the gold medal . However , Zane withdrew from the title match due to personal reasons .
“ My thought process coming into Nationals was to try to win gold , like it is in every tournament I play in , and luckily I was able to take home two gold medals ,” says Tyson .
The father of four added , “ Indian Wells and Center Court this year was the most electric championship court I have ever played on . Nationals is truly the only event where fans fly in to see us play . It is truly a spectator event . It takes a lot of time to go from court to court because I find myself signing autographs and talking with the fans . I so appreciate what this venue has become for the players and everyone involved .”
With the 2021 National Championships in the record books , pickleball and its players throughout the country will return to their home courts and the buzz surrounding the sport will continually get louder and louder . To no one ’ s surprise , everyone expects bigger and better things from the sport with the silly name .
“ It ’ s a totally addicting sport . I think the best part about it is the fact that it ’ s so much fun to play . You show up to the courts and you just vibe with anyone who ’ s there ,” says Lindsey . “ Pickleball is so social ; sometimes your best pickleball friend is 20 years older or younger than you and that ’ s what makes pickleball so appealing . I know I ’ ve met some of the best , most amazing human beings because of pickleball .”
Anna Leigh Waters , Tyson McGuffin and Riley Newman all took home two gold medals from this year ’ s Nationals and set the tone for next year ’ s competition on the courts at Indian Wells Tennis Garden . And can Jennifer Dawson possibly duplicate her phenomenal efforts at next year ’ s event ? We will just have to wait and see .
For most , pickleball began as a social , loud , and funfilled activity that quickly blossomed into something so much more . When Indian Wells Tennis Garden joined the pickleball mix , it took the sport well beyond what anyone could have imagined in a relatively short period of time .
Jennifer adds , “ Combine exercise , competition , laughter , friendship , and camaraderie with a game with such a silly name as pickleball , with the mystique of not even having a definite answer as to where and how it got its name , growth is unavoidable . I am not surprised at all .”
What once was surprising about the sport of pickleball is not anymore . Silly name aside , it ’ s taken this country to a whole new level of recreational , and now professional , status that not many would have predicted years before . •