Promising Chinese Player Defers PhD Programme to Give Pickleball Career a Shot
- Long Yufei, a Shenzhen native and former NCAA Division I tennis player, deferred her PhD program in 2025 to pursue a professional pickleball career through the UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme.
- Long made this choice after receiving acceptance letters to prestigious universities and evaluating two life paths amid pickleball's emerging status and rising popularity.
- The program selects 12 regional players for a three-month U.S. training with contracts to compete in at least 10 annual events primarily across Asia, the U.S., and Australia.
- Long explained that she had spent several months developing research proposals and completing applications, highlighting how challenging it was to put her doctoral studies on hold and take an unconventional path.
- Long's decision illustrates growing professional opportunities in pickleball, reflecting a 57% participation increase in Canada since 2022 and expanding global interest in the sport.
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Sky Island Pickleball Club Advocate For More Court Space.
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New pickleball courts being built in Harrison County - WXXV News 25
HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV)- Harrison County residents will have another way to enjoy pickleball soon. Construction has already started on two pickleball courts at the Harrison County Fairgrounds with an estimated completion of late July of this year. Courts will be available for public use. There is the potential to host community events and tournaments at the facility. Categories: Local News, News Tags: harrison county, pickleball
Pickleball vying with padel to become one of the UK's fastest growing sports
Add some pickle to your play, says Ettie Neil Gallacher What started across the pond in the 1960s as a game for children to play in their backyards is vying with padel to become one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports. While pickleball’s largest market remains the USA – indeed, it was named the state sport for Washington in 2022 – it saw a 65% increase in membership in the UK during 2024. How pickleball is played It is played with a solid bat an…
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