Fierce and fearless newcomer Tyra Black is the player to watch .
‘ Hurricane ’ Tyra Black
Takes Pickleball by Storm
Fierce and fearless newcomer Tyra Black is the player to watch .
Tyra Black took gold in Women ’ s Singles at the 2023 PPA Takeya Showcase in Fountain Valley , California .
T by JULIE TALERICO
Tyra Black ’ s recent win over No . 1 player Anna Leigh Waters sent shock waves through the pickleball world . She won in three riveting games of 11-8 , 2-11 , and 11-3 . Despite the extraordinary win , Black was nervous . “ I played Anna Leigh early on , so I still had two matches to go , but I definitely felt a sense of relief to get that win ,” she says .
In the semifinal match , she went on to defeat Lauren Stratman , and then , in the finals , Black outlasted Yana Newell to claim the gold as her first-ever PPA medal at the Takeya Showcase in Fountain Valley , California . “ After I lost the first game to Yana , I started to doubt myself a bit ,” says Black . “ And then I realized I needed to have fun and fight as hard as I can , and that ’ s how I came out on top . When I finished , I was completely ecstatic !”
In July , Black , 22 , was chosen to be part of the Miami Pickleball Club , a Premier Level Major League Pickleball ( MLP ) team , owned by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes , tennis great Naomi Osaka and others . The 2023 roster also includes Federico Staksrud , Tyson McGuffin , and Mary Brascia . “ I ’ m super-excited to be part of the team ,” says Black .
Also enthusiastic is Jamie Duguid , general manager of the Miami Pickleball Club . “ Tyra is a player with an enormous amount of talent but also one who works harder on her game than anyone in pickleball at the moment ,” he says . “ She has all
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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2023 | MAGAZINE 31