PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball Seal Merger, Signaling New Era for the Sport
Dallas and Austin, Texas - February 29, 2024 - The landscape of professional pickleball takes a momentous leap forward today as the Carvana PPA Tour ("PPA Tour") and MLP by Margaritaville ("MLP") officially announced the successful completion of their merger, creating a unified and formidable professional pickleball entity. The merger, backed by a substantial $75 million investment from private equity firm SC Holdings, D.C. Pickleball Team owner Al Tylis, PPA Tour owners Tom Dundon and the Pardoe Family, alongside a consortium of existing MLP team owners, solidifies the sport's position as a dynamic and lucrative industry.
This strategic alliance brings together the two leading professional pickleball organizations, each renowned for their distinct formats and fan experiences, under one umbrella holding company. While maintaining their unique identities and formats, the consolidation promises to streamline the professional pickleball calendar, providing fans, players, and sponsors with an enhanced and cohesive experience throughout the season.
Over 150 professional pickleball players, including the world's top-ranked athletes, have committed to multi-year contracts with the unified entity. The merger introduces an expanded calendar, seamlessly integrating individual (PPA Tour) and team-based (MLP) events, thereby enriching the sport's landscape and providing players with increased earning opportunities. Annual player payouts are anticipated to surge by nearly 250% compared to 2023, underscoring the newfound viability of professional pickleball careers.
PPA Tour Founder and CEO Connor Pardoe expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Today marks an exciting milestone for all stakeholders in the pickleball community. The amalgamation of MLP and the PPA Tour represents a significant step forward in cultivating a sustainable ecosystem where top-tier athletes can showcase their talents across both exhilarating pickleball formats."
MLP CEO Bruce Popko echoed Pardoe's sentiment, emphasizing the merger's pivotal role in propelling professional pickleball to new heights. "This merger heralds a new era of growth for our sport. The combined resources and networks of the PPA Tour and MLP will not only elevate the professional game but also benefit stakeholders across the board, from sponsors to venue operators."
The 2024 Carvana PPA Tour will feature a comprehensive calendar of events, commencing with the PPA Tour: The Masters in Palm Springs, California, and culminating in the PPA Tour Finals in San Clemente, California. Meanwhile, the 2024 MLP season schedule will showcase a series of regular season events, culminating in the MLP Playoffs in November, offering a compelling blend of individual and team-based competition.
The newly formed parent company's board of directors boasts an impressive lineup of industry luminaries, investors, and sports personalities, including Jason Stein from SC Holdings, Al Tylis, Matt Turney from Dundon Capital Partners, Julio DePietro, and former Goldman Sachs Partner Brian Levine.
About MLP by Margaritaville, MLP by Margaritaville (Major League Pickleball) stands as the premier team-based professional pickleball league, featuring over 100 top athletes across 24 teams, a unique coed format, and electrifying live events. For more information, visit the official website and follow MLP on social media platforms.
About Carvana PPA Tour, Founded in 2019, the Carvana PPA Tour serves as the pinnacle of professional pickleball, hosting tournaments at world-class facilities and offering unparalleled fan experiences. For more information, visit the official website and follow PPA Tour on social media platforms.
Vivienne David Discusses Special Bond With Partner, Grueling Training Routine and Bigger Purpose Behind Sport
In the latest episode of The MaryGoRound Podcast hosted by up-and-coming professional pickleball player Mary Brascia, Mixed Doubles Mesa silver medalist Vivienne David provided unique insight into her rapid rise in the fast-growing sport over the past few years.
Known for her signature smile and positive attitude both on and off the court, David detailed the special partnership she has formed with fellow pro Thomas Wilson, gave listeners an inside look into her intense daily training regimen, and explained how her Christian faith helps provide important perspective as her star continues to grow brighter in the pickleball world.
Mesa Recap 0:37
Fresh off a second place mixed doubles finish alongside Thomas Wilson at last weekend's professional tournament in Mesa, Arizona, David was still beaming from the experience days later during her podcast interview with Brascia.
"This past weekend has been one of my favorites for multiple reasons," David said, citing the energetic crowd and thrilling opportunity to compete in a nationally-televised championship match on Fox Sports as major highlights.
Intro to Vivienne David 4:57
The 27-year-old Canadian native introduced herself to the audience by sharing her unique upbringing as part of a large, tight-knit family that moved across the world while she was young before eventually settling down in Florida. David explained that she originally had dreams of going pro in tennis, even competing at a high level during her early teen years. However, burnout led to her quitting the sport entirely for a while to focus on other pursuits.
It wasn't until her father opened up a tennis retail store in Naples, Florida years later that David first discovered the pickleball paddles and balls being sold. After watching the small sport slowly gain steam in her community, she decided to give it a try herself around 2018. And the rest is history.
PPA Mesa Experience/Championship Sunday 5:50
David and Brascia took a deep dive into the electric atmosphere David experienced playing in the final match on Championship Sunday of last weekend's professional tournament in Mesa alongside her trusted partner Thomas Wilson.
"The Arizona crowd was just unreal," David gushed. "They were so loud, so supportive." She went on to describe the exhilarating feeling of having fans clapping rhythmically as she prepared to serve key points, pushing her to raise her level of play. "The love and support you feel from the crowd is just amazing," David added. Despite ultimately coming up just short of the title, David made it clear this PPA event would go down as an unforgettable high point of her career thus far.
Playing on National TV 7:22
While David admitted she did not feel an overwhelming sense of nerves leading up to the nationally-televised final thanks to staying focused on enjoying the moment with Wilson, she understood why the high-stakes opportunity could cause anxiety for some.
When asked how she remained loose and confident despite the cameras, David credited the lighthearted dynamic she shares both on and off the court with her partner. "Having that partner beside me just loosens me up," she noted. "Thomas knows how to keep things fun and relaxed."
The special partnership of Vivienne and Thomas 8:35
The deep connection David and Wilson have developed into both a powerful professional partnership as well as a close personal friendship stood out as another key theme throughout David's podcast interview.
She described feeling as comfortable around Wilson as she does with her own brother, resulting in plenty of laughing and joking even during the heat of high-level competitions. "We have very similar views on a lot of stuff," David explained. "Perspective is huge." She added that they make a point not to put excessive pressure on themselves to perform well at every tournament, instead just enjoying getting to share their journey together.
Origin story and how Vivienne got into pickleball 10:42
While casual pickleball fans may know Vivienne David for her trademark positivity on the court as she has rapidly ascended the sport's ranks the past few years, her full origin story before entering the scene remained relatively unknown until she shared more details during this week's revealing podcast interview.
David told Brascia and listeners that her first introduction to pickleball came around 2012 while working at her father's Florida tennis shop. A customer suggested to her dad that he should consider selling pickleball gear to cater to the local community as interest seemed to be picking up steam at the time, though many still viewed it as more of a sport for elderly participants.
Initially hesitant to take her father's customer's advice, over the next few years David slowly began witnessing the sport's growth firsthand.
She ultimately decided to start trying her hand at playing pickleball herself using the equipment from her dad's shop in 2018. And though pickleball felt entirely foreign early on as a former tennis player used to blazing serves and quick reactions, David stuck with it and found she enjoyed the slower pace, creativity and social nature.
After entering her first professional singles tournament on a whim shortly after picking up a pickleball paddle for the first time, David shockingly came away as the champion (2019 World Pickleball Championship WS), surprising both herself and the more established competitors. From there, she was hooked. Now with a few years of dedicated practice and tournament experience under her belt, Vivienne David has become one of the most popular and prominent young stars that the sport of pickleball has to offer.
A day in the life of Vivienne David 15:52
Far from a hobby or part-time endeavor, David made it clear that she has fully committed herself to the grind required to continue improving in pickleball as her profile rises. When asked by Brascia to describe what her average training day looks like, David emphasized the importance of both on-court drills and physical conditioning while admitting she also recognizes a greater need lately to focus on proper rest and recovery techniques.
Mornings start early for the self-proclaimed morning person, usually waking up around 6am to read her Bible and create a healthy breakfast. Then some combination of cardio, strength training, drilling and live gameplay follows over the next several hours. David highlighted her beneficial move to New Braunfels, Texas to train more regularly alongside mixed doubles partner Thomas Wilson as a key factor in her development. Later in the evenings, David mentioned prioritizing activities like stretching or contrast baths to allow her body to adequately recover for the following intense day of training.
Clearly this rising young star spares no effort or expense when it comes to fully dedicating herself to improving her craft as she now pursues a professional pickleball career. Her unmatched drive couples with her uplifting on-court presence likely signals even greater things on the horizon for Vivienne David.
What one thing are you working on in the drill sessions? 21:06
True superstars like David realize complacency can be worse than having actual areas of weakness when it comes to athletic development. So when Brascia questioned what particular skill or strategy David has been focused on honing lately during her regular drilling blocks with coach and training partner Thomas Wilson, the introspective up-and-comer had a thoughtful answer ready to share.
David explained that despite traditionally playing a right side role effectively early on when paired up with stronger male partners in mixed doubles matches, she wants to feel just as capable controlling points from the left side as well. "I think my brain was naturally inclined to always seeing the court from that [right] side," she admitted after years of exclusive play on that 50% of the court with her backhand leading.
So David has dedicated a large chunk of recent practice time to gaining a better view and feel for covering the court from the left while needing to properly defend the middle with less natural forehand angles. She is also focused on building confidence in that uncomfortable role, acknowledging that nerves from inexperience can sometimes still creep in.
But by diligently drilling left side play while making sure to still keep things lighthearted and low pressure alongside supportive partners like Wilson, David knows the breakthrough to become a more complete and dangerous two-way player is coming soon.
Drilling 24:36
Considering David had already touched on incorporating smarter rest and recovery techniques into her schedule earlier when detailing a typical day of training, Brascia circled back to that conversation thread by asking David to expand more on her general viewpoint of drilling.
While acknowledging both structured repetition and playing out live points have value improving areas of opportunity, David firmly categorized herself as someone who prefers more mindless, high-volume drilling compared to her bootcamp training partner and men's pro Hasselbach. She explained how implementing defined limits of play like 11-point games or timed rounds adds unnecessary mental strain for her.
"Once I put points on it, I'm not as free and loose to try out new things," she told Brascia. David also described the importance of making sure drilling remains enjoyable by choosing partners who share a similar upbeat temperament. Too much unnecessary rigidity risks sucking all the natural fun out of drilling.
So while David assured she does sprinkle in her fair share of lower-stakes competitive points against quality challengers, she finds the most value from drill-heavy sessions that allow her to organically experiment with new strategies.
Favorite pickleball memories 25:51
Though still fresh in her long-term memory thanks to happening fewer than 72 hours prior to the podcast recording, David ranked her run to the finals of the Arizona PPA mixed doubles tournament alongside Thomas Wilson as an early front-runner for favorite career pickleball memory thus far.
She highlighted the electric atmosphere created by the passionate local fans, rarely experiencing that type of nonstop, genuine crowd support even compared to her junior tennis days. David also noted a feeling of pure invincibility running through her and Thomas throughout an early-round upset win over the No. 2 seeded duo, seeming incapable of hitting anything except precision winners.
While she wishes they could have finished the championship run by closing out gold, David still classifies the entire inspiring weekend as undoubtedly unforgettable.
Favorite: Desert, Ice Cream Flavor, Karaoke Song 29:09
Bringing some lighter, more playful vibes back to the chat, host Brascia rattled off several fun personal preference questions for David to close out the show. When asked about her favorite indulgent dessert, David kept the choice simple: chocolate chip cookies. Though she did suggest her homemade cookies taste even better than classic brands thanks to getting the textures just right.
In the frozen arena, David lands firmly on the classic cookies and cream camp when deciding ice cream flavor preferences. And while admitting she doesn't have much firsthand karaoke experience to draw from, David predicted she would likely end up picking a popular Disney movie ballad to sing as her go-to selection thanks to growing up loving films like Mulan.
The role of faith in Vivienne's pickleball journey 31:34
Lastly, the discussion circled back to deeper themes as Brascia asked David about the role her Christian faith plays in how she approaches and views her bourgeoning career as a professional pickleball player.
David emphasized that while grateful for the immense blessings current success in the sport has brought, she works daily to keep her priorities in proper perspective understanding that her identity and purpose is found beyond any worldly accolades or championships accumulated.
"Pickleball doesn't define who I am — it's something added to my life that I'm thankful for," David noted, explaining how this heavenly mindset allows her to play with authentic joy and lightheartedness rather than becoming overwhelmed by pressure. By constantly seeking God's direction and trusting His timing, David classifies this open door into professional pickleball currently as nothing short of a "gift from the Lord." She hopes to steward the opportunity faithfully by reflecting Jesus's love to all.
So while pickleball fans best recognize Vivienne David for her gritty play and cheerful antics inside the lines, a closer look reveals a thoughtful young woman walking closely with Christ. And that relationship promises to ground David and shape her path forward as the spotlight of success continues intensifying.
9:09 Favorite: Desert, Ice Cream Flavor, Karaoke Song
31:34 The role of faith in Vivienne's pickleball journey
The Viv Quiz
1. Where did Vivienne initially move from at a young age before settling in Florida?
a) Czech Republic
b) Canada
c) Slovakia
d) Russia
2. What sport did Vivienne originally compete seriously in before burning out as a teenager?
a) Soccer
b) Tennis
c) Basketball
d) Volleyball
3. When did Vivienne first start playing pickleball?
a) 2012
b) 2015
c) 2018
d) 2021
4. What event did Vivienne surprisingly win in her first ever pickleball tournament entered?
a) Doubles
b) Mixed Doubles
c) Singles
d) Team
5. Where did Vivienne recently move to train more regularly with her mixed doubles partner Thomas Hasselbach?
a) California
b) Texas
c) Florida
d) Arizona
6. What is Vivienne's favorite dessert?
a) Brownies
b) Cookies
c) Cake
d) Ice cream
7. What is Vivienne's favorite Disney movie that she would likely sing a song from at karaoke?
a) The Little Mermaid
b) Mulan
c) Frozen
d) Moana
8. How does Vivienne's Christian faith impact her approach to her pickleball career?
a) She prays before every match
b) She feels no pressure because her identity is not based on results
c) She credits God for all of her success
d) She tries to be a positive role model
9. Why does Vivienne enjoy drilling more than playing out points?
a) It allows her to work on skills without pressure
b) She likes the repetitive nature
c) It's lower intensity
d) She gets bored playing too many games
10. What is one area of Vivienne's game she has focused on improving recently?
a) Serving
b) Volleys
c) Returning serves
d) Playing on the left side
Answer Key:
b
b
c
c
b
b
b
b
a
d
Vivienne's Time to Shine
Vivienne David's got that glow,
her signature smile lights up the show
This rising star of pickleball
brings a positive attitude overall
She moved from Canada when just a young one,
her family needing some fun in the sun
Settled down in Naples, Florida - her dad soon opened a tennis store-
He started selling paddles and balls,
as pickleball started knocking down walls
Viv didn't think she would give it a spin,
thought it was just for older women and men
But in 2018 she finally tried her hand,
just using gear right there from her dad's brand
She entered a tournament on a whim,
and would you believe it - she easily took the win!
Her first ever time playing singles comp,
she shocked herself rising right to the top
Vivienne David's clearly got insane fashion and flair
Partnered with Thomas often, those two make quite the pair
Their chemistry's so perfect on and off court,
keeping things fun and relaxed is their first thought
Viv credits their bond for flowing success,
not putting on pressure but instead making each match a blessings
Viv wakes up early to start every day bright,
balances weights, cardio and drills - she's always ready to fight
Admits she prefers just to mindlessly drill,
not needing to put games and points into the skill
Allows her to loosely try new things out,
failure ain't something she frets or pouts about
Especially working to improve on the left side,
feeling more comfortable turn by turn, point by point, backhand or forehand - Viv is ready to ride
While her identity comes not from any earthly success,
she sees pickleball as a true godly bless
Not defined by her status, awards or fans,
her purpose and peace comes from higher plans
So as her star rises bright in this world of ours,
Vivienne David blooms strong thanks to heavenly powers
That signature smile will continue to shine on all those around,
her joyful legacy is already profound
We invite you to join in cheering her name,
as Vivienne David plays her way into the Pickleball Hall Of Fame!
