The Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA continues Saturday with semifinal action in all five pro events.

Here is Saturday’s order of play:

Live broadcast coverage from Darling Tennis Center will be available on Pickleballtv and the PBTV app starting at 12pm PT / 3pm ET.

At almost every PPA Tour tournament, there’s at least one lower-seeded player who pulls off a notable upset that breaks one of the draws wide open.

At this week’s Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA, Luc Pham was the player to do that when he beat top-seeded Chris Haworth on Wednesday in the men’s singles Round of 16.

But as the week has gone on, the women’s singles draw has also opened up with some standout performances from Kiora Kunimoto and Cailyn Campbell.

The draw was already more open than usual with Anna Leigh Waters only playing doubles this week, but Kunimoto showed that no one is safe with an 11-8, 2-11, 11-5 victory over top seed Kate Fahey in the quarterfinals.

And on Grandstand Court, Campbell defeated No. 4 seed Chao Yi Wang 11-6, 11-3 to further break the draw open on the women’s side.

Both Kunimoto and Campbell, aged 16 and 18, respectively, have never made it to Championship Sunday at a main circuit PPA Tour event in the U.S.

But one of them will in Las Vegas, as they will face off in the semifinals on Saturday.

One match, one opportunity for both budding stars to continue building their legacies.

Tune in to Pickleballtv to catch all the semifinal action, with coverage starting at 3pm ET.

The Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA continues Friday with quarterfinal action in all five pro events.

Here is Friday’s order of play:

Live broadcast coverage from Darling Tennis Center will be available on Pickleballtv and the PBTV app starting at 5pm ET.

Men's Singles

Women's Singles

Men's Doubles

Women's Doubles

Mixed Doubles

There’s no shortage of things you could be working on in pickleball.

But according to coach Jordan Briones, if you focus on just five key areas every time you step on the court, you’ll see improvement quickly.

Here’s what actually matters, and how to apply it.

1. Court positioning is everything

At every level, positioning and coverage should be your top priority.

The court really comes down to two responsibilities:

- Cover the line
- Cover the middle

When the ball is pulled wide, one partner takes line, the other takes middle. No exceptions. And importantly, this has nothing to do with “forehand takes middle.”

It’s about where the ball is, not which side you prefer

The middle is often the most vulnerable space, so if you’re unsure, protect that first.

2. Footwork sets up everything else

You’ve heard it before, but it’s often misunderstood.

Good footwork isn’t just moving your feet, it’s about:

- Creating space for clean contact
- Adjusting with shuffle steps and drop steps
- Staying balanced on both offense and defense

At the kitchen line, footwork becomes even more critical. It’s what allows you to attack when you can and neutralize when you can’t.

3. Your second and fourth shots matter more than you think

Most players focus on serves and third shots, but the return (second shot) and fourth shot are just as important.

The return

The goal isn’t just to get it in, it’s to:

- Hit deep, high-percentage balls
- Buy time to get to the kitchen line
- Arrive balanced and ready to counter

Short or rushed returns leave you stuck in transition and vulnerable.

The fourth shot

After your return, expect pressure.

Instead of blocking, the priority is to:

- Counterattack drives
- Keep balls deep
- Maintain pressure so opponents stay back

4. Make smarter third-shot decisions

There’s no single “right” third shot anymore.

Instead:

- Play to your strengths (drive vs. drop)
- Drive when opponents aren’t fully set
- Drop when you can move forward safely

One key insight:
If your opponent doesn’t reach the kitchen line, driving is almost always the right play.

And if you do drop?
Don’t rush forward, move up based on the quality of the shot.

5. Master the transition game

This is where points are won or lost.

Moving from the baseline to the kitchen line isn’t about speed, it’s about control.

Key priorities:

- Stay balanced with a wide split step
- Be ready on every shot (5th, 7th, 9th…)
- Focus on getting to the net safely, not quickly

It might take multiple shots to get there, and that’s okay.

Once both players are established at the kitchen, the game resets into neutral and that’s where you can take control.

Summary

Improvement in pickleball doesn’t come from doing everything.

It comes from doing the right things consistently:

- Smart positioning
- Efficient movement
- Intentional shot selection
- Controlled transition play

Nail those five areas, and everything else in your game starts to fall into place.

Chris Haworth’s quest for his second straight men’s singles title ended on Thursday as Luc Pham upset the top seed 4-11, 11-7, 11-8 in the Round of 16.

Pham, who signed with the PPA Tour in late 2025 after making the men’s doubles quarterfinals with Will MacKinnon at this very event last October, used a combination of precise ball striking from the baseline and delicate touch at the net to earn the biggest win of his PPA Tour career.

The No. 14 seed is no stranger to singles success, as he took silver at PPA Tour Asia’s Ho Chi Minh City Open back in August.

He will now have an opportunity to make his first career PPA semifinal in the U.S. when he faces No. 8 seed John Lucian Goins on Friday.

Pham will return to action later Thursday evening in men’s doubles when he and Mohaned Alhouni take on Goins and Elliott Schupp on Showcase Court 2.

Catch all the action on Pickleballtv.

From crashouts to last-minute weddings, here’s everything you missed in pickleball last month.

Pickleball Industry News

Former NFL wide receiver Daejon Love signed with the PPA Tour.

A couple in Oklahoma was charged and arrested after leaving their young children home alone while they went off to play pickleball.

Pickleball Eats premiered on Pickleballtv.

Anna Leigh Waters teased a new Franklin paddle with a question mark on the paddle face. Other Franklin athletes, including Parris Todd and Sofia Sewing, teased the paddles too.

MMA fighter Sean O’Malley attended the Veolia Arizona Open.

The Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes visited PPA North Carolina to play some pickleball.

The PPA Tour signed a few new pros, including CC Eleven Sacca, Circa Sacca, Ethan Bakalinsky, and Natalia Simson.

Mark Wahlberg continued to share how much he loves pickleball by doing a photoshoot with his clothing line Municipal on a pickleball court.

The PPA Tour held their first PPA Tour vacation in the Dominican Republic.

JOOLA released their new Power FX paddle, the company's first foam paddle.

Pickleball’s first animated sitcom Prickled was released on YouTube.

Pro Pickleball News

Mary and Maggie Brascia took a trip to Disneyland where each member of the group labeled themselves as one of the Seven Dwarfs from Snow White.  

Anna Bright took a week off and went to Vietnam to do the Ha Giang Loop.  

Brandon French gave Pickleball.com a house tour.

Camila Zilveti turned 30 and celebrated on the golf course. Pat Smith got married and Riley Newman was in attendance. Gio Morelli and Chris Crouch went to a wedding together.

After the controversial Sydney Sweeney ad sparked online debate, pickleball pro Ava Ignatowich shared her pride for being in an equal opportunity sport.

Pickleball.com revealed that Anna Leigh Waters is also a rapper.

Danni-Elle Townsend went back home to Australia and showed off her skateboarding skills. Tammy Emmrich had her baby shower. 

Blaine Hovenier announced he’s building an app for coffee snobs to find the best coffee in their area. After being behind the desk at the US Open, Genie Bouchard tried padel.

Anna Bright went surfing.

Genie Bouchard spoke at the Boardroom Leadership Summit.

Judit Castillo went abroad to compete in PPA Europe’s Barcelona Open where she triple crowned, winning gold in all three events. She won singles, women’s doubles with Hannah Blatt, and mixed with Zane Navratil.

Rachel Rohrabacher got married two days earlier than planned because of an ultra-rare Nor’easter that hit the coast of Maine at their venue. Then, she and her husband Bobby held a second ceremony two days later at an indoor venue. It was quite the rom-com-worthy wedding. Jade and Jackie Kawamoto were in attendance.

Hayden Patriquin turned 21 and celebrated in Las Vegas with his best friend Gabe Tardio.

A few of the familiar faces from the US went abroad to PPA Asia. Noe Khlif won his first PPA title alongside Gabe Tardio at the Kuala Lampur Cup. Alix Truong and Jessie Irvine won women’s doubles.

Here’s what happened this month on the PPA Tour

After the Major League Pickleball season wrapped, pros headed to Cary, North Carolina for the Veolia Pickleball National Championships, battling through some of the hottest conditions of the tournament season.

This tournament marked the beginning of the new World Pickleball Ranking System with new draws for each event.

Sofia Sewing made her PPA Tour debut.

Christian Alshon said one of the most iconic things after losing to opponent Hayden Patriquin in the semi-finals: “Must be nice to not play singles.”

After retiring from pro pickleball to go to medical school, Collin Shick made a return to the court and upset Dylan Frazier and Chris Crouch in men’s singles.

Jorja and JW Johnson upset No. 1 seeds Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters in mixed.

Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin won the mixed doubles title on Championship Sunday. Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright won women’s dubs. Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio won men’s doubles. Hunter Johnson won men’s singles. And Anna Leigh Waters won women’s singles.

The best dressed players included Jorja Johnson, Hurricane Tyra Black, and Marcela Aquila Ampon.

Veolia Arizona Open

At the Mesa event, Hunter Johnson was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after he accidentally kicked the ball and it hit a referee in the foot.

Casey Diamond made his PPA Tour debut.

Due to the new World Pickleball Ranking System, pros like Andrei Deascu entered the singles draw.

Troy Akin lost a match and had one of the worst crashouts in pickleball to date. 

Nico Acevedo and Yuta Funemizu made it all the way to the finals, upsetting teams like Ben Johns and Federico Staksrud and CJ Klinger and Camden Chaffin along the way.

From the finals, there was also this incredible moment where Nico waved to Christian Alshon after Christian didn’t tap paddles after they won.

But Christian and Andrei Daescu went on to win men’s doubles. 

Anna Leigh Waters won women’s singles and did a lot of lob serves.

Chris Haworth won men’s singles. And he got pooped on by a bird in the middle of the match. They say it’s good luck. Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters won mixed doubles. Parris Todd and Rachel Rohrabacher won women’s doubles.

The best dressed players included Hannah Blatt, Jalina Ingram, and Meghan Dizon.

What was your favorite moment from September? Let us know on Instagram.

The Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA continues Thursday with Round of 16 action in all five pro events.

Here is Thursday’s order of play:

Live broadcast coverage from Darling Tennis Center will be available on Pickleballtv and the PBTV app starting at 5pm ET.

Hayden Patriquin has been competing at an elite level long before turning 21. For fans, watching “Big H” grow up on tour has been part of the appeal.

Now, he’s officially hit that milestone, and he marked the occasion in fitting fashion.

Patriquin celebrated his milestone birthday in Las Vegas, just days before the Rate Las Vegas Open. Not bad timing.

Joined by fellow pro and close friend Gabe Tardio, along with friend Hayden Shepard, the group took on the Las Vegas Strip, soaking in everything the city has to offer, especially now that Patriquin can fully partake.

Scrolling through Patriquin’s birthday photo dump is entertaining for one main reason: it’s completely unfiltered. There’s not much left to the imagination.

One clip shows Patriquin and Tardio at a hotel beach club, surrounded by a crowd of bikini-clad partygoers, singing and dancing with drinks in hand. Another snap captures him mid-shot with a mystery brunette, while a separate post shows him posted up at a blackjack table. Hopefully the damage at the tables wasn’t too bad.

Fellow pro Wyatt Stone also made an appearance at the beach club to celebrate.

And if the posts are any indication, Patriquin made the most of turning 21. He looks fully in the spirit of the night in just about every clip.

With the tournament in town, his birthday lining up perfectly, and fall break crowds adding to the energy, Sin City was about as fitting a place as it gets for Patriquin to mark the occasion.

You could make the case that maybe Patriquin shared a little too much.

A lot of us grew up being told to watch what we post online because it could come back to affect our careers.. But for a young pro athlete, that equation looks a bit different. If this is how he chose to celebrate and it doesn’t spill over into his performance, then it’s hard to really fault him.

At the end of the day, everything he shared was legal. And let’s be honest, most people probably went a little overboard on their 21st birthday too. Add Las Vegas into the mix, and that tends to happen.

The only real concern? Hopefully Patriquin didn’t wake up the next morning with an unexpected wedding story to go along with it.

Still, the replies from his friends and fellow pros are pretty funny.

Parris Todd asked, “You alive???”

To which he said, “Girl, I’m thriving.”

Alix Truong said, “All grown up.” And the St. Louis Shock official page commented, “Hayden Patriquin is the life of the party, baby!”

To keep up to date on all things pickleball, follow us on Instagram.

The Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA continues Wednesday with Round of 32 action in all five pro events.

Here is Wednesday’s order of play:

Action from Darling Tennis Center begins at 5pm ET, and live streaming will be available on both the PBTV app and the PPA Streamed Courts YouTube.