Chris is joined by Theo Young, the organiser of the DUPR UK University Pickleball Championships, powered by JOOLA and sanctioned by Pickleball England.

Taking place at Courtzside in Stourbridge on 30 May, the event brings together university teams from across the UK for the first competition of its kind in the country.

Theo talks about building the event from scratch, what UK pickleball can learn from the US college scene, why university sport matters, and how younger players could help reshape the image of pickleball in Britain.

The conversation also covers Oxford, Cambridge, DUPR, JOOLA, purpose-built courts, livestreaming, team formats, dreambreakers, New Wave Pickleball Club, and why pickleball needs to look younger, sharper and more fun.

In this episode of the World Pickleball Podcast, Chris speaks to Calvin Innes, an award-winning creative director, fandom strategist and co-founder of The Forge, about one of pickleball’s biggest unanswered questions: how does the sport turn millions of players into genuine fans?

Calvin explains why participation alone is not enough, what pickleball can learn from Formula 1, UFC, cricket and other sports, and why storytelling, personalities, rivalries, behind-the-scenes access and fan-led content may matter as much as tournaments and results.

The discussion also explores the English Open, Olympic ambitions, the difference between players and fans, and why pickleball’s quirks may be some of its biggest assets.

Atlanta is already doing what it always does at this stage of the season — putting pressure on players who are not quite safe.

This week, we break down why the PPA Finals cut line matters more than the title itself, and how early-round matches are starting to shape entire seasons.

From there, we get into the new UPA rulebook and the confusion around rally scoring. There isn’t one version of pickleball anymore, and players are starting to feel that gap between the pro game and what they play locally.

We then look at Vanshik Kapadia’s run of results on the WPC circuit and what it says about India. This is not just a player story. It is what happens when a system starts to form.

That links directly to Lee Whitwell’s point — if the sport keeps tightening at the top, what happens to the players underneath it?

We also touch on the APP’s 12-minute format experiment in Sacramento, Ly Hoang Nam’s withdrawal from the PPA Asia event, and what we are watching next across Atlanta, Tweed Heads and Northern California.

No big claims. Just what is actually happening.

Lee Whitwell joins the World Pickleball Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond results.

The reigning senior pro star and Game ChangeHER co-founder breaks down the US Open, the growth of the English Open, and why pickleball still struggles as a spectator sport. More importantly, she explains why the future of the game will not be decided by the pro tour, but by the millions of players who show up to courts every week.

We also get into paddle sponsorships, grassroots coaching, the psychology of competition, and how pickleball creates something most sports don’t — a genuine sense of belonging.

If you care about where the sport is heading, this is one to listen to.

What makes pickleball so addictive?

In this episode, Chris sits down with Clare Frank — former California fire chief, author, and lifelong athlete — to unpack a question most players feel but rarely explain.

After a health scare, Clare realised she feared losing pickleball more than the diagnosis itself. That moment sent her on a one-year journey across the US to understand why the sport has such a powerful hold on people.

From playing in a maximum security prison to chasing games in the rain like an addict, to competing in a Down Syndrome tournament in memory of her sister, this is not a typical pickleball story.

It’s about:

• why pickleball hooks people faster than any other sport
• how it blends competition, community and dopamine in a way nothing else does
• and why the game feels the same whether you’re in a prison yard or your local club

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t stop playing… this one explains it.

Melissa McCurley helped build the modern pickleball world long before most people realised what the sport could become.

In this episode of the World Pickleball Podcast, Chris Beaumont sits down with the 2025 Pickleball Hall of Fame inductee, former PickleballTournaments.com CEO, US Open architect, national TV commentator, and current APP executive to talk about the work that turned pickleball from a driveway game into a professional sport with real structure.

Melissa explains how the US Open became the sport’s Super Bowl, why early TV exposure changed everything, what it was like to become the first woman to commentate pickleball on national television, and how tournament operations, player ratings, and professional standards evolved during the sport’s most important growth phase.

This is also a conversation about what still needs fixing. Melissa talks about the sport getting in its own way, the need for stronger global alignment, why history still matters, and what pickleball must do next if it wants to become something that lasts.

If you want to understand how modern pickleball was built, and what comes next, this is the episode.

In this episode:

• Melissa McCurley on building the US Open into a bucket-list event
• How PickleballTournaments.com changed the sport
• The first years of pickleball on CBS Sports
• Why player trust matters in commentary
• The origins of UTPR and rating systems in pickleball
• Melissa’s role at the APP
• Why pickleball still needs more structure
• The tension between the sport’s history and its future

Follow World Pickleball Magazine for global pickleball news, analysis, rankings, tournaments, and the weekly World Pickleball Report.

In this episode of the World Pickleball Podcast, host Chris Beaumont and co-host Gordon Watson break down the latest developments across the global pickleball scene, with a sharp focus on PPA Australia, player pathways, and the evolving European landscape.

The discussion opens with a deep dive into the PPA Australia event in Moreton Bay, where a lack of depth in the draw raises bigger questions about participation, cost, and the impact of a growing global calendar. Chris and Gordon explore why fewer players are entering certain events, how rising travel costs are affecting the sport, and whether emerging tours like PPA Asia are beginning to reshape player priorities.

The conversation then turns into a broader debate about competitive standards. What happens when top players are not consistently facing elite opposition? Can regional tours maintain quality while the global game expands? And is pickleball entering a phase where depth, not just talent, becomes the defining factor?

Attention then shifts to Europe, where Louis Laville returns to the RTA Tour and immediately makes an impact with double gold in Stockholm. His rise becomes a case study in what exposure to higher-level competition can do for player development, and what it means for the next phase of European pickleball.

Chris and Gordon also examine the wider implications for the sport, from consistency at the elite level to the importance of playing against top-tier opposition regularly. This is not just about results, it is about how the global structure of pickleball is shaping the level of play itself.

If you want to understand where pickleball is heading, not just what happened last weekend, this episode delivers real insight.

Topics covered:

• PPA Australia Moreton Bay event analysis
• Lack of depth and participation challenges in tournaments
• Impact of rising travel and competition costs
• PPA Asia vs PPA Australia dynamics
• Louis Laville’s return to the European RTA Tour
• Player development through global competition
• Consistency and standards in professional pickleball

Subscribe to the World Pickleball Podcast on Spotify, iTunes, and all major podcast platforms for weekly insight into the stories shaping the global game.

In this episode of the World Pickleball Podcast, Chris Beaumont sits down with one of the most influential figures in European pickleball, Gustaf Getarud, to talk about playing, building and thinking the game at a high level.

Gustaf discusses how a corporate background in leadership and recruitment has shaped his approach on court, why process and problem-solving matter so much in pickleball, and how he has stayed competitive against stronger athletes with deeper racket-sport backgrounds.

The conversation also moves into the bigger picture. Together, Chris and Gustaf look at the changing European tournament scene, the risks of oversaturation, the tension between open competition and exclusivity, and what Europe can learn from the tour wars in the United States.

There is also insight into:

• why European players often approach the game differently from Americans
• how Gustaf adapted after training in the US
• the value of drilling for difficult match situations
• why flexibility of style matters more than many coaches admit
• the players and partnerships to watch in Europe right now
• why Gustaf believes Francesca Romani could become Europe’s number one before the end of the year

If you want a podcast that goes beyond surface-level chat and gets into how European pickleball is actually being built, this is one worth listening to.

Listen on Spotify, iTunes and other major podcast platforms, or find more at worldpickleballmagazine.com.