October “Pro Series”: Karina Michaud

Is it just me or does Quebec produce really good pickleball players?

Karina and I partnered up for a tournament in Toronto a few years ago but I’ve known her just as long as I’ve known Ernesto Fajardo, since 2017 and in fact, it was at that same tournament where I met Ernesto that I also met and played against Karina.

I know her to have incredible defensive skills, to the point where you just feel like saying “why don’t you go away?”, but off the court, Michaud is a hilarious and kind-hearted person who is a great addition to the great talent of female players in the country.

She coaches across the country and garners her skills by frequenting Florida and participating in the APP Pro Tour.

Let's dive in...

Karina currently plays with the Engage Pursuit MX, made by her sponsored company Engage Pickleball.

Her more recent achievements include becoming a French Open Doubles Champion, French Open Mixed Doubles Silver Medalist, Bronze in Double Pro at Seattle Metro Classic and a Silver medalist in Mixed at Kelowna Open.

Karina, is that all you’ve got?

Sending us into the fall season with our October Pro Series, professionnelle, Karina Michaud:

Q. How long have you been playing pickleball and how did you enter the world of pickleball?

For 7 years. My mom started to play this funny game called pickleball. She was playing in tournaments and everything. I was wondering how a game called “pickleball” got my mom addicted so fast. I went to watch her play at the tournament. Looked fun, so on Christmas holiday, we all went to play with my family. Then I was playing doubles with my mom and mixed with my brother at the time. Was a very fun, social family experience. 4 years later, my full time job is centered around pickleball.

Q. What was your first pro tournament and when?

My first pro tournament was in October 2019. I played a Florida tournament called “The Sunmed Gamma Classic”.

Q. What was a stand-out moment of any tournament for you?

I think we learn from all tournament experience. When I went to my first US Open at Naples Park in 2018 is when I actually saw the size of what pickleball was. The US is so much ahead of us in Canada.

It was pretty spectacular to see the venue and the size of the event itself. The level of play was so much higher as well. It was a great way to understand and know what I had to work on to be competitive in this sport. It was also when I discovered all the potential around this fascinating game.

Q. Do you have a favourite drill? If so, what is it?

I have lots of favorite drills!! Fast hands used to be one of my worst nightmares. Now, I am drilling fast hands everytime I can. The game is getting faster and faster. I need my hands to be able to catch on by blocking or counter attacking. I can also cross-court dink for hours.

What makes a good drilling session for me is making sure I have different levels of play. What I mean by that is that I usually start with a technical approach, making sure the shot feels good and then move on to a competitive aspect which adds to the pressure of a real game situation. That way I can assess what mistakes I usually make under pressure: Which are the most important to correct.

Q. Who’s your pickleball hero?

I think when you've been playing pickleball for a long time, Simone Jardim is the player we all looked up to. There are lots of new players coming in, but Simone has a very special way of her own. I am a fan of her mental strength as a player and her amazing skill as a coach.

Q. Name your top 3 favourite shots?

Double Backhand volley/Counter attack, the lob and body shots.

Q. Do you identify more as a left side player or right side player?

I am versatile. For the last couple of years I've been playing mixed on the right side but when I play women’s doubles I usually take the left side. So when I play rec, I mostly never stack.

Q. What’s your favourite pickleball moment to-date?

I would say the Bronze at Seattle Metro Classic in pro was a very good win for me and my partner Casey. It was our first medal in a pro event.

Q. Name 3 other pros you’d like to play a rec game with and what is the match up?

I’ve played many pros on the circuit, but one team I never got to play against is the Newman's duo brother/sister [Riley and Lindsey Newman]. I’ve always wanted to play against them, they are a very unconventional team, use such an interesting strategy and have great skills.

I would partner up with Tyler Loong. Tyler has incredible shots and is so fast, plus he's a lefty. Left handed players are so fun to play with! Not sure I would be able to keep up with them but would be thrilled to try!

Q. What is your favourite tournament format to play in and why?

Double elimination with option to come back for gold. I think it can be frustrating with the brackets setups sometimes. When you lose and get down in the consolation bracket you have to play many more games to get to a medal, that should be enough of a punishment for losing a game, haha. Plus, it can make it very interesting to watch a 2 out of 3 plus game to 15 match: juicy & exciting match for sure.

Q. What does the sport of pickleball need the most in order for it to get to the “next level”? (can answer from a Canadian, US or global perspective)

I think from a Canadian point of view we need to get more sponsors and more money in the sport. For the sport to grow and get more money, we would need younger players coming in and for that we need more youth programs. It's a big cycle, haha. Before getting into the Elite team and programs I would focus that time on getting new kids to play pickleball. That is just a personal opinion obviously.

Q. Favourite ice cream flavour?

Duh. Chocolate.

Q. How do you recover from a day of competition in order to get ready for the next day?

Every night before a tournament, I spend lots of time stretching and drinking water before going to bed. Also, lots of liquids in the morning to make sure I don't get dehydrated. I get heat strokes very easily so hydration is my top priority.

Q. Do you have a favourite tournament that you attend?

I do not have a specific tournament but I prefer playing the APP Tour. The APP has a very special and personal way to run tournaments. They also have lots of good players to compete against in the pro division and it's the only tour that offers to play a skill event and play pro.

Q. How do you prepare yourself mentally for competition?

Mental is such a big part of the game. For myself, It is important to set specific and reasonable goals. If I'm playing during summer where I don't get a chance to drill and play as much, my goals will be different then when I play during fall and winter and have plenty of time to drill and prepare.

Do not expect the results if you can't put time in. Also, in tournaments, I never look at who I'm playing against the next day. I always try to focus on my game and not my opponents. Whoever I'm playing they can be beaten, anyone can also beat me.

Q. In how many years do you think pickleball will be an Olympic sport?

I think it will take some time for pickleball to get into the Olympics. The US is so involved and got the sport to the next level but all countries aren't quite there yet. We have to think about the sport globally first and then be recognized all over the world. We need more athletes globally to compete at the Olympics.

When I went to the French Open in August 2022, there were 201 players, with 71 players coming from outside of the country. In the Open division (5.0), all the women's players were from different countries (England, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, France and Canada).

It was fun to compete with players from all over the globe, but they travel a lot outside of their countries, because there is not much of a competition where they are from. I don't have a specific timeline in mind but I'm thinking more than 10 years for sure.

Q. What’s your favourite piece of advice to give to a beginner?

Master the soft game before anything else. That is the hard part but so rewarding.

Q. Can you share with the readers something unique about yourself?

I was an actress as a kid, then a criminal analyst for Sûreté du Québec and now I am a pro pickleball coach. I don't think it can get any better than that!

This article was taken from our 'Control the Kitchen' Newsletter, if you're interested in receiving more content like this, please feel free to sign up using the subscribe section located at the bottom left of this page (or underneath the article if you're on mobile), thanks!