In her last Next Gen tournament, Ackerman put together a solid performance. She earned a silver in mixed doubles Friday and earned a gold Saturday in the APP event in Dallas.

“The Next Gen has given me a place to get a ton of reps and match play in, while still getting good competition against different players I don’t play often,” said Ackerman, who has now graduated from the tour for 16-23 year olds. 

Ackerman has spent just the past year playing pro pickleball. And 2024 will certainly be one where we get to see the kind of player Ackerman can be.

“I’m hoping, with this extra practice and connections I’ve made, that it will help boost the foundations and basics in my game, as well as my confidence to start performing as well as I know I can,” she said.

Well, Ackerman has already had some success. She’s earned a bronze on the APP Tour and has enough tour points to be ranked among the top 20 women on the APP Tour in singles and in women’s doubles. 

And with a 2024 season where she can devote herself full-time to the top tours, Ackerman has a chance to meet her goals.

“My ultimate pickleball goals are to win an MLP event,” said Ackerman, who is a member of the MLP Challenger Level Las Vegas Night Owls, "Make a semis or finals or win an APP or PPA event, and rise to be a top-10 female player on a pro tour.”

She and partner Riley Bohnert, another player who has had some success on the APP Tour, earned gold Saturday in Dallas. The two were beaten 11-0 in the first game of their semifinal matchup, but rallied for a 11-1, 11-2 victory in the next two games against Ava Kalist and Bella Nelson. Ackerman and Bohnert went on to a 11-8, 11-5 victory over Ivy Tschetter and Daria Walczak in the final.

And thanks to those extra reps, extra games and another tournament tour, the Next Gen has helped Ackerman get ready for the next big step.

“My game has become a lot more strategic, and I feel I’ve gotten smarter after playing Next Gen tournaments,” Ackerman said. “There are a lot of different style players, and players I don’t play often. This has forced me to think more and have better shot selection, consistency in my own emotions and game style. I have to learn how to play to the best of my ability no matter who I’m playing.”