Pickleball has exploded in popularity in recent years, with nearly 5 million players in the US alone. As the sport grows, high-level competitive play has also emerged. This has led to the creation of multiple professional pickleball tours seeking to become the dominant circuit. The fierce competition between these tours has sparked debate, controversy and a battle for players and fans - dubbed the "Tour Wars" within the pickleball community.
The two main tours vying for pickleball supremacy are the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour and the Major League Pickleball (MLP) Tour.
The PPA Tour The PPA Tour is the original and currently largest professional pickleball tour. The PPA was founded at the end of 2018 but did not host their first tournament until 2019. It rapidly expanded, holding 16 events in 2022 with over $3.5 million in prize money up for grabs. The PPA touts itself as pickleball's only "true" professional tour.
In a 2022 interview, PPA Commissioner Connor Pardoe stated: "We operate under a league model with franchised team owners, whereas Major League Pickleball and other small startup tours function more under a promoter model."
Controversy emerged in the 2022 season when the PPA introduced a policy that restricted players from entering competitions run by other tours if they wanted to maintain a high PPA ranking. This sparked criticism that the PPA was trying to corner top talent.
The MLP Tour Major League Pickleball burst onto the scene in 2021, quickly emerging as a well-funded challenger to the PPA. Backed by prominent investors like LeBron James, Kevin Love and Drew Brees, MLP held 6 events in 2022, building up to its "Championships" finale with a $319,000 total purse.
MLP has sought to disrupt the status quo with innovative formats showcasing team matches and a unique scoring system. They've also signed deals with TV networks CBS Sports and ESPN to broadcast matches.
In an interview covered on the Pickleball Archives blog, MLP CEO Steve Kuhn stated: "We are thrilled with our first season and will continue to evolve, innovate and elevate pickleball to bring it into the mainstream."
Ongoing Tour Wars Controversy The heated competition between the PPA and MLP tours has sparked plenty of debate and controversy within the insular pickleball world. Everything from tournament formats, TV deals, player restrictions and nightly cash prizes have become points of contention between the rival tours and their fanbases.
Prominent player Ben Johns weighed in on the issue in a post on his blog covered by the Pickleball Archives:
"It’s no secret that there has been friction between the MLP and PPA tours since the inception of Major League Pickleball. Both tours want to become the premier pickleball tour and claim rights to the top athletes. This has led to each tour adding rules that restrict players from competing in the other league. As a player, I just want to compete and have flexibility."
As more money and television exposure flows into pickleball, the incentives rise for each tour to become the dominant platform for professional play. With emerging tours like APP, PPA and MLP battling for market share the stakes are high for who comes out on top. But the fractured nature of pickleball's tour scene continues to spark controversy.
The growth and evolution of pickleball will likely depend on whether the competing tours can find a way to consolidate, cooperate and coexist while elevating the sport as a whole. Until then, players, organizers and fans will remain at the center of the ongoing pickleball "Tour Wars".
Sources:
- https://pickleballarchives.com/post/ppa-commissioner-connor-pardoe-interview
- https://pickleballarchives.com/post/mlptourfinale
- https://pickleballarchives.com/post/exclusive-interview-with-steve-kuhn-ceo-of-major-league-pickleball
- https://pickleballarchives.com/post/ben-johns-blog-pickleball-drama
- https://pickleballarchives.com/search/label/tourwars
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