Zane Navratil Reflects on MLP Playoffs
A Season of Highs, Lows, and Growth for Pickleball’s Premiere League
Zane Navratil shared an in-depth recap of the Major League Pickleball (MLP) playoffs, reflecting on the intense matches, his team's journey, and the evolution of the sport. Despite falling short in the finals, Navratil’s reflections provide valuable insight into the highs and lows of professional pickleball and the challenges that come with a groundbreaking year for the league.
Edited Transcript
Hey everybody, so as you guys know, we lost in three games of the finals of the MLP playoffs last week. Obviously, we’ll get into the finals and whatnot, so if that’s all you’re interested in, you can go ahead and fast forward. But I’m going to start by giving a little bit more context on the weekend.
Heading into the weekend, we had secured the number one seed. The number one seed allowed us to pick our semi-finals opponent, and we had actually strongly considered picking the Dallas Flash, but we decided to go with the Texas Ranchers. In hindsight, that was definitely the right decision.
The USA National Tennis Center was a pretty sick venue. When I heard this was going to be played on a rollout surface, I was pretty disappointed, but I have to say the court was installed perfectly. I can’t even think of a single bad bounce from the entire weekend. Big shout-out to the people who put the court down.
The downside was that the stadium was pretty small. There were a ton of people who wanted seats but couldn’t even get in. I suppose that’s a good thing—we’re starting to sell out these venues and create a waitlist. On Friday, we only had one match against the Texas Ranchers.
We started out with women’s doubles. AL and Mari got up pretty big, but the Ranchers made a massive comeback with the freeze. They were up 24-15, and the Ranchers tied it up all the way at 25, but we ended up taking the last two points to go up 1-0. The men’s match was very close in the first half, but we ran away with it at the side switch to go up 2-0. Maria and I went up against Christian and Etta. Typically, her and I had been playing the stronger team and just trying to be disruptive. Will and Anna Leigh played the weaker team. Since we were up 2-0, Maria and I didn’t have much pressure and clinched the match against one of the best mixed doubles teams in MLP.
Honestly, they didn’t play very well at any time other than women’s, and we played pretty well. We knew we’d see a much better version of that team on Saturday. On the other side of the bracket, the Dallas Flash played the St. Louis Shock. It was a pretty big upset—the Flash swept the Shock. Our team was definitely cheering for the Dallas Flash to take out the Shock because we thought we matched up pretty well against Dallas. We’d beaten them before and lost to them, but we liked our matchup.
On Saturday, we played the Ranchers again. The women won a little easier this time around. Christian and Quang played a lot better too and got a 17-9 lead. Christian got in Will’s face a little bit, and Will may or may not have smacked the ball at him. That created a pretty big momentum shift, and we ended up winning 25-23. The Ranchers put out Quang and Tina first; we responded with Will and Anna Leigh, and they gave us another 3-0 win.
On the other side of the bracket, the Flash took down the Shock. We were happy about that since the Shock were the only team we hadn’t beaten all year. We’d only played them once in Salt Lake City, but we thought the Shock were a better team than the Dallas Flash, to be honest.
On Sunday morning, we played the first match against Dallas. Our women won, Will and I lost, and then Mari and I lost to JW and Jorja. Will and Anna Leigh won to send it to a dreambreaker, which is kind of exactly how we expected this match to play out. We ended up winning the dreambreaker. It was pretty close through the beginning—I clutched 4-0 against Augie, Will had a clutch 3-1 against JW, and AL took it home against Jorja.
After an hour-and-a-half break, it was time for the second match. Four doubles matches went the same way, but the Flash played way better in the dream breaker this time around. Augie tuned me up, going 8-1 against me, and we lost, which sent it to a third match.
Not making any excuses here, but playing three matches in a single day to decide the entire season seems strange to me. We had 13 weeks of regular season, but the most climactic part—the semi-finals and finals—were played over three days. Imagine playing an entire MLB season only for the World Series to be played over two days. Even diehard fans struggle to watch the same teams play each other for six hours in a day.
That’s my thought from a fan perspective. For the players, both teams had equal conditions. It didn’t really advantage one team over another, but due to the scheduling of the entire year, playing the finals in one day was unfortunate. It would have been cool to play each match on one day.
In the third match, we won the coin toss and elected to react to mixed doubles. Will and I took a huge 1-0 lead by beating Augie and JW for the first time in the series. Tyra and Jorga flipped that match, so we were tied at 1-1. Mari and I made a huge run to tie it at 24, but JW and Jorga ended up beating us 27-25. Once again, Will and Anna Leigh needed to step up to push us to a dreambreaker, but Augie and Tyra played some of their best and got the 3-1 win for the Flash.
People were quick to criticize Anna Leigh and Will for not showing up to the trophy ceremony, but I take some blame. MLP told us the entire team didn’t need to be present. I told Will and AL that I’d take care of it. I didn’t play the final mixed doubles match, so I had a few minutes to calm down after my loss and compose myself. I also don’t think they owe it to anyone to pretend to be happy.
The Dallas Flash genuinely earned their win. We came into the playoffs as the number one seed, mid-season champions, and the team that won more matches than anyone else throughout the year. Not only did they beat us, but they also had to beat the St. Louis Shock. It’ll be interesting to see the format for Major League Pickleball next year. Each team will need to release at least one player to free agency, and the top four Challenger teams will be promoted to Premier level.
I’m obviously disappointed we didn’t win, but we had a season to be proud of. Whether you liked us or hated us, I think the 5s were the team Major League Pickleball needed for this first regular season year. Whether you cheered for us or against us, we got people cheering and engaging, which is huge for the sport’s growth.
Thank you for watching the 5s and Major League Pickleball. It was special to be part of the first year with a full regular season. While we’re disappointed in the loss, it’ll be cool to look back in 10 or 20 years and say we were part of the very first legitimate year-long MLP final. ###
Edited Article
Clutch Moments and Hard Lessons: Zane Navratil Recaps the MLP Playoffs
A Deep Dive into a Dramatic Finale in Major League Pickleball’s First Full Season
Major League Pickleball’s 2024 playoffs delivered everything fans could hope for—nail-biting matches, standout performances, and a climactic showdown that crowned the Dallas Flash as champions. For Zane Navratil, captain of the New Jersey 5s, the playoffs were a rollercoaster of emotions, culminating in a hard-fought loss in the finals. In a candid reflection, Navratil dissected his team’s journey, the playoff format, and the evolution of the sport itself. His insights offer a window into the intensity and camaraderie that define pickleball’s burgeoning professional scene.
Rising Expectations and Early Decisions
As the top-seeded team heading into the playoffs, the 5s had a strategic advantage: selecting their semifinal opponent. Navratil explained the rationale behind their choice. “We had strongly considered picking the Dallas Flash but decided to go with the Texas Ranchers. In hindsight, that was definitely the right decision,” he said.
The playoffs were held at the USA National Tennis Center, a venue Navratil praised for its flawless court conditions despite initial skepticism about its rollout surface. “I was disappointed when I heard about the surface, but I can’t even think of a single bad bounce all weekend. Big shout-out to the people who put the court down,” he added.
However, the small stadium size proved to be a double-edged sword. “There were a ton of people who wanted seats but couldn’t even get in. I suppose that’s a good thing—we’re starting to sell out these venues and create a waitlist,” Navratil observed.
Friday: A Strong Start Against the Ranchers
The 5s opened their playoff run with a commanding performance against the Texas Ranchers. Women’s doubles set the tone with a thrilling victory in a freeze situation, while men’s doubles and mixed doubles clinched a 3-0 sweep. Reflecting on the match, Navratil noted, “Honestly, they didn’t play very well at any line other than women’s, and we played pretty well. We knew we’d see a much better version of that team on Saturday.”
Saturday: Testing the Rivalry
Saturday brought another showdown with the Ranchers. This time, the matches were tighter, and emotions ran high. A heated exchange during the men’s doubles match sparked a pivotal momentum shift. “Christian got in Will’s face a little bit, and Will may or may not have smacked the ball at him. That created a pretty big momentum shift, and we ended up winning 25-23,” Navratil recounted.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Flash upset the St. Louis Shock on the other side of the bracket, a result that pleased the 5s. “The Shock were the only team we hadn’t beaten all year,” Navratil admitted. “We thought the Shock were a better team than Dallas.”
Sunday: A Grueling Battle for the Title
The finals on Sunday turned into an endurance test, with three matches played in a single day. The 5s narrowly edged out the Flash in the first match, thanks to clutch performances in the dream breaker. Navratil highlighted key moments: “I clutched 4-0 against Augie, Will had a clutch 3-1 against JW, and AL took it home against Jorja.”
However, the Flash roared back in the second match, dominating the dream breaker to force a decisive third match. Fatigue became a significant factor as the day wore on. “Not making any excuses here, but playing three matches in a single day to decide the entire season seems strange to me,” Navratil said. He compared the compressed schedule to an MLB World Series being crammed into two days.
In the final showdown, the 5s fell just short. Despite a valiant effort in mixed doubles, the Flash secured a 3-1 victory and the championship title. Navratil was quick to credit the Flash’s resilience: “The Dallas Flash genuinely earned their win. Not only did they beat us, but they also had to beat the St. Louis Shock.”
Looking Ahead
While the loss stung, Navratil emphasized the bigger picture. “We had a season to be proud of. Whether you liked us or hated us, I think the 5s were the team Major League Pickleball needed for this first regular season year,” he said. He also expressed excitement about the league’s future, including potential changes to the playoff format and team rosters.
Navratil’s reflections underscored the emotional and physical demands of professional pickleball while celebrating its rapid growth. “It’ll be cool to look back in 10 or 20 years and say we were part of the very first legitimate year-long MLP final,” he concluded.
Summary
The 2024 Major League Pickleball playoffs marked a milestone for the sport, showcasing its rising popularity and competitive intensity. Zane Navratil’s detailed recap offered a behind-the-scenes look at the New Jersey 5s’ journey, from strategic decisions to pivotal moments on the court. While the 5s fell short in the finals, their performance highlighted the league’s progress and potential. Navratil’s candid reflections, combined with his forward-looking perspective, capture the essence of a sport on the cusp of a new era.
