Dream Team
US Open founders Terri Graham and Chris Evon talk about how the international pickleball event came to be .
By Alice Tym
When did you come up with the plan for the US Open and what sparked the idea ?
We had been hearing about this game called “ pickleball ” for many years during our National Account presentations for Wilson Sporting Goods . We would be at Dick ’ s Sporting Goods , and they would ask if Wilson would make them some paddles . We traveled to the USA Pickleball Nationals in Arizona and saw how USA Pickleball organized a great national tournament . They focused on the playing part as most tournaments do .
However , we felt it was time for the sport to go bigger . The idea came together in 2015 after doing a business plan for Wilson . The plan showed the sport about to explode . The one thing that stood out ( to Terri ) was the age demographic of the country and the demographic of pickleball . It was two ships about to explode . We weren ’ t interested in creating another “ tournament ,” but more a world-class international event . A party . A place players and spectators would want to visit and have the time of their lives . In 2016 , the first US Open took place .