WORLD ’ S LARGEST
Amateur-Only Pickleball Tour
The World Pickleball Tour is dedicated to the player experience and is home to the largest cash prize tournament for amateur pickleballers .
by DREW WATHEY Photos courtesy The World Pickleball Tour
As the pro ranks in pickleball garner the most headlines and continue to move the meter in recognition , the real driving force behind the meteoric rise in popularity of the sport clearly belongs with the influx of amateur players throughout the country . And nowhere was that more evident than at the World Pickleball Tour ’ s Amateur Invitational Championships . Nearly 1,200 players converged on the courts in mid- January at the Oasis Pickleball Club in Rockwall , Texas , outside of Dallas .
The World Pickleball Tour ( WPT )— comprised solely of amateur players — is barely three years old , with two events staged in its inaugural season increasing to 23 a year ago . On the schedule this year : 32 tournaments . “ We went from just two in 2021 to 32 in 2024 ,” emphasized Corey Poches , managing director of the WPT . “ We ’ ll see more than 15,000 pickleball players this year .”
What WPT saw in Rockwall was 1,142 participants doing battle on 42 courts . This event alone handled 1,035 matches on the Saturday of the tournament , arguably the largest number ever held at a pickleball tournament . It also boasted the largest amateur prize pool at $ 175,000 .
But , as with any sporting event held outdoors , Mother Nature always has a say in it , and unfortunately she was very vocal at the Amateur Invitational Championships . Freezing temperatures and howling winds disrupted play and forced the cancellation of two full days of the five-day event . Women were lucky — completing singles , doubles and mixed doubles action . The men were not so fortunate , with their entire singles and doubles brackets canceled . However , despite the inclement weather , many players found the experience worthwhile .
“ The playing conditions were cold and windy , but we made the best of it . They did a good job of keeping the games moving quickly so there was very little time in between ,” said Adam Toren , 48 , of Phoenix , Arizona ,
Sherry Gao and Kramer Sims took gold in Mixed Doubles 4.0 : 19 +.
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