner

Who needs to look when you’ve got feel like this?

A cheeky no-look ATP catches the defender off-guard to steal the point in jaw-dropping fashion. One swing, instant rewind.

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🥹 Get your Pickleheads paddle band today!

Now, this is pretty cool…

As a Pickleheads reader, you’ve basically earned your stripes already… and that means you qualify for the Pickleheads Certified Pickleball Player Paddle Band and Certification!

Here’s what you get when you’re certified:

• 🏅 A limited-edition Pickleheads Certified Paddle Band featuring your name, the Certified “C” logo, and the Pickleheads logo

• 💼 An accredited LinkedIn Certification to showcase your dedication, credibility, and pickleball as a valuable skill

• 🗺️ Placement on the exclusive Certified Pickleball Player Map

• 💻 A full AI Game Analysis of one of your matches using advanced AI technology

All of this for just $25. It’s a legit way to mark your commitment to the game and get something tangible (and useful) back for it. 👇

👟 Nike signs its first pickleball star, and it says a lot

This one feels like a line-in-the-sand moment. Nike has signed Anna Leigh Waters, making her the first pickleball professional ever backed by the brand.

That’s bigger than a clothing deal. Nike doesn’t sign athletes unless they believe they represent something larger. In this case, it’s pickleball finally producing its own true crossover star, not a former tennis name borrowing attention, but a homegrown player carrying the sport on her own.

Waters already dominates on court. This move signals she’s now being positioned as a cultural face of the game too. Someone brands believe can reach beyond tournaments and into the mainstream.

For years, pickleball leaned on tennis converts for visibility. This feels different. Nike is betting that pickleball no longer needs borrowed credibility. It has its own icons now.

And if the biggest sports brand in the world agrees, it’s a strong signal that pickleball is moving from fast-growing sport to mainstream fixture.

😍 The paddle that changed pickleball

How CRBN’s California workshop and match-speed testing revolutionized performance paddle design.

🏡 Retail tycoon locked in bitter $2.4m fight over his mansion pickleball court

A California retail tycoon is forcefully challenging a $2.4million fine that was imposed over a pickleball court at his custom-built mansion.

🤯 Inside Selkirk's high-tech pickleball lab

Selkirk isn't just producing pickleball paddles. They're running science experiments.

Fresh takes, spicy debates, and the latest hot paddles & gear: catch up on our latest Court Talk highlights:

• 😵‍💫 The spinniest paddle… ever?

• 🥤 A better-for-you energy drink with electrolytes to help you win

• 😍 The paddle Six Zero thinks can top the DBD

• 🥤 An electrolyte mix that comes with some serious pickleball cred

Skipped a scroll or two? No worries — here are the last few editions we sent your way:

• 🤾 Pickleball has changed! Here’s what you need to know

• 🤪 Ridiculous pickleball

• 🤾 These 3 mistakes are why you’re not improving

• 💪 Transition zone aggression

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