Jack Munro Pickleball Champion Journey: The number one pickleball player in the world is 21-year-old Jack Munro, a student at the University of Texas in Austin. He trains in Austin and shares his journey through social media. Munro rose to the top of the APP Tour after turning to pickleball following a childhood injury.
An Unlikely Start to a Pro Career
Jack Munro didn’t plan on becoming a professional pickleball player. He used to play baseball until he fractured his growth plate at age 10 while pitching.
“I played baseball for 7 years growing up and then fractured my growth plate uh pitching when I was 10 years old and then while I was in a sling I started playing pickle ball,” said Munro.
That injury led him to discover pickleball while recovering in a sling, and he never looked back.
Today, Munro is ranked number one on the APP Tour and is also a rising senior at the University of Texas, working toward a degree in economics. He still finds it hard to believe he reached the top.
“You know, I got a text from someone saying like, ‘Yo, you’re number one.’ And I was like, ‘This is okay.’ Like, ‘This is really real. No, that was a big moment. We celebrated. We celebrated uh pretty heavy,’” he said.
Training Smart, Staying Fast
Jack Munro is known among fans for his speed and focus on the court. “I’m Jack Munro. I’m currently ranked number one on the APP tour,” he said. “Pickle ball fans know Jack Munro as laser focused and lightning fast.”
But staying at the top takes more than talent. Munro works with Reyes Performance Institute in Austin, where he trains under professionals who understand the needs of racket sport athletes. “There are only uh 3% of all PTs in the entire nation that actually have these credentials,” said a specialist there.
Munro values how the clinic helps connect workouts to real game movements. “I feel like I’m talking to someone who knows my sport. Everything that you’re doing inside the clinic, you want to obviously somehow translate to what they’re doing on the court. Every single workout that we do, it feels like I can literally look and be like, ‘Okay, this applies to pickle ball because this is a shot I’d hit.’”
Social Media and a New Kind of Routine
Beyond the court, Munro has found another way to enjoy the sport—through creating content online. He runs a popular YouTube channel where he shares creative and fun videos, helping him connect with fans and avoid burnout. “A lot of what I do on YouTube is purely like, you know, something something that I scripted or thought would be fun,” Munro said.
“And today I’m going to be taking them on 2v1 with two paddles,” he added. His videos give him a break from intense training and let him show a lighter side.
“It really helped me kind of just look at the sport a different way where it wasn’t just like wake up, train, train, train, train, repeat. It was like wake up, train, we have a breath of fresh air, doing some fun content, and then train again and then repeat.”
What Comes Next
Jack Munro’s journey from injury to world champion shows how setbacks can lead to new beginnings. With continued training, support from experts, and a growing fan base online, Munro is ready to keep pushing forward. “Come at me, baby,” he jokes, but his rise to the top is no joke.
He’s already achieved what few could imagine: becoming the world’s best in a fast-growing sport, all while finishing college. Now, fans around the world are watching to see how far Jack Munro can go.
News in Brief: Jack Munro Pickleball Champion Journey
Jack Munro, a 21-year-old student at the University of Texas, is now the world’s top-ranked pickleball player. After a childhood injury ended his baseball dreams, Munro turned to pickleball. He balances college, pro training in Austin, and a fun YouTube channel, showing that passion and resilience can go a long way.
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