🪄 Wait for the magic...

Hey reader,

Welcome back to the Pickleheads Newsletter!

In this issue:

🪄 Wait for the magic…
🚗 Tesla just launched a $350 pickleball paddle
😲 UPA terminates contracts for Ignatowich, Fu, and Glozman
📈 How pickleball became one massive private-equity rollup

🪄 Wait for the magic…

This week’s epic point is all about patience. It starts with a tense, who-blinks-first dink rally at the kitchen, with neither side willing to give an inch.

Stick with it though… because when the moment finally arrives, the point ends with pure magic: a stunning overhead backhand that seals the deal.

A perfect reminder to stay in the point… and wait for that magic. 🪄

Have a filthy point caught on cam? 📸

Reply to this email or submit yours to [email protected]. The most epic one will feature in next week’s newsletter!

And if we pick your submission, we’ll send you a free Pickleheads t-shirt 🙌

Pickleheads x Empower Pickleball

I’m stoked to share that Empower Pickleball is now Pickleheads’ preferred media partner. And honestly, this one feels like a perfect fit.

Empower Pickleball was founded by Kim Bastien with a simple but powerful idea. The biggest stories in pickleball are not just what’s happening on the pro tour, but the people growing the game every day. The local organizers. The weekend warriors. The women building clubs. The adaptive athletes. The communities that make pickleball what it is.

In just one year, Empower Pickleball has reached over 100,000 players, growing more than 600% by focusing on real stories, real players, and real participation.

That community-first mindset aligns perfectly with Pickleheads. Together, we’ll bring you sharper pickleball news, practical tips and skill development, health and wellness insights, honest gear reviews, destination pickleball features, and more stories from the grassroots of the game.

🚗 Tesla just launched a $350 pickleball paddle

Tesla just dropped a $350 pickleball paddle, and yes, that sentence is real. The EV giant partnered with Selkirk to create a limited-run, carbon-fiber paddle that the companies say was “optimized for high-performance play.”

According to Selkirk, this wasn’t just a logo swap. Tesla’s design team and Selkirk’s R&D group reportedly spent over a year refining the paddle, even running prototypes through Tesla’s aerodynamics testing process. The idea was born after a conversation at the 2023 USA Pickleball National Championships, which somehow feels very on-brand for where the sport is headed.

The result? The paddle sold out on Tesla’s website in under three hours. Reactions were mixed. Some fans loved the crossover. Others questioned the price, especially when solid paddles can still be found well under $100.

Like Tesla or not, this says something big about pickleball’s moment. When Tesla wants in, the sport has officially entered the mainstream.

😍Introducing Pickleheads Plus

ICYMI: A few weeks ago, we rolled out something big… Pickleheads Plus! A simple $1/month upgrade that unlocks the stuff players have been asking for.

With Plus, you can now:

• 🌴 Find & join games while traveling

• 🔍 See players, games, and groups at every court in the world

• 💬 DM players directly to set up your next matchup

If you love getting games in (anytime, anywhere), this one’s for you. 👇

😲 UPA terminates contracts for Ignatowich, Fu, and Glozman

The United Pickleball Association (UPA) terminated the contracts of pros James Ignatowich, Ryan Fu, and Vivian Glozman on Wednesday for violating their respective exclusivity clauses.

👏 USA Pickleball partners with Pickleball Instruments to launch on-site equipment testing

Starting January 2026, USA Pickleball will begin deploying Pickleball Instruments’ advanced testing technology at its amateur events to ensure that paddles and allied equipment meet approved performance and safety standards.

📈 How pickleball became one massive private-equity rollup

As pickleball has skyrocketed in omnipresence and value, an increasing share of the sport’s assets has been gradually rolled up by one particular American billionaire businessman in Dallas.

😔 Pickleball player plunges to his death after scaling a safety rail to retrieve a ball

Last week, a 32-year-old Malaysian man fell through mesh netting while retrieving ball at Kuala Lumpur sports facility plunging three floors to his death.

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

• 🎁 My best pickleball Christmas gifts

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

• 😍 Six Zero releases a new contender for paddle of the year

• 👟 SQAIRZ has truly nailed it

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

• 🤾 I bet your coach taught you this…

• 😎 A deceptive ATP defense

• 🤾 How to deal with spin

• 😬 A test of patience, power and grit!

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