by Kelly Campbell
You know the Espy Awards, the Grammy Awards, and the Oscars. But do you know the TrackitHub Dink Dub Awards?
For the first time, we’re serving up a smash-hit list of our favorite pickleball players, places, progress, and more from the past year. So, let’s dink to 2024’s top pickleball performers and moments in the pickleball world!
2024 has been another ace year for pickleball. With mainstream attention spinning in our favor, calls for Olympic pickleball gaining momentum, and a record-breaking year for the pros, there’s plenty to celebrate. So, in true award-show fashion, we’re honoring those who made a difference, whether they were rallying on the court or making significant strides off of it. It’s hard to believe the year is over, but we’re net-working our way into 2025 with gratitude for all the growth and support from our incredible TrackitHub family.
Read on as we unveil our picks for the best of pickleball in 2024. We hope you all have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year. See you in 2025!
2024 TrackitHub Dink Dubs
League Leader of the Year
Winner: Coach Zorano Tubo of Binghamton/Vestal, NY
Congratulations to Coach Zorano Tubo, a New York Southern Tier pickleball legend, for earning our pick for League Leader of the Year! With six leagues in the Binghamton, NY area, Coach Tubo is helping cultivate a thriving pickleball scene in New York.
Best Pickleball Venue
Winner: Paradise Pickleball in Palm Desert, CA
Paradise Pickleball offers 21 PPA-approved, permanent, fully-lit courts in the heart of the California desert. They have designated courts for different levels of picklers. We look forward to celebrating this Dink Dub with Paradise Pickleball owners Miles and Uta at our Pickleball Palooza events in January and February 2025.
Best Overall Pickleball Paddle
Winner: Selkirk SLK Evo Power 2.0 Pickleball Paddle
There are many pickleball paddles on the market today, but one stood out most when comparing cost, durability, and player reviews.
We chose the Selkirk SLK Evo Power 2.0 as the Best Overall Pickleball Paddle because it offers a perfect balance of power and control without breaking the bank. It’s versatile for all skill levels, has a comfortable grip with moisture-wicking technology, and has a large sweet spot.
Best Pickleball City
Winner: Naples, Florida
While pickleball popularity has made crowning a pickleball city especially difficult in recent years, we’re going with the original pickleball town for our Dink Dub this year.
Naples is well-known as a pickleball mecca because of its history of consistent pickleball popularity, growing pickleball infrastructure, perfect weather, and thriving pickleball community. Of course, Naples is also home to the US Open Pickleball Championships, which gives it a leg up over other pickleball-prominent US cities.
2024 Dynamic Duo
Winner: Target + Prince Collaboration
We’re proud to award Target and Prince Pickleball as our 2024 Dink Dub Dynamic Duo! In the spring of 2024, Target made our pickleball dreams come true by launching a partnership with Prince Pickleball, bringing stylish and trendy pickleball gear and apparel to Target stores nationwide. This collaboration not only helped raise awareness of the sport among a broader audience, but also made pickleball-specific clothing and equipment more accessible and affordable for players of all levels.
Pro Pickleball Player of the Year
Winner: Anna Leigh Waters
It should be no surprise that we’ve crowned pickleball legend Anna Leigh Waters as our player of the year. Waters has been long considered one of the best pickleball players in the world, and she maintained her superstar reputation through her 2024 successes. As the unofficial face of pickleball, the 17-year-old has dominated the pickleball world on and off the court through numerous brand deals and partnerships and remains the top-ranked female player. Most notably, this year, Waters became the highest-paid player in professional pickleball, estimated to be earning over $3 million.
Best Pickleball Podcast
Winner: The McGuffin Show
We’ve talked about some really impactful podcasts, influencers, and online creators that shape the pickleball community. Some of our favorites include PicklePod, Pickleball Therapy, and King of the Court. We’ve picked The McGuffin Show as this year’s Best Pickleball Podcast for several reasons: it’s hosted by one of the best players in the world, it has a large following and is highly accessible via multiple platforms, its conversational format caters to both casual and intense pickleballers, it covers a wide range of topics, and is one of the only pickleball pods to offer such in-depth tournament analysis and professional insight.
Best Pickleball Retailer
Winner: Pickleball Central
This longstanding classic pickleball seller remains the world’s largest online pickleball retailer. From paddles to apparel to pickleball machines, they have everything you need to dominate on the court. Plus, they offer options for every budget. Pickleball Central has been a trustworthy staple for pickleballers for years and continues to excel at providing quality gear.
Pickleball Celebrity of the Year
Winner: Jamie Foxx
We know that pickleball is a hit amongst celebrities – everyone from actors to non-pickleball professional athletes to musicians and more seemingly head to the courts when out of the spotlight. But some are more invested in pickleball’s future than others by investing in professional teams, hosting pickleball events, creating pickleball content online or on screen, and launching pickleball brands.
This year, we’re awarding Jamie Foxx the Pickleball Celebrity of the Year title. We first spotlighted Foxx’s passion for the game in September, thanks to his high-profile pickleball parties and his successful brand, The Best Paddle. His infectious enthusiasm for the sport and his lavish celebrity pickleball parties have made headlines, helping spread pickleball’s popularity and positivity.
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