Chris and Karen Mitchell , gold medal winners in the 50 + Elite category , at the last European tournament , the Aragon Open in March 2020 .
Elite Division at the Aragon Open and had their first taste of prize money . They thought it was the first of many tournaments they would play in Europe and the USA in 2020 . With travel bans in place , they have been watching the livestreams of the APP and PPA tournaments and have been hoping things will get back on track this summer .
The recent cancellation of the English Open and the French Open means that , unless things get better soon , there may not be any large tournaments in Europe this year .
In contrast , there were over 300 tournaments played across the USA in 2020 . In Europe , we feel like kids with their noses pressed against the pet shop window dreaming of getting a new puppy ! We won ’ t be taking playing in tournaments for granted , that ’ s for sure ! • summer in 2019 , attending the Milton Keynes Pickleball Festival in April , The Scottish Open in May , The Finnish Open in June , The Dublin Open , German Open and Bainbridge Cup in July , The English Open and French Open in August and the Spanish Open in September . I think there were only two tournaments we couldn ’ t make , the Irish Open and the Italian Open . That was an amazing summer .
We attended only one tournament in 2020 , the Aragon Open in Spain , before Europe was virtually closed . For pickleball addicts who love meeting up with the friends they have made at other tournaments , this was a huge blow . For players with aspirations to make pickleball a potential income stream , catastrophic .
England ’ s # 1 mixed doubles partnership , Louis Laville and Thaddea Lock , took gold in the 19 +
Louis Laville and Thaddea Lock , gold medal winners in the 19 + Elite category , at the Aragon Open in March 2020 .
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