Pickleball Archives - JOOLA Global

JOOLA Becomes Official Paddle Sponsor of Life Time Pickleball

Kristen van Dernoot — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 13:39:29 +0000

JOOLA forms strategic alliance with Life Time as sport continues its explosive growth

New York, NY (3/27/23) – JOOLA today announced an agreement with Life Time (NYSE: LTH), the nation’s premier healthy lifestyle brand, to serve as an exclusive sponsor of Life Time Pickleball.

JOOLA will be the primary pickleball paddle sponsor across all Life Time athletic country clubs offering indoor and outdoor pickleball courts. Members will have access to use JOOLA paddles during open play, and Life time’s branded adult beginning Play Learn Love program and paddles will also be available for sale at Life Time’s Pro Shops, LifeCafes, and online.2

JOOLA will also host clinics and events across Life Time’s locations with special appearances by pro players and coaches to help grow the sport within the communities it serves.

JOOLA CEO and Owner Richard Lee says, “We are very excited to announce our partnership with Life Time. Their athletic country clubs are world class and the addition of so many permanent pickleball courts is fostering the growth of this incredible sport.”

Bahram Akradi, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Life Time, says “With the existing footprint of our athletic country clubs and our incredible coaches and teaching pros, we saw the opportunity to lead this sport and we took it. We are not just the largest provider of pickleball but also the best, and now we’re thrilled our members will have access to JOOLA’s paddles and offerings.” 

Since the start of 2022, Life Time has built indoor and outdoor pickleball courts at a rate of five new permanent courts each week, many with viewing areas, stadium seating, social lounges, and more. With its growth, the company has fast become the largest owner and operator of permanent pickleball courts in the country, exceeding 500 courts companywide, with plans to top 1,000 by the end of 2024

Committing to their strategy to grow the sport of pickleball, Life Time has adopted the DUPR, a pickleball rating system, partners with both Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) to serve as a tournament host location.

About JOOLA

JOOLA has been a pioneer in table tennis since its establishment in 1952. In 2022, its expansion into pickleball quickly attracted the biggest names in the sport. As a sponsor of both the PPA and APP Tours and to top athletes in the game, the team at JOOLA combines its expertise with fresh perspectives to bring synergy and innovation to the pickleball market. JOOLA creates a variety of equipment, apparel, and accessories for pickleball players, both professional and recreational. JOOLA is based in Rockville, MD, and is owned by Sport Squad, Inc. Learn more about JOOLA and see why the sport’s best are joining Team JOOLA by visiting joolausa.com.

About Life Time, Inc.

Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its portfolio of more than 160 athletic country clubs across the United States and Canada. The Company’s healthy way of life communities and ecosystem address all aspects of healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment for people 90 days to 90+ years old. Supported by a team of more than 34,000 dedicated professionals, Life Time is committed to providing the best programs and experiences through its clubs, iconic athletic events and comprehensive digital platform. https://www.lifetime.life/

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Amy Wang Victorious at WTT Feeder Fort Lauderdale

Matt Hetherington — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 20:05:01 +0000

Team JOOLA had a highly successful run at the 2022 WTT Feeder Fort Lauderdale event at the Broward Table Tennis Club in Florida, USA. Of the 5 podium events, JOOLA pro players took home 4 of the titles – the Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles, Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Amy Wang took home the big crown with her first WTT Singles Championship.

The Mixed Doubles was the first event to conclude, with the experienced pairing of Lubomir Pistej and Barbora Balazova sweeping the field of competitors to add another title to their stellar careers.

Pistej followed up on the success by also taking the Men’s Doubles crown with countryman Jakub Zelinka, though they had to climb their way back from a 2-1 deficit in their semifinal, and the final stage saw the first two games go to deuce. Close encounters, but a second gold for Pistej in the event.

Lily Zhang and Barbora Balazova paired together again following their debut earlier in the year, where they reached the WTT Contender Muscat final together. The team chemistry held as they overcame Amy Wang and Rachel Sung in a very close 5 game clash.

The Women’s Singles was the star event for Team JOOLA with a number of players competing. Kayla Goodwin exited in the Round of 32 in 6 games to Team JOOLA’s newest member – Reeth Tennison of India. Reeth, along with Tatiana Kukulkova, both made it through to the Quarterfinal Stage before being eliminated by Lily Zhang and Barbora Balazova respectively.

Amy Wang was the star of the show, clinching one of the most closely contended matches of the competition. Slow off the mark and trailing by 2 games, Wang was able to overcome second seed Dina Meshref in the full 7 game span. Under all the pressure she remained as cool and collected as ever in true Amy Wang fashion.

The semifinals saw Team JOOLA advance with Lily Zhang defeating Spain’s Maria Xiao and Amy Wang beating Barbora Balazova.

Zhang sailed through the first three games before Xiao pulled back some momentum, the three time US Olympian regained her foothold on the match in the 6^th game and brought it home.

Into the final and everything was on the line for both players.

Wang was devastating on serve return and counters in the rally. While Zhang made her steady openings and looked for quick placements, Wang snapped over the top of the ball – adding a great deal of acceleration and often finding exceptional corner placement.

The games were immensely close as Zhang held small leads, but Amy Wang powered back each time. Wang would win the match in four straight games and claim her first WTT event crown, after playing an outstanding match. Despite the defeat, a humble Lily Zhang smiled brightly in the finalist position on the podium after the match.

A huge congratulations to our JOOLA players for their brilliant results and for really dominating proceedings at this WTT Feeder event!

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Perfect Duos, the Doubles Champions of the 2022 JOOLA Global Champs

Matt Hetherington — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:57:03 +0000

While the Singles competition captured the audience attention at the 2022 JOOLA Global Championships in Orlando, Florida – there was still plenty of high level action in the doubles events.

The Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles put on display all of the top players of the tournament, with tough draws and some exceptional pairings vying for the highest honors.

The Mixed Doubles Final

The finals session kicked off on the morning of the last day of competition, with the Mixed Doubles taking centercourt first. It was showdown of the top two seeded pairs – with Lily Zhang and Liang Jishan the favorites, facing off against Ma Jinbao and Rachel Sung.

While Zhang and Liang had faced some close encounters on their route to the final, Ma and Sung had sailed through the competition, with three straight games victories.

Zhang and Liang got a solid start and took the first game, but they weren’t able to stop the flow of momentum that soon shifted out of their favor.

Ma and Sung managed to keep Liang out of position and away from his strong forehand, often pushing their opponents into the backhand corner and occasionally mixing in down the line shots to take Liang across the table.

The strategy worked well as Liang struggled to find his balance and the errors crept in.

Ma Jinbao found some forehand attack opportunities, but it was mostly the stable and steady play from he and Rachel Sung, along with their well-considered placement, which helped them gain the lead.

Three games in a row for the duo and they took the crown, overcoming the top seeds at the final hurdle.

The Women’s Doubles Final

In the Women’s Doubles Final it was the Texas Wesleyan College pairing of Zhen Deng and Jiaqi Lin who stole the show. The second seeds matched up with Xin Li and Kayla Goodwin to fight for the title.

Li and Goodwin had registered an impressive semifinal win over top seeds Rachel Sung and Amy Wang, an outstanding win and a confidence booster heading into the final.

The left and right handed pairing of Li and Goodwin had their moments, with Goodwin strong on the forehand attack and often winning strings of points in a row with bursts of confidence.

All their efforts were matched and superseded by the exceptional precision and technical fortitude of Deng and Lin.
The two young women, who just last year had won the Women’s Doubles at the 2021 US Open, sailed on their experience and skill.

Deng, played tight with control, while Lin played incredible forehands to close out points. The contrast of styles, matched with the high standard of play, made for a winning combination.

Li and Goodwin applied the pressure in the second, but it wasn’t enough. Lin and Deng found victory in straight games.

The Men’s Doubles Final

The doubles finals rounded off with the Men’s Doubles event, with Lubomir Pistej and Liang Jishan pairing to form a dangerous pairing. The second seeds of the event had overcome Thiago Monteiro and Tian Ye in the semifinals.

The crunch match of the event was the other semifinal, with Enzo Angles and Horacio Cifuentes taking down the top seeded Kou Lei and Daniel Gorak in a tight five games.

In the gold medal match it was Pistej and Liang who dominated. Pistej’s creativity and touch were paramount in setting up Liang for his devastating forehand winners, which ended rallies sharply.

Angles and Cifuentes put up a strong fight, their table coverage and left/right handed combination proving a challenge for the eventual winners, but the synergy between Pistej and Liang made for an extremely strong team and the points flowed their way. A 3-1 victory.

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Amy Wang Takes JOOLA Global Championships Women’s Singles Crown with Flawless Performance

Matt Hetherington — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 15:25:17 +0000

Amy Wang was the Women’s Singles star of the 2022 JOOLA Global Championships, which saw over 300 competitors descend upon the Gaylord Palms Convention and Resort in Orlando, Florida. Through 4 days of intense competition, the Women’s Singles was a tough event with a challenging field of competitors.

Wang, one of the top players in the United States, formally ranked as high as number 2 in the world for junior girls, sought to make her mark on the event in the Women’s Singles event. The 2021 US National Champion took no prisoners on her way to the gold.

Wang survived a tough encounter with number 5 seed Guo Jiangshan in the quarterfinals in a wild and very back and forth match. Score margins were at total opposite ends of the field – with 6 of the 7 sets scoring 11-5 or lower. Wang trailed 2-0 before evening out the match, but started down a 3-2 deficit as the pressure mounted. She was able to win in 7 games and setup a semifinal showdown with one of her biggest US rivals, 3-time US Olympian Lily Zhang.

The semifinal was an almost flawless performance from Wang as she took on top-seeded Zhang. With devastating backhand flick serve returns fast and deep to opposite corners, Wang was able to assert herself early in the rallies, overpowering Zhang on the follow-up attacks.

While Zhang focused her efforts down the center of the table to try and reduce Wang’s angle plays and target the elbow, Wang seemed unphased. She got off to a bold lead, winning the first 9 points in a row in game one – momentum she held for the entire match.

As Zhang struggled for answers against the in-form Wang, the match burned on. Sets dropped in favor of Wang and before you could blink she had won the match 4-0 with a truly outstanding performance. Zhang bowed out of the event, having struggled to find her form and bring her best to the table.

Highlights of the Women’s Singles Final

The Final Showdown – Amy Wang vs. Hong Lin

Heading into the finals, both Amy Wang and Hong Lin had blitzed through their semifinals in straight games, with Lin overcoming Li Yue comfortably.

Lin, a short pips penholder with an effective and aggressive inverted reverse penhold backhand, was the second seed of the singles event.

Lin struck first, capitalizing off a tight serve game and heavy rotation on her backhand openings and whipping through her 5^th ball attacks. It was a tight match throughout the first four games but gradually Wang found the advantage.

Wang opened steadily to Lin’s backhand, doubling down and pressing the angles into the rallies. Serve receive was another strength for Wang, with her total commitment to inside-out backhand flick winners under pressure proving awe-inspiring for the spectators.

With a 3-1 lead it was Lin who tightened up play and started to find some more assertive forehand opportunities. Wang squandered away more points, driving the ball flat and taking more risk, as the finish line came within sight.

While Lin was able to take the 5^th game, it was Amy Wang who refocused, coming back from the bench with a renewed sense of conviction – no doubt aided by an energetic and highly motivated coach in Cory Eider.

Wang pressed on, bringing home the points in most of the longer rallies, snapping together topspin shots with ease and staying cool and calm as she did so.

With match points in hand and a gold medal beckoning, Wang closed out the match.

A well deserved victory for Amy Wang, who couldn’t help but smile at the excellent result. The Women’s Singles title to her name and $7,000usd for her efforts, a very successful performance at the 2022 JOOLA Global Championships, well done Amy!

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Cifuentes Strikes Gold at Debut JOOLA Global Champs

Matt Hetherington — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 19:48:00 +0000

The 2022 JOOLA Global Table Tennis Championships made its debut at the Gaylord Palms Convention and Resort in Orlando, Florida. With over 300 participants and 72 fully floored courts, the stage was set for a truly remarkable event.

The $100,000 prizepool across 67 events drew players from across the US and abroad, with top players heading over from European destinations and South America to put their best foot forward. The Open Singles event was the pinnacle of competition, with an astounding $25,000usd going to the winner.

The honors of the day would go to Argentina’s Horacio Cifuentes, the second seed of the event, competing in the USA for his first time. In a tough field on competition, it was no easy feat for the young Argentinian – currently ranked number 75 in the world. Experience was heavy in the draw, the likes of Lubomir Pistej and Thiago Monteiro both challenging for the crown on behalf of Team JOOLA, and a handful of other highly experienced international players. The top 17 players in the draw were all rated above 2600.

The thrilling matches started straight out of the gate, but by the time the draw reached the Round of 16 it was anyone’s guess who might walk away with the title.

7-game matches were frequent, with Enzo Angles having fought to a 7-game win over Zhang Tianrui in the last 32, then came a tough last 16 match against top seeded Kou Lei. The left handed Frenchman made a bold effort and held an impressive 3-0 lead in the match before he met Kou Lei’s formidable comeback capabilities. Thiago Monteiro advanced to the quarterfinal 4-3 over Andrew Baggaley.

Daniel Gorak narrowly squeezed a 4-3 win over US Olympian Zhou Xin, while on the flipside of the coin Ma Jinbao was the dark horse – eliminating Thomas Keinath in a swift 4 games.

The Open Singles Final of the 2022 JOOLA Global Table Tennis Championships

The quarterfinals would prove to be the hottest round of the tournament, with three of the four matches going the full distance.

While Kou Lei was able to move past Thiago Monteiro with comfort in 5 games, the pressure was on for Lubomir Pistej as US-based Liang Jishan and his incredibly powerful forehand were almost unstoppable. Pistej clawed out the final game 11-9 to advance. Ma Jinbao continued his outstanding performance, taking out Daniel Gorak in 7 games. The standout match of the round was Horacio Cifuentes and Eugene Wang.

It was a neck and neck race, with Eugene exhibiting his usually steady calmness and masterful control, he stole away a 2-0 lead winning both games 11-9. Cifuentes by contrast was an explosive powerhouse, he brought the fire and closed out at deuce with a pair of 12-10 wins to balance the match. Eugene led and claimed game 5, but fatigue was beginning to set in as the match moved towards a penultimate showdown. Cifuentes showed impeccable athleticism to turn the tides in his favor, coming back from 2-3 down to win in the final game and book his place in the semifinal.

The semifinals would be a much more one sided affair. Kou Lei proved to be too stable for a spirited Lubomir Pistej. The walking highlight reel of Slovakia certainly made some notable shots, and played an exhausting but outstanding 4th game, however Kou held control of the table, and the amount of risk it took Pistej to claim advantage in points was too much to sustain. Kou won in 5 games.

Cifuentes was vying for a spot in the final and his style would prove to be the ultimate deciding factor. Ma had great wins under his belt, but the offensive prowess of Cifuentes was a whole other hurdle to try and overcome. Ma unleashed the occasional forehand 3rd ball blast, stepping around to hit impressive winners, but overall his backhand game was too passive to handle the assertive onslaught of the Argentinian. He took down Ma in 4 straight games.

The Final Showdown – $25,000usd to the Champion

The top two seeds had survived the perilous journey to the final, now both guaranteed to walk away with no less than $10,000usd. However both players were hungry to take the grand prize of $25,000usd. A prize this large is a rarity in table tennis in the USA, it would be an incredible match with mountains of pressure for both players.

Kou had proved to be both technically precise and unshakeable throughout the event so far. His stability and balance had made him a very difficult player to get through. Pistej’s efforts had shown that a sustained high level of aggression could find a crack in Kou’s defense during his semifinal match, could Cifuentes be the player in the draw with the perfect style to take on the top seed for the top honours? That question would soon be answered.

Cifuentes hit the ground running, he would leave no room for regrets in his final performance, this much was evident. While Kou exhibited excellent, snappy and concise counter-attacks, Cifuentes was all-power from all positions on the table. His dangerous and explosive topspin game off both wings was a warning sign to Kou, who was unable to repel the burning confidence of his younger opponent.

Rallies erupted across the table as the two went toe to toe, but Cifuentes often claimed the upper hand. Where other players had failed, his athletic capability and stamina allowed him to hit 5 or more powerful shots, eventually finding holes in the armor of Kou.

Cifuentes struck early, hitting a blazing round the net forehand on the run to take game one. There was no ball he wasn’t willing to chase down for this grand prize.

The next couple of games were much of the same, Cifuentes setting a high speed pace and maintaining a constant bombardment of forehand and backhand powerloops. Kou looked overwhelmed.

In the fourth as he trailed 0-3 in games, Kou seemed to find some answers, targeting Cifuentes on the wide forehand and timing his shots with perfect accuracy.

Kou’s momentum would be short lived, rescuing game four, but then the Cifuentes show continued.

With four match points in hand, the Argentinian pushed a serve receive at Kou’s elbow and the ball ricocheted off the top edge of his racket. Before it even had a chance to hit the floor, Cifuentes was on the ground, hands over his face in disbelief.

A consistently amazing performance from Horacio Cifuentes to be crowned the Open Singles Champion at the first ever JOOLA Global Table Tennis Championships, a well earned $25,000usd prize in his pocket and he can head home to Argentina with a smile on his face and a medal around his neck.

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Pistej and Habesohn Medal at European Championships

Matt Hetherington — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 15:52:33 +0000

It was a successful week for Team JOOLA at the European Championships in Munich, Germany with two bronze medals in the Mixed and Men’s Doubles, and a record broken.

Pistej Takes Bronze in the Mixed Doubles

Lubomir Pistej was first to land on the podium with partner Barbora Balazova. The iconic mixed doubles pair medaled in the event for the third time, having won silver in both 2013 and 2020. In Munich they bowed out in the semifinals, but the road to bronze was an exciting one.

In the round of 32 the pair narrowly survived a big challenge from the mixed pairing of Martin Andersen and Ines Matos. Pistej and Balazova clutched out the deciding 5^th game by the tightest of margins, 17-15.

In the last 16 it was a clean 3-0 sweep over the German duo of Sabine Winter and Benedict Duda, a strong performance to lead them into the quarterfinals.

In the last 8 teams it was another incredibly close match against Spain’s Alvaro Robles and Maria Xiao. This time the Slovakian pair trailed 2-1, just managing to close out the fourth game 13-11. The first four games were all won by just 2 point margins. In the fifth they were able to push the limits and earn a guaranteed medal spot in the semifinal.

In the semifinal they would be stopped by the French pair of Emmanuel Lebesson and Wan Jianan.

A well earned bronze medal and an exceptional result to add a third medal to an impressive partnerships career.

Pistej also posted an exceptional win in the Men’s Doubles rounds with Aleksandr Karakasevic. The two trailed 9-3 in the deciding game to the partnership of Liam Pitchford and Jonathan Groth, before launching an incredible comeback to take the match.

Habesohn Breaks Record to win Men’s Doubles Silver In the Men’s doubles it was a nailbiting road right from the beginning. Daniel Habesohn, paired with long-time partner Robert Gardos, were put under pressure by the young guns from the first match. Top European youth players Iulian Chirita and Daniel Berzosa were the challengers, and held a 2-1 lead in the match. The two-time European Champions were not about to be ejected in the first round and found their resolve, winning the last two games convincingly to advance.

They would have to survive two further 5 game duels in the round of 16 and quarterfinal, the first against Czech Republic’s Sirucek and Martinko, the second against the strong German pairing of Dang Qiu and Benedict Duda. Against the Czech pair it was 16-14 in the final game, while with the German’s they led 2-0 and survived a comeback effort.

A 3-1 victory against the Lebrun brothers of France in the semifinal would take them into their 5^th European Championships final, a new record for any doubles pairing. In the gold medal match they would lose out in four games to the reigning World Champions from Sweden – Mattias Falk and Kristian Karlsson.

A brilliant fight to survive many close encounters and reach a 5^th final together. Habesohn now holds 3 silver and 2 gold medals in the European Championship men’s doubles event.

Surjan Upsets European Games Champion

One of the most outstanding results in the singles field was that of Sabina Surjan, who created one of the upsets of the tournament by ousting Portugal’s Fu Yu from the draw. Surjan had to win two matches in the group stage, and a further 2 matches in the preliminary singles draw to setup the Round of 64 showdown with Yu.

7^th seeded Yu is the reigning 2019 European Games champion, and a three time European Championships singles medalist. The first four games were won by 2 point margins with Yu holding a 2-1 lead after the first three.

In the best of 7 contest, Surjan made her mark by winning the 4^th to draw the match at 2-2 and then proceeding to dominate the remainder of the match. The 5^th and 6^th games would both fall 11-4 for Surjan, sending her into the round of 32.

The 22 year old Serbian doubled down on the result by winning her next match 4-0 against Karoline Mischek, eventually losing in the round of 16 to Shao Jieni.

Tatiana Kukulkova also reached the Women’s Singles last 16, with an excellent victory over Ukraine’s Tetiana Bilenko, a world class defensive player. The round of 32 match ended with a 4-1 win for Kukulkova.

Congratulations to all our JOOLA players and teams on their exceptional results at the pinnacle competition on the European Continent!

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JOOLA Named Official Paddle of APP Tour

Matt Hetherington — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 14:26:59 +0000

ROCKVILLE, Md. – The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) Tour announced today a multi-year agreement with JOOLA to be the Official Paddle of the APP Tour.

As part of JOOLA’s sponsorship, the brand will immerse itself at all APP Tour events, including on-site activation spaces, signage, and hospitality opportunities, as well as promotion on social media and APP Tour livestream productions.

“We are pleased to partner with JOOLA as the Official Paddle of the APP Tour.” Said APP Founder & CEO Ken Herrmann. “They are a world-renowned brand making major traction in the world of pickleball, and we could not be more excited to grow together.”

“The APP Tour has an excellent series of events and we’re excited to grow the sport of pickleball together.” said Richard Lee, President of JOOLA.

The APP Tour continues its summer circuit with the APP New Jersey Open on August 10-14 in Hamilton Township, N.J. The tournament will be livestreamed on APPTV, available on YouTube and the APP Tour Facebook page.

About the APP Tour

Founded in 2019, the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) serves amateurs, professionals, and senior professionals in one of the fastest growing sports in the country. It is the first and only officially sanctioned tour of USA Pickleball. The APP also prides itself on developing the next generation of champions through its Next Gen Series and other youth initiatives.

About JOOLA

JOOLA has been a pioneer in table tennis since its establishment in 1952. In 2022, its expansion into pickleball quickly attracted the biggest names in the sport. As an official table tennis sponsor for three Summer Games and the sponsor of the APP Tour and top athletes in pickleball, the team at JOOLA combines its expertise with fresh perspectives to bring synergy and innovation to both sports. JOOLA creates a variety of equipment, apparel, and accessories for table tennis and pickleball players, both professional and recreational. JOOLA is based in Rockville, MD and is owned by Sport Squad, Inc. Learn more about JOOLA and see why the sport’s best are joining Team JOOLA by visiting www.joolausa.com.

Media Contact:

Daniel Sagerman

dsagerman@intersport.global

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Table Tennis in Pickleball? JOOLA Joins the PPA Tour

Hannah Johns — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 13:21:13 +0000

A fresh face with a long history in the paddle industry joins pickleball and the Pro Tour

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (April 5, 2022) – JOOLA inks major partnership with the PPA Tour for 2022 and beyond as it seeks to make a big splash in the sport of pickleball. The table tennis powerhouse opened its doors to pickleball consumers April 1 and will begin showcasing its brand-new products on-site at tournaments starting at the Built.com Red Rock Open in St. George, UT.

When table tennis clubs temporarily closed during the 2020 pandemic, the team at JOOLA had the chance to try out pickleball. Although initially just curious, the team became instantly hooked. Since table tennis and pickleball have many similarities, playing one of these two sports will allow a player to acquire the skills of the other more quickly. It was this synergy of skills that made pickleball a great fit for JOOLA. Luckily for pickleball fanatics, JOOLA brings 70 years of experience in table tennis equipment research and innovation and is thrilled to turn those skills to the development of cutting-edge pickleball gear.

“I started playing pickleball last June and what a journey it has been!” said Richard Lee, President of JOOLA. “The best part of the sport is the amazing people I’ve had a chance to meet. I am so excited to bring JOOLA pickleball products to market and help craft the highest quality gear for the next generation of pickleball players.”

JOOLA announced their entrance to the pickleball industry on Friday by naming Ben Johns as their headliner pro and dropping twelve paddle options, a ball, and other accessories. The #1 player in the world in all three divisions, Johns left Franklin Sports to work with JOOLA after his previous contract expired April 1st, 2022. A former high-level table tennis player with a rating near 1900, Johns collaborated with JOOLA to design a custom signature paddle, engineered from the latest technology and built to match his exact specifications.

“JOOLA wants to bring pickleball to the largely untapped market in Asia, something I am passionate about, and is dedicated to helping me craft the perfect paddle,” said Ben Johns about the new partnership. “Add to that JOOLA’s expertise in all things table tennis, a sport that was integral to the development of my pickleball game, and it’s the perfect match for me.”

JOOLA has also signed top pros Chuck Taylor, Allyce Jones, Rachel Rettger, and Eric White to its roster and is eager to continue building its name in pickleball. Rumor has it that we may get to see a table tennis vs. pickleball special event for pros in the not-so-distant future, as well as additional product and apparel releases from JOOLA as the year unfolds.

ABOUT THE PPA TOUR:
The Professional Pickleball Association is the professional tour for the sport of pickleball, organizing events and rankings for the top male and female pickleball players in the world and awarding almost $3 million in annual prize money. With more than 20 events in 2022 at world-class facilities like the Linder Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati and the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, the PPA Tour is the premier provider of professional and amateur events. The PPA Tour’s broadcast partners include FOX Sports, Tennis Channel, CBS Sports, and ESPN. Founded in 2018 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the PPA Tour provides an unparalleled experience for all, inviting players to compete and “play where the pros play,” as well as offering unrivaled venues, food/beverages, live DJ entertainment, VIP experiences, giveaways and games, pro player meet-and-greets, shopping, vendors, and more. For more information, go to www.ppatour.com.

ABOUT JOOLA:
JOOLA has been a pioneer in table tennis since its establishment in 1952. In 2022, its expansion into pickleball quickly attracted the biggest names in the sport. As an official table tennis sponsor for three Summer Games and the sponsor of the PPA Tour and top athletes in pickleball, the team at JOOLA combines its expertise with fresh perspectives to bring synergy and innovation to both sports. JOOLA creates a variety of equipment, apparel, and accessories for table tennis and pickleball players, both professional and recreational. JOOLA is based in Rockville, MD and is owned by Sport Squad, Inc. Learn more about JOOLA and see why the sport’s best are joining Team JOOLA by visiting www.joolausa.com.

Media Contacts:
Hannah Johns
PPA Tour
PR/Broadcasting
hannah@ppatour.com

Thomas Nguyen
JOOLA
Senior VP of Marketing
tnguyen@joola.com

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Table Tennis Brand JOOLA Goes All in on Pickleball, Signs #1 Player in the World Ben Johns

JOOLA Table Tennis — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 19:02:14 +0000

Rockville, MD: One of the leading table tennis brands in the world is journeying into the world of pickleball. JOOLA, the official sponsor of three Summer Games and countless top-level international table tennis players and events have gone from diehard pickleball fans to now partnering with the world’s top pickleball player, Ben Johns.

Ben Johns, has been the face of pickleball and his name has been synonymous with the growing sport ever since he turned pro. His accolades on the pickleball circuit are well-known, but not many are aware of the background that drew him onto common ground with JOOLA.

Johns grew up in Maryland just a skip away from JOOLA’s Global Headquarters in Maryland, and as a youth played table tennis in a local JOOLA Sponsored Club. It’s no surprise that with his talent for racket sports, he also has a fair amount of skill with a table tennis paddle.

The JOOLA Team’s growing excitement for pickleball led the way, while JOOLA Pickleball came to life on the sidelines. The leadership team plays 4-5 times a week, before work, during lunch and after work even in a single day.

“The minute we discovered we loved playing pickleball, the business ideas came straight away. After seeing how our table tennis skills crossed over on the pickleball court, we knew our brand and tech know-how could make us a great pickleball company,” said JOOLA President Richard Lee.

It was only a matter of time before JOOLA and Ben were connected, and a serious interest in tech and innovation paved the way for plenty of engaging discussion about what would make the perfect pickleball paddle.

“What really struck us about Ben was how involved he became in the process of creating our line. He just has an incredible mind for creating products that produce better play,” said Lee. The result is a full line of equipment that is highlighted by the Ben Johns Hyperion Series.

A strong focus on building community relationships and focusing on the needs of athletes has been paramount in the story of JOOLA, a story which Ben Johns is excited to be a part of.

“The sport is growing, the competition is getting better, and the visibility has never been higher. What I needed was a team, and that’s exactly what we are building together at JOOLA,” says Johns.

With a global reach and decades of product development experience in the sport of table tennis, JOOLA hopes it can bring new technology and promotion of pickleball around the world. With such an exceptional player partnership the future is one step closer.

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