World Pickleball Players Association: A new players’ group, the World Pickleball Players Association, has been formed by top professional athletes to represent their voices in the fast-growing sport. Led by Collin Johns and six others, the group wants to address player concerns while working together with existing tours like the United Pickleball Association.
Players Unite to Raise Concerns
The World Pickleball Players Association is the first major attempt to organize pro pickleball players under one body. It includes Collin Johns, one of the sport’s top names, along with Tina Pisnik, Dekel Bar, Jessie Irvine, Augie Ge, Jay Devilliers, and Gabriel Tardio.
Collin Johns, who is also the brother of Ben Johns, said the group was long overdue.
“This is something that we’ve needed for a long time,” . “This is the right time. We have a lot of issues that are important to the players.”(Collin told ESPN)
The association is not looking for conflict with the United Pickleball Association, which now oversees both the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball. Instead, it wants to work together with them.
“I don’t view this forming of the association to be combative in any way with the tour,”. “They can make it as collaborative as they want. It’s about some minimum standards that we can all agree upon. … We want to make sure everyone is treated the same, whether you’re the No. 1 player or the 100th-ranked player.”(Collin Johns)
What the Association Plans to Tackle
The new group aims to focus on fair treatment, health, and safety for all players. They also want better transparency in pay and rules.
“This really gives legitimacy to the players and the tour. I also feel like there has been quite a lot of frustration among the players on certain basic things that don’t even necessarily cost money,” Collin added.
Collin Johns pointed to the UPA ranking system as one thing that should be improved. He also mentioned other concerns like scheduling and rules for player behavior.
“It’s these hosts of issues they can fix. We’re not going to ask for anything unreasonable, but you have to stay on target with things in order to get all the players to come together. That’s what’s been lacking in years past.”
Support from Sports Solidarity and the Tennis World
The group has the support of Sports Solidarity, founded by Harry Marino, a former pro baseball player. He helped create a union for minor league players in 2022.
“We formed Sports Solidarity to help groups of players just like the players on this tour who are doing the work, putting in the hours and are making the sport go and just want to have a voice and a say. This isn’t a money grab for them. We want professional pickleball to thrive, and we know as a player group, they can help move the needle in a positive direction.”
The Professional Tennis Players Association also praised the move.
“This is a significant and commendable milestone, representing the first crucial step toward independent, player-led representation,”. “We strongly believe in the importance of athletes having a unified voice that is free from league or tour control or interference. Such independence is vital to ensuring that the interests, rights, and well-being of players remain the priority in all decision-making processes.”( Tennis association)
Looking Ahead
For now, the World Pickleball Players Association will act more like a players’ group rather than a full union. Still, its creation is a key step in giving pro pickleball players a stronger voice. With support from other sports and leaders like Collin Johns, the group hopes to shape a fairer future for everyone in the sport.
News in Brief: World Pickleball Players Association
Top pickleball pros, including Collin Johns, launched the World Pickleball Players Association to represent athletes’ voices. With backing from Sports Solidarity and support from the tennis world, the group will focus on fairness, safety, pay, and scheduling—key issues they hope to address with the United Pickleball Association.
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