A trophy with starts flying out of it.
There are so many deserving candidates in every category. Shutterstock

Nominees announced for 2024 Pickleball.com Mid-Season Awards

DALLAS, TX - The 2024 pickleball season has already been one to remember... and there's still more exciting action to come.

Now that we're at the halfway point, it's important to acknowledge the best-of-the-best that America's fastest-growing sport had to offer from January until now in a variety of different categories related to the PPA Tour, MLP and Pickleball Central.

With that in mind, we present the inaugural Pickleball.com Mid-Season Awards, which were voted on by UPA and PPA Inc. internal staff.

Good luck to all the candidates! The winners will be revealed later this week.

Here are the nominees:

Player of the year (male)
Federico Staksrud
Dylan Frazier
 
Player of the year (female)
Best dressed (male)
Best dressed (female)
Parris Todd
Genie Bouchard
 
Biggest personality on tour (male)
Biggest personality on tour (female)
Rachel Rohrabacher
Anna Bright
 
Best teammate (male)
Best teammate (female)
Tina Pisnik
Catherine Parenteau
Brooke Buckner
 
Most athletic (male)
Donald Young
James Ignatowich
Connor Garnett
Federico Staksrud
 
Most athletic (female)
Kaitlyn Christian
Chao Yi Wang
Genie Bouchard
Tina Pisnik
Brooke Buckner
 
Fan favorite (male)
Tyson McGuffin
Ben Johns
Federico Staksrud
Thomas Wilson
Jaume Martinez Vich
Jack Sock
 
Fan favorite (female)
Anna Bright
Anna Leigh Waters
Jorja Johnson
Vivienne David
Catherine Parenteau
Brascia Sisters
 
Best pro content creator (male)
Sam Querrey
Christian Alshon
Zane Navratil
Tyson McGuffin
Travis Rettenmaier
Zach Taylor
 
Best pro content creator (female)
Anna Bright
Tyra Black
Catherine Parenteau
Parris Todd
 
PPA Tour stop of the year
Select Medical Orange County Cup (San Clemente)
Vizzy Atlanta Open
Carvana Mesa Cup
Hyundai Masters (Palm Springs)
 
Best match of the year
Orange County Cup: Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns vs JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson
LA Open: Ben Johns/Collin Johns vs. Tyson McGuffin/Jaume Martinez Vich
Mesa Cup: Meghan Dizon/Etta Wright vs Mary Brascia/Maggie Brascia
The Masters: Dylan Frazier vs Federico Staksrud
 
Biggest upset of the year
Orange County Cup: Pablo Tellez/Hayden Patriquin win over Collin Johns/Ben Johns
Sacramento Open: Hayden Patriquin/Federico Staksrud win over Dylan Frazier/JW Johnson
Texas Open: Salome Devidze wins over Anna Leigh Waters
Masters: Quang Duong wins over Ben Johns
Austin Open: Rachel Rohrabacher/Anna Bright win over Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau
North Carolina Cup: Sarah Ansboury/Audrey Banada win over Rachel Rohrabacher/Anna Bright
 
Best Commentator
Dave Fleming
Michelle McMahon
Adam Stone
Kyle McKenzie
Daniel Roditi
Matt Manasse
 
Coach of the year
Athena Trouillot (Parenteau, MLP LA Mad Drops)
Leigh Waters (Waters, Alshon, MLP New Jersey 5s)
Mike Wolf (Staksrud, Jansen, MLP NY Hustlers)
Vinny Brascia (Maggie Brascia, Mary Brascia)
Jason Peery (Dizon, Wright, Loong, Truong, CA Black Bears)
 
Premier GM/Coach of the year (MLP)
Dave Fleming (Carolina Pickleball Club)
Ryan Dawidjan (Texas Ranchers)
Kyle McKenzie (D.C. Pickleball Team)
Mike Wolf (NY Hustlers)
Brandon and Taylor Hubschman (St. Louis Shock)
 
Challenger GM/Coach of the year (MLP)
Leigh Anne Rehkopf (Atlanta Bouncers)
Jim Dobran (Brooklyn Aces)
Scott Crandall (Bay Area Breakers)
Kaitlyn Kerr (Las Vegas Night Owls)
Tim Parks (SoCal Hard Eights)
 
Team most likely to win MLP Premier 2024 season
New Jersey 5s (Anna Leigh Waters, Mari Humberg, Will Howells, Zane Navratil)
St. Louis Shock (Anna Bright, Gabe Tardio, Hayden Patriquin, Kate Fahey)
NY Hustlers (Jackie Kawamoto, Lea Jansen, CJ Klinger, Jack Sock)
Texas Ranchers (Christian Alshon, Quang Duong, Tina Pisnik, Etta Wright)
 
MLP Premier sleeper pick of the year (male)
Hunter Johnson (LA Mad Drops)
Augie Ge (Dallas Flash)
Quang Duong (Texas Ranchers)
Collin Johns (Carolina Pickleball Club)
Will Howells (New Jersey 5s)
 
MLP Premier sleeper pick of the year (female)
Alix Truong (Utah Black Diamonds)
Vivian Glozman (D.C. Pickleball Team)
Kate Fahey (St. Louis Shock)
Mari Humberg (New Jersey 5s)
Tina Pisnik (Texas Ranchers)
 
Best MLP team chemistry (Premier and Challenger)
St. Louis Shock (Anna Bright, Gabe Tardio, Hayden Patriquin, Kate Fahey)
D.C. Pickleball Team (Dekel Bar, James Ignatowich, Rachel Rohrabacher, Vivian Glozman)
Brooklyn Aces (Pablo Tellez, Lina Padegimaite, Daniel De La Rosa, Layne Sleeth)
Atlanta Bouncers (Genie Erokhina, Angie Walker, Jaume Martinez Vich, Todd Fought)
Dallas Flash (JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson, Tyra Black, Augie Ge)
 

Related articles

Parris Todd competing on the PPA Tour this past season.

Parris Todd: The real way to play mixed doubles

Let’s break down the unspoken formula the best in the game rely on.

20 hours ago

-
Anna Leigh Waters poses with a participant at a youth pickleball clinic in New York City.

Anna Leigh Waters, Leigh Waters headline youth pickleball clinic in New York City

A free clinic at CityPickle Times Square gave 40 teenage girls the chance to learn from the best in the business.

5 days ago

-
Connor Derrickson smiling on a pickleball court.

Connor Derrickson is training pickleball’s elite

He has become deeply embedded in the sport’s rapidly growing landscape.

5 days ago

-
Grayson Goldin playing pro pickleball.

Why are body bags trending in pro pickleball?

Grayson Goldin and Hunter Johnson offer their take on the controversial shot.

6 days ago

-