$250,000 on the Line… But Where Were the Players?

Hey everybody! 👋

As most of you know, I’ve been diving deep into the pro pickleball scene lately with my weekly YouTube recaps. But I get it—sometimes you don’t have twenty minutes to watch a full breakdown.

So I’m bringing the highlights (and lowlights) straight to your inbox. You’ll still get what I’m up to, key pro tour updates, and some instructional stuff to help your own game too.

This week, we’re talking about a tournament that looked like a game-changer… but ended up feeling more like a reality check.

The LifeTime Open: A Harsh Reality Check

When LifeTime announced a $250,000 prize pool for a singles-only event, the pickleball world perked up. Biggest purse to date. ESPN2 finals. And—finally—a format open to both PPA and non-PPA players.

On paper? Awesome.

In practice? Not so much.

The event started with a bang and ended with a whimper: low turnout, quiet courts, and more questions than answers.

 

Where’d Everyone Go?

LifeTime had space for 512 players. Only 141 showed up.

Big names like Hunter Johnson, Christian Alshon, and Ben Johns were nowhere to be found. Even the #1 APP players, Ammar Wazir and Sofia Sewing, skipped it.

With that many top pros out, the buzz died before the first serve.

Money Talks… But Apparently Not Loud Enough

You’d think $250K would bring in everyone and their kitchen sink. But when players can make more money (and get more exposure) at PPA events, it’s hard to blame them.

The pros are juggling packed schedules already—so unless it’s worth the travel, many just said “pass.” Still, seeing that many APP players stay home was surprising.

Matches That Missed the Mark

Friday’s main draw came and went without much spark. No commentary. Quiet crowd. Just… silence.

There were a few bright spots: Dustin Boyer took out Noe Kliff, and Donald Young dominated Connor Garnett. Chris Haworth thrived with the new LifeTime ball—lots more baseline rallies, which suit his game.

But overall, it felt flat for an event with this kind of hype.

Sunday Showdowns (and Silver Linings)

Federico Staksrud and Chris Haworth met in the men’s final, with Haworth taking home the top prize after adjusting beautifully to the new ball.

On the women’s side, Lea Jansen outlasted Parris Todd to claim the $50K payday.

So, at least the winners made the most of it.

 

My Takeaways from the Weekend

Here’s the honest truth from where I sit:

• UPA (PPA/MLP) still runs the show.

• If Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters aren’t playing, it’s tough to sell tickets.

• Singles is slowly turning into watered-down tennis.

• And best-of-five? Great in theory. Brutal in reality.

Final Thoughts

The LifeTime Open could have been a turning point for pro pickleball—more opportunities, bigger purses, new partnerships. But without buy-in from the top players, it just didn’t deliver.

Hopefully next year, they tweak the format, lock in top talent, and make it the event it deserves to be.

Until then, we’ll chalk it up as a learning experience—and move on to the next stop on tour.

See you out there,
Zane