Suzanne Herber Pickleball Nationals Journey: Suzanne Herber of Broomfield, Colorado, earned two gold medals at the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket tournament in Colorado Springs, held July 9–13, 2025. Herber’s victories in singles and doubles secured her a spot at the USA Pickleball National Championships this November in San Diego.
Family Inspiration
Herber’s pickleball journey began 15 years ago, encouraged by her father, Dave Kunze, who was passionate about the sport. Kunze won medals at the Senior Games but passed away in 2020 before he could compete in a tournament with his daughter.
“Even though we played recreational pickleball together — he’d take me to his open plays — he was always like, ‘We’ve got to play a tournament together,’” Herber said. “And I’d just had a baby and was like, ‘Yes, sure.’ You always think oh sure, we will. And we never did. I wish we would have.”
“Which is a bummer,” she added. “But, I don’t know, maybe he’s watching me.”
From Tennis to Pickleball
Herber was a tennis player from age eight and made her high school varsity team as a freshman. At first, she resisted her father’s push to try pickleball.
“We’d play a little bit and he kept trying to get me to not do tennis tricks and to do pickleball shots,” Herber said. “Like just hitting it hard, not doing dinks or drop shots. But then I got into it.”
After Kunze’s passing, Herber played her first tournament using his paddle with a childhood friend he had once coached. Although they lost, she was hooked.
“You can go and play hard and have lost and it’s all good,” she said.
Strong Doubles Partnership
Herber now competes in doubles with Rin Murphy of Erie, Colorado. Both have tennis backgrounds, which Herber says gives them strong chemistry on the court.
“It’s something you can’t put into words,” she said. “You just feel it.”
The pair rely on instinct rather than overthinking. “If we go in too much in our heads, that’s the kiss of death,” Herber said. “So, we go in with our instincts and have to adjust as we’re playing depending on what our opponents are doing and if what we’re doing is not working. We just strategize on the fly.”
Training and Conditioning
Herber prepares for doubles by playing often, but for singles she hits the gym despite disliking workouts. Her son even created a weightlifting routine to help her stay in shape.
“For singles I did spend the winter trying to get conditioned because singles is really hard,” she said. “I feel like it’s harder than tennis. Because it seems like you have to hit so much harder. The court is smaller, but you run so much more.”
Community and Joy
Herber says pickleball reminds her of her early tennis days.
“It’s reliving that a little bit,” she said. “And it’s having stiff competition, but it’s very friendly. Where I play, we have a huge community and it’s extremely competitive but it’s super fun. Everyone is supportive of one another and wants everyone to get better.”
A Personal Touch
Pickleball has even become part of her love story. On her 25th wedding anniversary in Key West, Florida, her husband surprised her on the pickleball courts with a new ring to replace the one she lost playing the sport years earlier.
“My husband found the ring right before our trip and found a jewelry store who graciously scrambled to find a diamond ring to put in my custom-made ring,” Herber said. “He presented it to me on the courts in Key West on our anniversary.”
Looking Ahead
With her Nationals qualification secured, Herber will continue competing with her late father’s memory close at heart. Her dedication to the sport shows how pickleball can connect generations while building community and lasting memories.
News in Brief: Suzanne Herber Pickleball Nationals Journey
Suzanne Herber of Colorado won two gold medals at the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket tournament in Colorado Springs, qualifying for the 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships in San Diego. Inspired by her late father, Dave Kunze, she continues to compete in his honor, carrying on his passion for the sport.