Pickleball’s Olympic Momentum Is Picking Up

Global updates, player stories, and the moves shaping pickleball this week.

Author

Empower Pickleball
December 02, 2025

We hope your Thanksgiving came with extra calories, your Black Friday weekend came with too many pickleball deals, and you’ve still got room on your list for a few more things you absolutely don’t need but will definitely buy anyway.

While the international side of pickleball is stepping into a more serious chapter, we’re taking our own step forward too. Tomorrow we’ll be at the Massachusetts Conference for Women, connecting with potential players, leaders, and brands who care about where this sport is heading (and maybe introducing pickleball to a few women who’ve never touched a paddle).

Inside:

  • The Olympic conversation picks up real speed

  • When your partner becomes the real opponent

  • How one kid’s autograph turned into ambition

  • JOOLA opens a retail store (yes, a real one)

🌍 Pickleball’s Global Power Shift Has Begun

Street Pickleball Ortigas where GPF Delegates attended open play

Pickleball is quietly entering its “grown-up” era. The days of scattered leadership, competing federations, and global confusion are giving way to something far more serious: structure, intention, and international focus.

Two weeks ago, the sport took its biggest political step forward with the merger of UWPF and GPF.
This week, that structure came to life on the streets of Manila.

And next? The Olympic conversation just got real.

The Move That Changed Everything

The merger of UWPF and GPF created something pickleball has never had before:

One global federation.

That means:

  • centralized leadership

  • aligned rules and standards

  • a credible pathway toward Olympic recognition.

👉 Read our full breakdown on what the merger means for players and the sport’s future.

Why the World Gathered in the Philippines

Leadership is nothing without presence. And that’s where Manila stepped in.

Nearly 40 countries descended on the Philippines for the GPF Global Pickleball Congress—and delegates didn’t stay inside conference rooms. They played in the streets. Literally.

Manila wasn’t chosen by accident. Pickleball in the Philippines grew on pavement, in villages, neighborhoods, and public spaces.

GPF’s message was blunt:
‘Manila is the future of pickleball.’

What It Takes to Become an Olympic Sport

Pickleball won’t be going to the Olympics in 2028.
2032 is the earliest realistic window—and even that’s aggressive.

Here’s what the IOC requires before they even listen:

  • men competing in 75+ countries across 4 continents

  • women competing in 40+ countries across 3 continents

  • one uncontested international governing body

  • World Anti-Doping Agency compliance

  • consistent rules and international competition standards

For the first time, pickleball checks one major box:

Unified leadership.

Global growth is real—and no longer just U.S.-driven.

If you want to understand where the sport is going—not just what’s trending—you’re in the right place.

👉 Read our original deep dive on the global merger.

🌎 Around the Picklesphere

🧊 The calm player usually wins
🎙️ Courtside stories from Pickleball Kingdom
🏗️ License plates that fund new courts
🌐 Indoor courts are exploding

🤝 When Your Partner Is the Real Opponent

BRING THIS TO THE COURT: If you’ve played long enough, you’ve met that partner—the eye-roller, the under-their-breath mutterer, the “clearly it was your fault” specialist. Here’s how to get through the game without letting their chaos hijack yours:

1. Protect your joy

You’re out there to play, sweat, and maybe laugh a little. Don’t hand over the steering wheel to someone who forgot why they showed up.

2. Don’t bite the hook

Their snark isn’t an invitation. Let the next rally be your reset button and keep your energy clean.

3. Set the tone yourself

A quick “We’re fine” or paddle tap can shift things faster than you think. Even if it doesn’t fix them, it keeps you steady.

4. Adjust the plan, not your personality

If they’re struggling, tweak your positioning or communication so you can get through the game without a meltdown audit mid-rally.

5. Know when you’re done

If their behavior crosses the line from annoying to draining, you don’t owe them another match. Boundaries exist for a reason.

The real takeaway: A tough partner is temporary. Your mindset is the thing that actually sticks with you—and it’s completely within your control. Handle the moment, finish the game, and choose better company next time.

👉 Read the full article by Senior Pro Gina Cilento.

The Court That Turns Your Backyard Into a Hotspot

Forget hot tubs and fire pits—a VersaCourt is the upgrade that actually gets used. The cushioned tiles stay cooler, protect your joints, and hold up game after game without the cracks and upkeep of concrete.

And it’s not just for pickleball. From basketball to shuffleboard, VersaCourt turns your space into a true neighborhood hangout—the kind of place where friends show up with paddles and kids stick around longer.

👉 Exclusive for Empower Pickleball readers: Use code EMPOWER for 10% off Pickleball Performance Tiles.

👟 Small Moments That Shape Future Players

Pickleball pros are surprisingly accessible, and for kids, that changes everything. A quick autograph, a mid-match question, or a few shared shots can flip a switch—turning “this is fun” into “I want to be out there someday.” That’s what happened for JZ Holmes after a chance with Jay Devilliers, for Micah Yeboah when Anna Leigh Waters let him call a serve, and for countless kids who’ve gotten a mini-rally with Andrei Daescu after a match.

These tiny interactions stick. They build confidence, spark ambition, and quietly shape the next wave of players who’ll push the sport forward.

👉 Read the full story behind the moments that matter.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The Ball That Built the Game

Contributed by Jennifer Lucore, Pickleball Hall of Famer and historian—author of History of Pickleball — More Than 50 Years of Fun! • Visit allpickleball.com 

🛍️ JOOLA Opens Its First Retail Store: Smart Move or Risky Bet?

JOOLA opened a full-fledged retail store at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda over the weekend—not a warehouse sale, not a pop-up, a real walk-in pickleball shop with demo gear, exclusives, and Ben Johns signing paddles during the grand opening. It’s one of the first major manufacturers to take a swing at standalone retail in pickleball.

It’s bold… and honestly, it’s a gamble.

On one hand, it’s exciting. Players get hands-on testing, actual advice from real humans, and a brand experience you can’t replicate online. And if any market can support something like this, it’s Bethesda—JOOLA already has deep roots there.

But the retail reality is rough.

Carrying every paddle variation, grip size, apparel run, and ball type is expensive. Inventory turnover in pickleball is slow. Players are notorious for trying gear in person and then buying online. Even Pickleball Central tried a physical store and eventually shut it down.

So the big question isn’t why JOOLA did it.
It’s whether this can scale—or if Bethesda is a one-city exception.

Either way, JOOLA gets points for taking a swing—not many other brands put their name on the line like this yet.

👉 The JOOLA Store at Pike & Rose is open Monday through Saturday 11-7 and Sunday 12-5.

Do manufacturer-owned pickleball stores have a real future?

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