Major League Pickleball 2025: Major League Pickleball (MLP) is set to begin its 2025 season with an opening event in Orlando from April 24 to April 27 at the USTA National Campus. All 16 Premier Level teams will compete, marking the start of a revamped schedule that emphasizes a dedicated season.
Season Overview
This year’s MLP season includes 13 events, featuring 10 regular season matches hosted in team markets for the first time. Additionally, there will be a Mid-Season Tournament from July 10-13, followed by the MLP Playoffs on August 15-17 and August 22-24. Each team will participate in five of the 10 regular season events, totaling 25 matches.
New Scoring System
A major change this season is the switch to traditional side-out scoring for gender and mixed doubles games. Matches will be played to 11 points, requiring a two-point margin to win. DreamBreakers will still use rally scoring, played to 21 points. Teams will earn standings points based on match outcomes.
Amateur Tournaments
For the first time, MLP will host amateur tournaments alongside professional matches at most events. This initiative aims to engage more players and fans in the pickleball community.
Team Rankings
As the season approaches, initial power rankings have been released. Here are the Premier Level teams and their likely starters:
| Team | Starters | Bench Players |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey 5s | Anna Leigh Waters, Meghan Dizon, Will Howells, Zane Navratil | Christa Gecheva, Craig Johnson |
| Dallas Flash | Jorja Johnson, Tyra Black, JW Johnson, Augie Ge | Wyatt Stone, Tatiana Ruhl |
| St. Louis Shock | Anna Bright, Kate Fahey, Hayden Patriquin, Gabe Tardio | Felicity Di Laura, Erik Lange |
| Columbus Sliders | Lea Jansen, Parris Todd, Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger | Roscoe Bellamy, Marcela Hones |
| D.C. Pickleball Team | Rachel Rohrabacher, Jackie Kawamoto, Dekel Bar, Riley Newman | Hannah Blatt, Pat Smith |
| Texas Ranchers | Tina Pisnik, Etta Tuionetoa, Christian Alshon, Eric Oncins | Michael Loyd, Helena Jansen |
| Los Angeles Mad Drops | Jade Kawamoto, Catherine Parenteau, Hunter Johnson, Quang Duong | Wes Burrows, Angie Walker, Thomas Wilson (IR) |
| Orlando Squeeze | Lacy Schneemann, Samantha Parker, Dylan Frazier, Federico Staksrud | Tom Evans, Alli Phillips |
| Chicago Slice | Vivienne David, Callie Smith, James Ignatowich, Max Freeman | Pierina Imparato, Carlos Di Laura |
| Carolina Pickleball Club | Kaitlyn Christian, Tamaryn Emmrich, Ben Johns, Collin Johns | Liz Truluck, Brandon French |
| Phoenix Flames | Jessie Irvine, Genie Bouchard, Jack Sock, Tyson McGuffin | Alex Walker, Pesa Teoni |
| Utah Black Diamonds | Allyce Jones, Mehvish Safdar, Tyler Loong, Connor Garnett | Genie Erokhina, Yates Johnson |
| Atlanta Bouncers | Vivian Glozman, Victoria Di Muzio, Todd Fought, Jaume Martinez Vich | Sam Querrey, Rachel Rettger |
| Miami Pickleball Club | Milan Rane, Mya Bui, Jay Devilliers, Noe Khlif | Yuta Funemizu, Ava Ignatowich |
| SoCal Hard Eights | Judit Castillo, Irina Tereschenko, Ivan Jakovljevic, Ryan Fu | Blaine Hovenier, Lauren Hidalgo-Smith |
| New York Hustlers | Lingwei Kong, Dominique Schaefer, Zane Ford, Donald Young | Helena Spiridis, Stephen Madonia |
News in Brief: Major League Pickleball 2025
Major League Pickleball will start its 2025 season in Orlando from April 24-27. Sixteen Premier Level teams will compete, featuring new scoring rules and amateur tournaments. The season includes 10 regular events and playoffs, with rankings reflecting team changes from the offseason.
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