Five Things: Players with Tennis Backgrounds
Cat person or dog person? Is a hotdog a sandwich? And perhaps the most controversial debate of all—can a tennis player really embrace pickleball?
We get it. You’ve spent years perfecting your topspin forehand, only to hear that a whiffle ball and a paddle are stealing the spotlight. But don’t worry—transitioning from tennis to pickleball doesn’t mean abandoning your roots.
It may or may not surprise you to know that many JOOLA pro's have a strong tennis background. See which one of your favorite pickle-ballers used to be racket slingers:
Simone Jardim: As a youth, Simone made the short walk to the tennis facility just down the street from her childhood home in Brazil. First introduced to the sport by her two older brothers, Simone became a quick study. After moving to the United States at age 18, Jardim played tennis for Auburn University for two-years, then transferred to Fresno State University where she became a two-time All-American in Women's Doubles. Following her playing days Simone was head coach of Michigan State University from 2009-2016.
Brooke Buckner: For the JOOLA blog diehards, you already know about Brooke Buckner's journey from tennis to pickleball. For the uninitiated, Brooke was a impactful player at the University of Michigan who left an indelible mark on the program. During her time with big blue, Brooke became the all-time leader in singles (112), doubles (121), and combined wins (233). That dominance lead to four All-Big Ten First Team selections. Brooke went on to coach at UNC Charlotte and Yale. She also has the distinction of being the first signature athlete signed to the Agassi x JOOLA team.
Dekel Bar: When he's not helping to usher in the bucket hat revolution Dekel Bar is putting the pickleball world on blast with his powerful serves. Bar's background is in the tennis world, competing for six years a professional tennis player in his home county of Israel, reaching as high as #3 in the men's rankings. Additionally, Bar started playing tennis at age 9 and turned pro at 18.
Tyson McGuffin: Barstool Sports said it best when the dubbed Tyson the most "electrifying man in sports." No one matches the consistent intensity that McGuffin brings to every match. And guess what? He started in tennis too! McGuffin started his journey at Scottsdale Community College, honing his skills and laying the foundation. Tyson made it to the top 1500 on the ATP men's tour and then served as the Head Tennis Pro at the Yakima tennis club.
Collin Johns: One half of the arguably the greatest men's double's pairing in pickleball history, Collin's story begins at the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida. From there Collin went on to compete a the University of South Carolina. After college he pursued professional tennis on the ATP tour, achieving an ATP double ranking of #978 in 2015.
Honorable Mention: Oh yeah....And how could I forget JOOLA's resident tennis icons Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. They're not so bad either, what with 30 tennis grand slams between the two. Now each is committed to building and expanding the pickleball community through passion and innovation.
Look for more Tennis to Pickleball content coming in the near future. If you're a fan of the 5 Things series, check out the related content section below.
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Five Things: JOOLA's Collegiate Partnerships
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