We fans all watch the pros play in PPA tournaments and MLP team events. Many of us spend time following the pros on social media: podcasts, Instagram, Facebook, X. There are lots of sources of information to hear from them. Of course, we see and hear a lot from Anna Leigh Waters, Ben Johns, Anna Bright, and the top pros who medal every tournament and get the headlines and do the interviews. But, did you know there are over 800 men and over 400 women who have scored at least one ranking point in a PPA event? It is common for PPA events to have hundreds of players just in qualifiers, seeking a spot in the main draws. So for every top 10 player you know on sight, there are 50 times as many players chasing that dream to get to the top 10. And more join the PPA Tour every day.

 

Many of these players are young, just starting out. Pro pickleball player is not only their job, but it is often their first job. I sat down with two of those up-and-comers, Jalina Ingram and Tom Protzek, to talk about their life on tour, their dreams, their ambitions, but also, just what it is like every day to play 25+ events a year across the US.

 

Ingram is 18 years old and lives with her parents in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a bubbly teenager with a great smile that rarely leaves her face. Born in Tucson, she moved at a young age to Phoenix and caught the tennis bug early on, thanks to her mother (we will hear a lot about her mom). She did the whole junior tennis thing, including hardcore tennis academies. Eventually, it burned her out, leading to some depression. Her mom suggested giving pickleball a try. Jalina did and the light went on immediately. Like a fish, she was hooked for good, finding both a passion and a great reason to wake up every day. She rapidly went from being a newbie, to playing in Surprise, Arizona (which used to be THE place for 5.0 pickleball in the US), to trying the PPA Tour. She is now ranked #26 in singles and #46 in doubles.

 

 

Protzek is 25 years old, born and raised in Hamburg, Germany. If you did not know he was German by birth, you could guess it from his accent, and certainly from his self-deprecating humor about “stoic Germans.” Although he dabbled a bit in tennis, soccer was his sport. He became good enough to obtain a full scholarship to play at the University of Tulsa, arriving at a time when he could not speak any English. While Tulsa may not sound like a soccer hotbed, they got as high as #2 in the nation while Tom was there. Tom eventually had some conflicts with his coach, but happened to find pickleball in 2023, providing a diversion from soccer. At the start, he was just playing low level rec games with friends. In 2024, as soccer faded in interest, he turned full time to this crazy pickleball sport, and got good enough by August 2024 to give pickleball a serious try at the pro level. He has quickly progressed up the ladder and is now #35 in singles and #53 in doubles. Pretty rapid rise in just over one year!

 

 

 

 

 

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There are a lot of PPA and MLP events. Surprisingly, both Jalina and Tom want to play every event, bar none. Indeed, they even play Challenger events as well (ah, to be 18 or 25 again). Jalina travels with her mother (told you mom would be back), who is her support system and biggest fan. They get to the events a day or two early, usually staying at an Airbnb. The routine is for mom to make it a home away from home; same foods, same wake up time, early to bed to get plenty of rest. Days are spent at the pickleball facility, practicing and playing. More practice even on event days. 

 

Tom’s event routine is similar, but he does not enjoy the motherly support Jalina does. Tom scans for that cheapest airfare, and often stays with a local pickleball fan to cut costs. Like Jalina, he spends all day at the facility, practicing and playing. Any extra time is spent watching some film on the next opponent. Tournaments might be held in interesting places like New York City, Newport Beach, or Dallas, but what Jalina and Tom see is (1) the airport, (2) the place they are staying, and (3) the pickleball facility. That’s it, unless you also count the visits to Chipotle.

 

Food and hydration are big concerns. Jalina and Tom share a passion for protein shakes, which often start the day. Tom is loading up on peanut butter, bagels, bananas and honey. Jalina goes for salmon and a good steak. Both try to drink a lot during events and keep up their strength by eating in between matches.

 

We all hear about the big contracts for the top 10 players. Those contracts, generated during the “Tour Wars” days, were before Jalina and Tom came on the scene, so their contracts are much more modest. Both have jobs they work when not playing. Jalina helps out at Center Court Pickleball in Scottsdale, although surprisingly she is more interested in manning the front desk than giving lessons. Tom works for a Tulsa entity that is an online pickleball company. Tom still has some restrictions from his visa that limit his money-making opportunities (hopefully that will change soon and he will be given a broader visa).

 

The thing you notice most about both Jalina and Tom is how much they love pickleball and how much they want to succeed. The drive to compete and win at the highest level is clearly the driving force here. Tom’s biggest win to date was beating Jack Sock in singles on Championship Court at Worlds; for Jalina, it was a victory over top pros Tyra Black and Augie Ge in an MLP match. Both want more; both love MLP and as free agents, are looking forward to being (hopefully) drafted by an MLP team for 2026.

 

 

But the goals go way beyond that. Jalina says she wants to be top 10, while Tom is even more ambitious, shooting to be #1 in the world. For two players who have only been playing two years (or less) and have made it already as far as they have, who am I to doubt them? I know one thing: I will be rooting for Jalina and Tom in 2026, and I hope you will be too.

 

Follow me on X @pickleball_jim.