The U.S. Open Pickleball Championships is an annual pickleball tournament that has been held since 2016 at the East Naples Community Park in Naples, Florida.[1] Its sixth and most recent event in 2022 featured 35,000 attendees and 3,000 players competing over the course of seven days.[2] The competition consists of five pro-level championships: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles.[1] Other non-professional tournaments at the event are categorized by age and/or skill level[3] with participants chosen based on a lottery system.[4] It is considered the largest event for the sport of pickleball.[5]
The U.S. Open Pickleball Championships were founded by Terri Graham and Chris Evon through their sports development firm, Spirit Promotions.[6] The first event was held in 2016 with around 800 participants and 2,000 spectators.[2] Since the tournament's inception, portions of it have been televised by CBS Sports Network,[6] typically on tape delay. The men's and women's doubles championships have been broadcast live by the network for both the 2021 and 2022 editions.[1] The event's current sponsors include Minto and Margaritaville.[5]
References edit
- ^ a b c Hardwig, Greg (April 22, 2022). "Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships back in Naples and bigger than ever". Naples Daily News. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Roesler, Samantha (November 9, 2022). "Pickleball industry receives $670K grant in Collier County". Gulfshore Business. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ Payne, Devin (May 15, 2022). "Pickleball is more than just a hobby for Orange County's Todd Edwards". Culpeper Star Exponent. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ Traver, Anna (May 21, 2021). "Thinh Nguyen of Adrian wins gold in men's singles at U.S. Open Pickleball Championships". The Daily Telegram. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Golden, Jessica (January 5, 2023). "Pickleball popularity exploded last year, with more than 36 million playing the sport". CNBC. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Luberecki, Beth (May 20, 2016). "Spirited games". Business Observer. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
External links edit
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