Rising Teen Pickleball Phenom Alix Truong Takes The Sport By Storm
18-Year-Old Professional Player Talks Commitment, Pressure and Her Rapid Rise To Stardom
Alix Truong never expected to become a professional athlete. The 18-year-old tennis player turned pickleball prodigy has taken the sport by storm over the past year, racking up nearly 20 medals and establishing herself as one of the top female players in the world.
In a recent interview on The Mental Game podcast with host Sam Brief, Truong opened up about her meteoric rise in pickleball, a sport she only discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brief and Truong covered a range of topics, from her conversation with her parents about turning pro to how she handles pressure on the court. Throughout the interview, Truong displayed maturity beyond her years while maintaining her youthful exuberance for pickleball.
Here are some highlights from the Truong's interview on The Mental Game:
- 2:26, Turning Pro In A New Sport
When asked how it feels to be fully committed to a sport she just discovered, Truong said "it's taken over my life." Although she played tennis and other sports growing up, she never loved them like pickleball. She traveled the country playing tournaments in 2023 and is now a professional, noting "it can't be that much pressure if you're just hitting a plastic ball for a living."
- 3:41, On The Pickleball Court
Truong spoke to Brief while on a pickleball court after practicing. She explained she could be on the court playing and training for up to 12 hours a day, such is her passion for the growing sport. Her smile illustrated her pure joy for pickleball.
- 3:59, The Joy Of Pickleball
Unlike with tennis, Truong said she felt less external pressure playing pickleball initially, allowing her to "fall in love with the sport." She traveled around the country competing in 2021 before turning pro, drawn in by her love of the game.
- 4:09, Tennis Vs. Pickleball Pressure
Truong explained she felt significant pressure playing junior competitive tennis, as her family took the sport so seriously. With pickleball, she had no expectations early on, allowing her to enjoy playing. She still feels internal pressure now as a pro, but handles it better than the external pressure in her tennis days.
- 5:26, Pro Pressure
Although Truong doesn't have as much experience as some pro players, she puts pressure on herself to win. She wants to maximize her time as a young player to become the best, noting "if you work at something...you can actually be number one.
- 7:16, Perspective On Pressure
For all the pressure Truong feels, she notes that "at the end of the day I'm sitting down just thinking about what I'm doing and it's just so much fun." She tries to keep perspective that she gets to "hit a plastic ball for a living," balancing her competitive drive with enjoyment of playing.
- 7:52, Internal Pressure
Truong creates a lot of pressure for herself, rather than it coming from external sources like in her junior tennis days. She is determined to establish herself early on the APP tour so she remains a top player for years to come.
- 9:30, Self Talk
On the court, Truong says she is "really positive" when talking to herself during games, focusing on encouragement and keeping confidence high. She has mantras like "next ball, let's go!" that help her stay upbeat.
- 10:32, Staying Mean
The motto "stay mean" represents playing aggressively and with an intense demeanor. Alix isn't actually angry, but taps into emotion on court. "I don't believe in friends on the court," she says, taking competition seriously even as a friendly person off-court.
- 11:19, Visual Cues
Truong writes "stay mean" on her arm where she can see it when she plays to visually remind herself of the mindset she wants to compete with. Seeing the phrase helps her lock into the desired mentality.
- 12:28, Learning From Veterans
While Truong is very emotive during games, she has tried to learn from veteran players who tend to stay calm and composed even in pressure moments. She doesn't want to entirely sacrifice her passionate responses, but aims to find more balance moving forward.
- 14:25, My Playing Cues
Truong says when she looks calm on the court rather than her typical animated self, people can assume something is off with her. Her energetic style is a good cue she's playing well and locked in.
- 14:41, Process vs. Results
While winning matters, Truong has learned to appreciate the incremental progress she's made over the course of 2023. She focuses on small improvements week-to-week rather than just big tournament results. Mastering the process has helped her achieve solid outcomes.
- 16:26, Perception of Losing
Truong gets frustrated that losses damage her perception, as observers don't know contributing factors like illness or a poor partner dynamic. She feels the need to safeguard her reputation, which motivates her not to take any losses lightly.
- 18:00, Balancing Act
For being only 18, Truong exhibits maturity in balancing her internal pressure to perform with the sheer enjoyment she derives from playing pickleball for a living. She both expects a lot from herself and maintains perspective that she gets to play a game for work.
- 19:34, No Days Off
Truong recorded the podcast interview with Brief in the middle of a busy training day. Despite moving residences that same day, she practiced pickleball for hours before finding time to thoughtfully answer the host's questions, exemplifying her tireless work ethic.
- 20:20, Carrying Herself Like An Adult
While acknowledging she's still so young, Truong said "age is just a number" on the pro tours. She conducts herself professionally and doesn't blame youth or inexperience if she falls short. Truong also credits veteran players for helping her gain life wisdom faster than peers.
- 21:48, Wise Beyond Her Years
Brief observed that Truong carries herself much more like a seasoned 25-year-old than a teenager. He credited her self-assured speaking style in media appearances for making her seem particularly polished.
- 22:03, Turning Pro Conversation
Given her family's expectations to go the academic route, Truong knew convincing her parents to let her turn pro in pickleball would be challenging. By methodically improving her tournament results over weeks and months, she slowly earned their trust and permission to take the sport professionally.
- 25:02, Betting On Herself
Truong compared getting her parents on board with her career choice to betting on herself in a tournament. She told them if she could achieve a certain level in her next competition, they'd have to support her pro aims. By coming through, she both met her goal and changed their minds.
- 27:18, Parental Support Over Time
Asked what percentage her parents supported her pro pickleball dreams at the start, Truong chuckled probably 10 percent at most initially. But she said through steady tournament progress, she bumped that figure up bit by bit over weeks to the point they mostly came around.
- 28:05 Pickleball Ratings Primer
Truong outlined the rating system in pickleball, which classifies players on an amateur scale from 3.0 up to 5.0 leading up to pro status. As she started winning tournaments at each skill level, it built her case and confidence that she could excel professionally.
- 29:06, First Taste Of Success
After losing all her first pro matches, Truong "started chipping away at results each week" until she broke through. Making the semifinals of just her fourth pro tournament gave her belief she could compete with the world's best. She said reaching that level leaves no doubts.
- 30:06, Satisfaction With Accomplishments
While proud of earning nearly 20 medals already, Truong knows she must keep backing up results week-to-week on the demanding pro tours. She can't be complacent because the competition keeps elevating their games to higher levels.
- 30:58, Defining Success
For Truong, success means consistently reaching the podium (top 3) in tournaments. Expecting that level of performance pushes her to keep getting better. She also strives to improve her gameplay and mentality along the way.
- 31:54, Visualizing A Successful Career
To have long term success, Truong explained she must "put in 100% effort into everything" rather than relying on talent alone. Staying disciplined, keeping perspective and not developing an ego are also key principles she intends to follow throughout her promising career.
- 34:13, Wrapping Up
Brief closed by raving about Truong's dedication to both playing and promoting the sport, even with all her responsibilities and opportunities. Her maturity and love of pickleball shine through. At just 18, Alix Truong has all the tools be the face of this surging game for years to come.
Summary:
18-year-old Alex Truong has taken the pickleball world by storm over the past year. The former competitive junior tennis player has racked up nearly 20 medals since turning pro in the rapidly growing sport of pickleball, which she only discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a podcast interview with The Mental Game host Sam Brief, Truong discussed her meteoric rise to become one of the top female pickleball players on the planet. Despite her youth, she displays a maturity beyond her years when speaking about commitment, pressure, and all that goes into being a professional athlete.
Truong explained that she felt far more external pressure when competing at a high level in junior tennis compared to her initial foray into pickleball. Without expectations, she quickly fell in love with Pickleball and decided she wanted to turn pro at 17. Convincing her parents took time, but methodically better tournament results finally brought them around.
Now Truong puts great pressure on herself, striving to maximize her potential during these early years on the pro tour. Her self-talk remains positive, but game faces are all business with mantras like “stay mean” written on her arm showing her fierce competitiveness. Veterans have tried to mentor her on staying more even-keeled.
What’s most impressive is Truong’s ballerina-like ability to balance her internal drive to put in the endless hard work required of a world class athlete, while not losing perspective that she gets to “hit a plastic ball” every day as a job. Keeping some lightness is key for longevity.
With many more years ahead, the ceiling remains incredibly high for Alex Truong. If she continues improving at this rapid rate while enjoying the process along the way, major pickleball stardom awaits. But no matter what happens, Truong clearly has the talent and maturity to overcome obstacles and remain focused on growth.
- 2:26 At 18, how does it feel to be fully committed to be a professional in a sport that you didn't know existed a couple of years ago?
- 3:41 You are at pickleball court
- 3:59 The smile on your face
- 4:09 Tennis vs Pickleball Love
- 5:26 Pressure
- 7:16 There can't be too much press if you are just hitting a plastic ball for a living
- 7:52 The pressure is within you
- 9:30 How do you talk to yourself
- 10:32 Why "stay mean"?
- 11:19 Why do you write "stay mean" on your arm?
- 12:28 What have you learned from the elders on the tour about how you talk to yourself?
- 14:25 If I see you clam on the court, I think "something is up with Alix"
- 14:41 What is more important to you? The process or the results?
- 16:26 Losing
- 18:00 The balance of pressure
- 19:34 You are moving today. recording a podcast and you are at the pickleball court
- 20:20 We are talking about life. You are so young. How do you treat yourself like the adult you are?
- 21:48 You talk more like you are 25 than 18 years old.
- 22:03 Turning pro at 17 years old. What was the conversation like with your parents?
- 25:02 You bet on yourself. Parents reaction
- 27:18 What was your parents support percentage at the beginning of you turning pro?
- 28:05 Pickleball rating system
- 29:06 How did it feel to finally start winning?
- 30:06 What do you think now when you look back at what you have accomplished? How pleased are you?
- 30:58 At the end of the day, what does success look like?
- 31:54 At the end of your pickleball career, if you are successful, what do you think that looks like?
- 34:13 Podcast wrap-up
Alix Truong's Rapid Rise to Pickleball Fame
1. How old is Alix Truong?
a) 16 b) 18 c) 20 d) 22
2. What sport did Truong play competitively before focusing on pickleball?
a) Tennis b) Squash c) Badminton d) Table Tennis
3. When did Truong first discover pickleball?
a) Middle school b) Early in high school c) During the COVID-19 pandemic d) After quitting tennis
4. What does Truong credit for allowing her to fall in love with pickleball?
a) Getting to travel to tournaments b) Having less pressure than junior tennis c) Winning money d) Supportive family
5. Who puts the most pressure on Truong to perform well?
a) Her parents b) Her sponsors c) Herself d) Other pro players
6. What motto does Truong write on her wrist as an on-court reminder?
a) "No mercy" b) "Stay mean" c) "Eye of the tiger" d) "Maximum effort"
7. Who does Truong say she learns about mental composure from?
a) Her parents b) Other young players c) Veteran pros d) Her coach
8. What does Truong have to convince her parents to support before turning pro?
a) Reach a certain tournament ranking b) Earn a pickleball scholarship c) Get a sponsor d) Win a big cash prize
9. According to Truong, about what percentage were her parents on board when she first brought up going pro?
a) 90% b) 75% c) 50% d) 10%
10. What was Truong's first significant pro tournament result?
a) 1st place b) 2nd place c) Top 8 d) Semifinalist
11. How does Truong react emotionally during matches compared to most pro players?
a) More calm b) More angry c) More dejected d) More animated
12. Who observes that Truong speaks like someone much older than 18 years old?
a) Another pro player b) A tournament official c) Podcast host Sam Brief d) Her mother
13. What does Truong credit for giving her wisdom beyond her years?
a) Traveling alone early on b) Going to school online c) Spending time with veteran players d) Reading books
14. What percentage does Truong aim to give in practice and competitions?
a) 75 % b) 90% c) 100% d) 110%
15. How does Truong maintain positive perspective under pressure?
a) Medication b) Journaling c) Reminding herself it's just a game d) Yoga
16. How long does Truong say she could practice pickleball in one day?
a) 4 hours b) 8 hours c) 12 hours d) An entire day
17. What does Truong say success looks like for her moving forward?
a) Increased social media followers b) A college degree c) Consistently being on the podium (top 3) d) Traveling the world
18. What does Truong vow to commit 100% to in order to achieve longterm success?
a) Fitness training b) Watching video c) Equipment upgrades d) Everything she does
19. Why does Truong train so hard when some players rely more on natural talent?
a) She wasn't a gifted tennis player growing up b) To set an example for young players c) She believes hard work beats talent d) Her family instilled it
20. How does podcast host Sam Brief describe Truong's future potential in pickleball?
a) Promising b) Uncertain c) Limited d) Boundless
Answer Key:
- b
- a
- c
- b
- c
- b
- c
- a
- d
- d
- d
- c
- c
- c
- c
- c
- c
- d
- c
- d
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