PRO-file
Behind the Scenes with Pro
ZANE
By Alice Tym
Navratil
Age : 26 Hometown : Racine , Wisconsin
Current Residence : Brookfield , Wisconsin Marital Status : Single
Profession : Pickleball playing and teaching professional as of July 2020 , formerly an auditor / CPA for Deloitte
Pickleball Ranking : WPR # 2 in the world
Favorite Performance : The first pro title at the APP Punta Gorda Open in January 2021 and the APP Chicago Open Men ’ s Doubles with Altaf Merchant
What is your greatest asset ? My ability to remove my ego to see objectively what is going on in a match . My CPA training gives me an opportunity to look at the game in an accountability way , by the numbers , percentage pickleball . There is risk , reward , and return on investment .
You are known for your chainsaw serve . What was your inspiration and how did you develop that serve ? My friend John Cincola and I were hitting topspin groundstrokes . The spin on the ball given to you has an impact on what you can return . We experimented on spinning the toss and found it to be effective . There are three ways to add spin off the toss . The first is off the paddle ; this was the original chainsaw . The second is off the paddle hand , holding the paddle in the right hand and the ball in the right hand . The third is spinning the ball with the non-paddle hand .
What would you like to see happen in pickleball ? Pickleball is different from tennis . I would like to see people go nuts whenever they want to during a point , not just applaud at the end of a point . I would like it to be more like basketball and football , more fan involvement . The Big 12 Conference has the best tennis attendance because they encourage fan participation . I would like to see that in pickleball .
What is your sports background ? I played high school tennis and college tennis at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater .
What person was the most influential in your life ? My high school tennis coach , Harold Swanson , taught me to learn things myself . He never gave me the answers . He taught me how to learn the game .
Where does your name come from ? My parents just liked the name Zane . My father ’ s last name is Czech , and my mother is from India .
What three famous people would you invite to dinner ? Joe Rogan , Novak Djokovic , and Elon Musk .
What is your favorite national park ? Zion . Angel ’ s Landing was the coolest hike .
Who is your favorite celebrity ? Joe Rogan . I love to listen to his podcast .
What book influenced you the most ? “ The Inner Game of Tennis ” by W . Timothy Gallwey .
In what period of history would you choose to live ? I would choose to live 10 years ago , 10 years younger so that I could be better at pickleball in the present . In 2005 , there was less social media and phones ; there was more interaction and I like that .
What kind of music do you listen to ? Classical — Mozart , Bach , and Tchaikovsky .
What three items would you take to a deserted island ? A smartphone , pickleball equipment , and Legos .
If you could send a message in a bottle to your younger self , what would it say ? “ Fear regret not failure .” Failure is a stepping-stone to success . You learn more from your losses than from your wins . •