The US Open is This Week

The snowbirds - who don’t play pickleball - have already started their exit out of Florida, and just in time for people all over Canada, the US and beyond to take over Naples, FL. East Naples, to be more specific, home of the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships.

Photo credit: Sara McInnes

Co-owners and creators Chris Evon and Terry Graham began the event in 2016 -  which has been coined the “largest pickleball event (or party, depending on who you’re talking to) of the year”.

The first time I attended the Open was in 2018 and there were about 40 courts spread across East Naples Community Park. Now, I’m back in Florida for my 4th Open - sadly just as a spectator - and there are now 60 courts.

Each year something new has been added on, Evon and Graham are always finding ways to improve upon the overall experience for people and yet there is such a strong sense of familiarity (for me) that I have to say, this is the venue I might feel the most comfortable being at. It all starts with flying into the state, which, from Toronto is quite easy to do.

It’s a quick 3-3.5 hour direct flight into Fort Myers and a 45 (ish) drive to the Park. I have to say, there's nothing like that heavy wall of humidity, tall palm trees and undeniable sunshine as you step outside of the Fort Myers airport, especially coming from Canada where we’re (usually) just coming out of winter.

The world back home has typically not warmed up and so you really need to take some time, ahead of the competition, to get used to the intense heat.

Acclimatize Ahead

The tournament runs on a double elimination structure, meaning you need to lose twice to be knocked out of your category.  A team also cannot work their way back up to the winner’s bracket to fight for gold or silver; so after one loss the best you can do is bronze (3rd place).

Many of the brackets are quite large (over 15 teams) so you may end up playing 7+ matches to get to the medal round. Each match is a best of 3 games (up to 11 points, win by 2).

On average, a match is about 30 minutes. Needless to say, an athlete will play a lot of pickleball - and that’s just calculating one category! A person can be accepted into up to 5 events, that’s right , 5. Two mixed categories, two doubles categories and singles (which is always the first category “Singles Sunday”).

To say the Open is about “survival of the fittest” is a slight understatement. Who can last on the court the longest, in the thick heat? If you can afford to do so, give yourself the best chance of easing into the weather by showing up many days ahead of the competition.

Photo credit: Sara McInnes

Things to Expect

If this is your first time at the tournament, here are a few things to know ahead of time:

1. Bring a chair: with 60 courts, you can be anywhere and find a good match to watch. But it’s so hot that everyone will need a spot of shade throughout the day. Most players bring umbrellas and tents for their own shade.

2. You’re going to park in the far parking lot: there’s a shuttle that runs to and from a secondary parking lot. If you get to the grounds too late (usually around 11am, save Singles Sunday), the parking attendants will send you to the other lot. There are golf carts that will take you from your car to the shuttle and the shuttle will take you directly to the vendor's tent.

3. Parking fee: $5/day or you can buy a $30 weekly pass.

4. Tents: As of Thursday (leading up to the tournament) anyone can set up a canopy tent for the week; usually paddle brands set up a tent for their sponsored players to use as well. If you’re competing in multiple events, you’re pretty much spending the entire week on the grounds. It’s definitely worth bringing your own shade or finding a group of people you know with a tent and dropping your bag and chair down under their shade.

5. There are plenty of water stations, a physio/medical tent, charging stations for your phone, a few air conditioned washrooms and multiple bars.

6. The physio and massage services are free but be sure to bring a little cash to tip the folks for their services.

Photo credit: Sara McInnes

Who to Watch out For

Parris Todd, Alix Truong, Rob Nunnery and the Johnson brothers are all competing this week and of course, many eyes will be on tennis sensation Sam Querry, but maybe the team I’m most looking forward to watching is the reunited Simone Jardim and Kyle Yates.

Back in 2016 when I began watching pickleball on YouTube religiously, it always seemed to be Jardim and Yates vs the pickleball world. I’d also keep an eye out for senior, triple crown pros Jennifer Dawson and Scott Moore, to see if they can repeat history.

Regardless, there are plenty of familiar and new athletes to watch out for, and be sure to keep an eye out on the 4.5 categories for the potential up and comers.

Photo credit: Sara McInnes

This Year’s Stats 

Thanks to Chris Evon who provided and/or verified this information, here are some fun stats about this year’s event:

1. Number of courts: 60

2. Number of registered athletes: 3054

3. Expected number of matches: over 5,000

4. Number of referees: 57

5. Number of volunteers: 530

The organizers always put out final stats at the end of the event, usually on social media. I’m going to keep an eye out to see what the final match count is.

Photo credit: Winnie Tam

Enjoy Every Moment

Whether you’re down here for the tournament or watching the games online, enjoy it. I think without the majority of top pros being here this year, there’s a huge opportunity for new players to break onto the scene. I’m very excited to see how the week unfolds.

Finally, if you are here this week be sure to thank the referees and volunteers who spend countless hours making this experience a positive one for everyone who attends.