The Rapid Rise of Catherine Parenteau, Pickleball's Poised Champion
How a Canadian tennis player became a dominating force in the fastest growing sport in America
Catherine Parenteau stepped onto a pickleball court for the first time in 2015 at the encouragement of Simone Jardim, her college tennis coach. Eight years later, Parenteau has established herself as one of the top professional pickleball players in the world, securing championship titles and lucrative sponsorships with her composed on-court demeanor and lethal backhand smash.
Parenteau grew up near Montreal, Canada honing her skills in tennis, baseball, and skiing before focusing on tennis in high school and playing Division 1 in college in the United States. She admits she had never heard of pickleball before her coach introduced her to it. "I was like, 'Oh that sounds fun but what's pickleball?'" Parenteau recalled with amusement.
After graduating from college, Parenteau was struggling to find her passion when Simone gave her a pickleball paddle and convinced her to give the sport a try. Though scoring confused her initially, she was drawn in by the community atmosphere and relatively low barrier to entry compared to tennis. “I just started playing basically almost every day in a league and yeah it just fell in love with it," she said.
Pickleball's popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, with an estimated 5 million amateur players in the U.S. as of 2022. Parenteau recognized the potential early on. “I was like oh I guess I’m pretty good at it,” she said, after competing in her first tournaments in 2016 and 2017. She decided to focus her athletic talents on this up-and-coming sport.
Initially, pickleball was just a hobby for Parenteau. “Back then I was like no this is just still a hobby but it's cool that they're paying me just to go basically go play a hobby,” she said, recalling her first sponsorship deals that paid travel expenses for tournaments. Winning $200-$500 in a tournament was a big deal, hardly enough to make a living.
But as the amateur ranks boomed, pickleball was gaining traction as a professional sport with a dedicated Pro Pickleball Association Tour and growing prize purses. Parenteau saw the potential to turn her passion into a career. She gradually transitioned into playing pickleball full-time over 2018-2019, moving to Naples, Florida to immerse herself in the growing pickleball community.
Parenteau’s big break came in April 2021 when she caught the attention of representatives from Skechers at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships. “They were one of the biggest sponsors there and they asked the tournament directors...‘we’re looking to sponsor two players, one male one female,’” she explained. The shoemaker decided the poised, athletic Canadian would be the perfect fit as their first female sponsored athlete in the sport.
It took a few months of negotiations, but by the end of 2021, Parenteau had signed an official sponsorship deal with Skechers. “I was so excited that they were interested in sponsoring me and I tried their shoes and I was like well I think this would be a great fit for me,” she said. The collaboration has enabled Parenteau to provide valuable input on shoe design and technology specifically catered to the demands of high-level pickleball.
Parenteau cites signing with Skechers as a turning point in her career. "That was like a big deal for me," she said. The sponsorship enabled her to commit to pickleball full-time rather than balancing side jobs. “It’s come a long way that was like eight years ago it's just crazy because I was just doing [pickleball] for fun you know back then it was just a hobby.”
Though Parenteau has secured her place as one of the most dominant forces in women’s professional pickleball, she maintains the same composed, team-focused attitude that has made her so popular with fans. She speaks with gratitude and humility about her success. “I’m just so happy I was able did you like call Parris like how'd that go down?” she said about teaming up with fellow pro Parris Todd to win the Triple Crown title at the 2022 Tournament of Champions.
Staying grounded amidst the pressures of professional competition has been key for Parenteau’s longevity in the sport. "I'm a pretty anxious person so if I have to deal it in the middle of a tournament that's not good,” she commented. That’s why she prioritizes taking breaks to “disconnect from pickleball and disconnect from everything.” Cutting out distractions helps her reset mentally and perform at her best.
Off the court, balancing her packed tournament schedule with wedding planning has been a new challenge for Parenteau and her fiancé, Athena. The couple got engaged in December 2021 and have set a wedding date for July 2024 in Los Cabos, Mexico. “It’s actually a pretty crazy yes,” Parenteau said with a laugh. “We don't want to be last minute when it comes to a wedding." Working with family to handle wedding tasks and scheduling focused planning time during breaks in the tournament calendar will allow Parenteau to juggle both.
Though Parenteau has already accomplished more in pickleball than she ever expected, she shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, Parenteau is ramping up her training regimen to take her game to the next level. She recently started working remotely with a personal trainer, Connor Pfeiffer, to improve quickness, strength and prevent injuries. The specialized training gives her an edge over competitors. "It's made for me it's personalized and it's nice because it's not only does he work with you but he also grew his brand as well,” Parenteau said.
While Parenteau has her sights set on more championship titles, she also embraces her increasingly public role as an ambassador for the sport. She recognizes that pickleball’s exponential amateur growth must be mirrored on the professional side to take the sport mainstream. By competing with heart, speaking thoughtfully, and displaying good sportsmanship, Parenteau models positive behavior for aspiring players of all ages watching her on the court and on screens.
When asked what advice Parenteau would give her younger self starting out in pickleball, she reflected on her winding journey to the top. “Enjoy every second of it,” she advised. “It’s gonna go by so fast.” Though initially unsure of pickleball’s viability, Parenteau took a leap of faith pursuing her passion. Her poise, persistence and pioneering spirit have paved the way for the next generation of professional pickleball players following in her footsteps.
Time Code List
00:24 Growing Up Playing Sports - Catherine talks about playing tennis, baseball and skiing as a kid before focusing on tennis in high school and playing Division 1 tennis in college. 05:20 Getting Into Pickleball - How Catherine's college tennis coach introduced her to pickleball after graduating. She was drawn to the community and low barrier to entry. 07:00 Early Tournaments and Growth of Pickleball - Catherine recalls entering her first pickleball tournaments in 2016-2017, when winning $200-$500 was a big deal. She saw pickleball's potential to become a pro sport. 11:00 Becoming a Full-Time Pickleball Player - Catherine gradually transitioned to playing pickleball full-time over 2018-2019, moving to Florida to immerse herself in the growing pickleball community. 12:26 Competing Against Athena - Catherine describes a pivotal mixed doubles match where her fiancé Athena beat her playing with another partner. Afterwards, Athena decided to step back and support Catherine's career. 14:14 Athena's Role and Teamwork - Catherine explains how Athena helps manage her brand and schedule off-court so she can focus on competing. Athena initially got into pickleball at Catherine's urging but realized Catherine loved it more. 16:50 Working with Trainer Connor - Catherine discusses starting to work remotely with trainer Connor Pfeiffer to improve quickness, strength and prevent injuries. Connor also works with other top players like Tyson McGuffin. 23:51 Skechers Sponsorship and Shoe Design - Catherine talks about how Skechers became her first major sponsorship in 2021. She provides input on shoe technology and design as their sponsored athlete. 25:36 Paddle Choice and Weighting - Catherine explains why she chose the Selkirk Power Air paddle and how she strategically weights it with lead tape to expand the sweet spot. 27:30 Early Work as Player Liaison - Catherine recalls first working with Selkirk as a player liaison in Minnesota, before she was sponsored by them. She had just met the team and was asked to do a player interview. 29:36 Winning Triple Crown at TOC Utah - Catherine describes her mindset going into Tournament of Champions 2022 after a break, leading to unexpectedly winning the Triple Crown with partners Tyson McGuffin and Paris Todd. 36:12 Wedding Planning and Proposal - Catherine talks about planning her 2024 wedding to Athena amidst her busy tournament schedule. She shares the romantic story of Athena proposing on a Colorado ski trip. 38:47 Maintaining Work-Life Balance - Catherine values taking trips with Athena at the end of each year to completely disconnect from pickleball and reset mentally, which is key to performing her best on court. 41:39 Transition to Selkirk Sponsorship - After considering other paddle brands, Catherine decided to partner with Selkirk in 2022 because she loves their products, marketing and brand ambassadors.
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