Hello Everyone,
Today's topic is a sport that some of you may or may not be familiar with: Pickleball. And my guest is none other than one of the world’s top players, Megan Fudge.
With roots in Europe, the American has had a meteoric rise in the sport, since she started it four years ago going from insurance advisor to now being ranked #1 in the world.
I caught up with Megan in Dubai just prior to the Olympics at the launch of the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), the PWR World Series and the PWR World Tour, which is an entirely new Pickleball ecosystem set to launch next year.
In my chat with Megan, we discuss what Pickleball is and how it's not in competition with Padel, life as an elite Pickleball athlete, the expansion of the sport and who she’d most like to play with.
About the Pickleball World Rankings - https://pwr.global
The new ecosystem comprises a few elements, each working together to promote excellence in the profession:
Pickleball World Rankings: PWR is a unified global ranking system that allows a defined path for pickleball players to earn points and improve their rankings. It will enable players to accumulate points and qualify for the PWR World Series through the PWR World Tour in different regions. Different tiers of PWR events - PWR100, PWR 200, PWR 400, PWR700, PWR1000 and PWR2000 - are similar to ATP and WTA tournaments in tennis.
PWR World Series: Similar to the Grand Slam events in tennis, these marquee events will begin in March 2025, with six major tournaments, including one in the GCC region. In the first year, the PWR World Series will comprise 64 players in the individual format and six teams of four players each, from the US and the rest of the world.
PWR World Tour: This consists of various tours worldwide where players compete to earn PWR points and qualify for the PWR World Series. Examples include the PWR CPA Pro Tour and the PWR China Collegiate Pickleball Tour.
Find Pickleball in Dubai:
Find Megan Fudge Online: https://www.instagram.com/officialmeganfudge
Don’t forget to follow @themettleset and please do leave us a review (five star only).
I hope you enjoy the episode!