Ryan Sherry’s Ice Cream Binge Costs Big: Ryan Sherry’s highly anticipated round of 64 singles match against AJ Koller at the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships took an unexpected turn on Tuesday morning when the 2022 North Carolina Open champion defaulted, sending Koller into the round of 32. Sherry, known for his unconventional training methods and freewheeling lifestyle, found himself on the sidelines due to an unlikely culprit—Bluebell ice cream.
The Late-Night Craving
The night before his match, Sherry was indulging in a serious craving for Bluebell ice cream. He bought three tubs—cookies and cream, cookie dough, and mint chocolate chip—and invited fellow tournament participants, including pro player Genie Bouchard, to join him in the hotel lobby for an impromptu ice cream party. Though it’s not uncommon for Sherry to embrace the late-night scene during pickleball tournaments, Monday evening was a rare exception.
“I went to bed early, like 9:30pm, But I must’ve still been in an ice cream coma when my alarm went off the next morning.”- ryan sherry
Oversleeping the Big Match
Despite Sherry’s plans to rest up, he overslept through his round of 64 singles match, which was scheduled for 10:45am CT. By the time he woke up, it was far too late. His phone was flooded with missed calls and messages, including one from Genie Bouchard, who was understandably concerned about his absence.
“I woke up with zero texts or responses from Ryan, which is unusual,” Bouchard shared. “So I knew something was up. When I finally got a call from him, he told me the terrible news—he had overslept. I was sad for him, but not surprised. At least it was because of ice cream and not anything else.”
A Heavy Fine, But No Appeal
As per the PPA Tour’s professional player guidelines, Sherry was fined an undisclosed amount for failing to appear at his scheduled match without a permissible excuse. Despite the penalty, Sherry took full responsibility for the mishap, accepting the fine without protest.
“The PPA Tour has been a blessing to so many of us, paying us pros a great amount of money to play the game that we love,” Sherry said. “I accept full responsibility and won’t appeal the fine. I just wish it would’ve been for a wild night out or for a few ladies staying over, rather than ice cream. I guess ice cream is my new kryptonite.”
On to the Doubles Match
Sherry’s troubles didn’t end with the default. He was also scheduled to play a men’s doubles match with Yates Johnson later that day. By 7:00pm CT, Sherry had made it to the match on time, though it remains to be seen whether the ice cream incident will haunt him throughout the tournament.
News in Brief: Ryan Sherry’s Ice Cream Binge Costs Big
Ryan Sherry, a notable pickleball pro, defaulted his round of 64 singles match at the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships after oversleeping. The cause? A late-night ice cream binge, including three tubs of Bluebell flavors, which led to a sleep-induced coma. Despite the mishap, Sherry accepted a fine from the PPA Tour for failing to show up on time. He vowed not to appeal and humorously labeled ice cream as his “new kryptonite.” He managed to make it to his evening men’s doubles match in time.