The inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette has officially begun.

While most people are watching to see Joan Vassos find love, I just want to see pickleball showcased as much as possible on the program. 

Last year, The Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner enjoyed a pickleball date, so I crossed my fingers that America's fastest-growing sport would be spotlighted again this time around.

I just didn’t think it would happen so soon...

As Joan's potential suitors filed out of the limo, they were making a variety of grand romantic gestures to catch her eye, including singing and one-armed pushups.

Contestant Jordan Heller was a little too nervous to really put himself out there like some of his fellow competitors, so he decided to try something different.

When it came time for his one-on-one conversation with Vassos, he incorporated pickleball into the chat, which was an excellent idea.

“Pickleball is a big thing at our age. Do you play at all?” he asked Vassos.  

“I can play. I’m not sure how good I’ll play in an evening gown,” she replied with a chuckle, referencing the floor-length gold gown with a train she was wearing at the time.

Then, they set up a net in the mansion driveway and starting dinking.

The fact that wooden paddles were used was a little disappointing, right? I'm sure there are some serious pickleball players in the production crew, so please don't let that happen ever again.

The pickleball fun didn't end there. After a few dinks, all the men came out to play, and it turned into a chaotic game with pickleballs flying everywhere.

And one of them almost hit Vassos. 

“I almost hit Joan. Damn smoked one right by her face,” said Keith Gordan.

Luckily, Vassos dodged it at the last second. 

“That is not how you get a rose,” she kidded. 

Given the genuine enthusiasm surrounding the game, I think a pickleball date will happen eventually.

Will The Golden Bachelorette feature a pickleball tournament? Let us know if you think so on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).