The US Open Pickleball Championships kick off this week, bringing together players of all levels and showcasing talent from around the world in Naples, Florida.
This year marks the ninth annual US Open and highlights just how far the sport of pickleball has come. Last year, the US Open hosted 3,200 participants, and a record-breaking 6,000+ players entered the lottery to compete this year. Team Selkirk will be out in full force in Naples, looking to take home the trophy at this prestigious tournament.
The pickleball veterans
Some of the veterans in professional pickleball will be competing at the US Open this weekend. Long-time Selkirk-sponsored player Susannah Barr will look to dominate in doubles, pairing up with Bobbi Oshiro in women’s doubles and Brandon Lane in mixed doubles. Barr is a staple on the APP Tour and recently won gold with Oshiro at the APP Sacramento event. They will be aiming for their third gold together in Naples.
Another one to look out for this weekend is Wes Gabrielsen. Gabrielsen is a pioneer of competitive pickleball, and has been competing since 2011. The Pickleball Hall of Famer will compete in four divisions: men’s doubles, mixed doubles, men’s split age, and mixed split age.
International talents
Two of the newer talents on the Selkirk roster are Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall and Emilia Schmidt.
Wang-Beckvall, who grew up in Hawaiʻi, began her pickleball breakthrough after being drafted to the Major League Pickleball Australia team, the Sydney Smash, last year. Since then, she has significantly elevated her game, winning women’s doubles at the Japan Open, signing with the PWR League, and capturing the ESPN Honolulu Open mixed doubles title earlier this month. At the US Open, Wang-Beckvall will team up with Trang Huynh-McClain in women’s doubles and fellow Hawaiʻi talent Kento Tamaki in mixed doubles.
Schmidt was the number one draft pick for Major League Pickleball Australia last year and has since moved from Australia to the US to pursue a professional pickleball career. She won the Next Gen APP singles tournament in San Antonio in February and is now a regular competitor at APP events. At the US Open, Schmidt will partner with Aibika Kalsarieva in women’s doubles and India's No. 1 player, Armaan Bhatia, in mixed doubles.
The US Open will be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network from April 30 to May 3. Tune in to watch exciting pickleball action from the Zing Zang Championship Court!
