Rachel Rohrabacher Shares Insights from Semifinal Match: Rachel Rohrabacher has had an extraordinary rise in professional pickleball. Since turning pro in 2023, she has quickly made a name for herself, securing a spot as the current No. 4 player in women’s doubles and No. 9 in mixed. On semifinal Saturday at the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships, Rohrabacher took time to share her day with fans, offering a behind-the-scenes look at her routine in one of the sport’s biggest tournaments of the year.
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A Morning with Friends and Family
The day began with a dose of nostalgia for Rohrabacher, who is from Tampa, Florida. She stayed with her assistant coach from her time at the University of South Carolina, where he now serves as the head tennis coach at Southern Methodist University. Rohrabacher enjoyed quality time with his family, particularly his two young children, aged five and eight.
“I hung out with his kiddos who are five and eight years old, which was so nice.” – (Rachel Rohrabacher)
As part of her routine during this trip, Rohrabacher visited a local favorite, La La Land Café, each morning for a nutritious breakfast.
“Every morning I’ve been in Dallas I’ve been going to a place called La La Land Café and I get the milk and honey latte with almond milk and the almond butter toad with overnight oats.” – (Rachel Rohrabacher)
Preparing for the Matches
Rohrabacher’s first stop at Brookhaven Country Club was around noon. Before diving into her own matches, she took a moment to watch the women’s singles semifinal between Kate Fahey and Salome Devidze. Then, she met up with her doubles partner, Anna Bright, to warm up for their upcoming mixed doubles matches.
The pair focused on their dinks, speed-ups, and third shot drops while catching up on their shared interests in fashion and hair, even sneaking in a dance break to Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song “Espresso.” As they prepared, Rohrabacher’s ritual included getting her right knee taped for support.
“Think of it like a compression band. It makes me feel supported and secure. And some people think of it as just a placebo but if you believe in it, I feel like it helps even more.” – (Rachel Rohrabacher)
Before stepping onto the court, Rohrabacher always makes sure to refuel with a snack, whether it’s Belvita, Goldfish, bananas, or any kind of bar to keep her energy levels up.
“But at the end of the season like this, I have my fair share of Reign Energy dinks and Celsius before every match.” – (Rachel Rohrabacher)
Rohrabacher emphasized the importance of mental preparation before a match.
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The Ups and Downs of Competition
Though Rohrabacher and her mixed doubles partner, Federico Staksrud, entered the competition as the No. 8 seed, they were unfortunately eliminated by No. 5 seed Christian Alshon and Etta Wright.
“I’m a really sore loser. I hate losing more than I actually like winning. But we play so many matches in the season that there’s always another match. You can’t carry a loss with you into your next match because it doesn’t define your entire day.” – (Rachel Rohrabacher)
After regrouping, Rohrabacher was ready to take on a different challenge in women’s doubles with Anna Bright. The duo faced off against Hurricane Tyra Black and Allyce Jones.
“Women’s in my favorite event because I love playing with Anna and I feel like the women’s game allows me to be a little more creative than in mixed. It’s the strategy. You have to be a little more disciplined in mixed, which I don’t prefer.” – (Rachel Rohrabacher)
The match was a rollercoaster—after losing the first game, Rohrabacher and Bright mounted a comeback in the second and third games, ultimately emerging victorious. Post-match, they headed over to the PickleballTV desk for their interview.
A Relaxing End to a Busy Day
After the day’s intense competition, Rohrabacher wrapped up her evening with a casual dinner at Chipotle. She and Bright would face the No. 1 seeds, Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau, a team they’ve upset before. But Rohrabacher wasn’t focusing on film review that night. Instead, she had other plans.
“Going home, taking my bra off, watching the Great British Baking Show, and going to bed.” – (Rachel Rohrabacher)
News in Brief: Rachel Rohrabacher Shares Insights from Semifinal Match
Rachel Rohrabacher, currently ranked No. 4 in women’s doubles and No. 9 in mixed doubles, shared a glimpse into her life during semifinal Saturday at the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships. Rohrabacher spent the morning with family, enjoyed a healthy breakfast, and prepared mentally and physically for her matches.
Although her mixed doubles team was eliminated, she bounced back to compete in women’s doubles with partner Anna Bright. After a thrilling victory, she ended the day with a low-key dinner and a relaxing evening.