Jalina Ingram’s Lightning-Fast Rise: Seventeen-year-old Jalina Ingram has signed a contract to compete full-time with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP), less than a year after first picking up a pickleball paddle. Her journey to professional sports is not only fast-paced but filled with life-changing moments that shaped her into the athlete she is today.
A Quick Rise to the Top
In February 2024, Jalina Ingram made her professional debut at the PPA Desert Ridge Open in Phoenix, Arizona. At just 16 years old, she advanced out of the qualifiers and reached the round of 16 in singles.
Since then, she’s earned impressive wins over top players like Helena Spiridis, Alix Truong, and even former tennis star Genie Bouchard. She is currently ranked 29th in The Race Points on the PPA Tour.
In doubles, she’s also made waves, qualifying in both women’s and mixed categories. Her most notable result came with James Kaoma when they became the only team to win a game against Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters at the 2025 Veolia Cape Coral Open in March.
From Tennis to Pickleball
Before pickleball, Jalina Ingram had a strong background in tennis. She started playing at age seven at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa.
She trained regularly and won several junior tennis tournaments in Arizona. In summer 2022, she attended the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas — a famous tennis academy where many current pickleball professionals also trained.
While her tennis career had highlights, including leading her team to a win in Tucson in March 2023, she eventually burned out due to stress and issues at the academy. After returning home to Peoria, Arizona, and trying one last tennis tournament in October 2023, she realized her passion for the sport was gone.
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A New Sport, A New Passion
Just weeks after quitting tennis, Jalina Ingram tried pickleball for fun with her mother, Marion Ingram, at the community courts in their neighborhood, Vistancia. She immediately loved the game. The local players welcomed her, and she quickly improved by playing regularly.
She later began playing at the Surprise City courts in Arizona, a hotspot for top-level open play. There, she met Larry Lam and Mikki Lieu, who helped her improve. Through them, she connected with coach David Furman, a senior pro in Arizona.
Furman became a key figure in her training and introduced her to Kale Klein, a player at Grand Canyon University who helped her meet more professionals in the area.
Family and Early Life
Jalina Ingram was born in Tucson, Arizona, in 2007. When her birth mother couldn’t care for her, relatives Marion and Michael Ingram stepped in as foster parents and later adopted her. Marion Ingram, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, served in the U.S. Army and met Michael Ingram in North Carolina. The family has lived in Peoria, Arizona, since Jalina’s adoption.
Jalina’s adoption took place on National Adoption Day, November 23, 2013. It was a rainy day, something rare for Phoenix, and her family remembers it as a blessed and emotional moment. They celebrated with a special trip to Disneyland, where they were given VIP passes after sharing their adoption story.
Goals and the Road Ahead
Jalina Ingram is graduating high school this month from Arizona Connections Academy and plans to attend Estrella Mountain Community College to study communications.
Her current goals in pickleball include breaking into the top 20 in singles on the PPA Tour and reaching a semi-final by the end of the year. She’s also hoping to find a strong women’s doubles partner and reach the quarter-finals of a main draw in mixed doubles.
She trains regularly with high-level players in Arizona, including Lindsey Newman, Andre Mercado, Jace Morris, Jace Howard, Daria Walczak, Angie Walker, Alex Walker, and Graig Johnson.
A Star in the Making
Content creator and coach Kyle Koszuta, known as “That Pickleball Guy,” praised Jalina Ingram for her rapid growth. He mentioned that her progress in just one year has been incredible and that she has the potential to become a top player in the sport if she continues training seriously.
With her powerful game, supportive family, and clear goals, Jalina Ingram is well on her way to becoming one of the next big names in professional pickleball. Her story is proof that with determination and a fresh start, anything is possible.
News in Brief: Jalina Ingram’s Lightning-Fast Rise
Seventeen-year-old Jalina Ingram has officially signed with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP), marking a major step in her young career. The Peoria, Arizona native made her pro debut at the 2024 Desert Ridge Open, less than six months after picking up the sport. A former junior tennis standout, Ingram is now ranked 29th in PPA singles and aims to break into the top 20 by year-end.
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