Thomas Wilson hasn’t competed in pro pickleball since 2024 due to prolonged respiratory struggles, but he’s still continuing to make his mark on the sport.

The 3-time PPA Tour gold medalist and Pickleballtv commentator announced Tuesday evening that he has founded a paddle company, Witness Pickleball, that will release its first paddle in the fall of 2026.

“Obviously, it’s still rough that I can’t compete at a high level because of my health, but I wanted to share that, for the last year or so, I’ve been working on making a different kind of comeback since I can’t play,” he revealed in an Instagram post.

“When I was on tour, a lot of pros and people around me knew that I was obsessed with paddles—tinkering with paddles, making weird modifications in my garage, and just trying things out,” he shared. “I’ve always had a thing for that, and now that I can’t play, just having more time, I thought that if I can make a paddle that I feel like I could win with and compete on tour with, I think a lot of other people would like it too.”

After having spent time in China meeting with different manufacturers, Wilson says that the company has settled on a paddle that is expected to hit the market before year’s end.

“I’ve tried an endless amount of prototypes, just finding and looking for that feel that I would bring on tour, and we’ve finally narrowed it down to a paddle that we’re planning to launch this fall,” he said.

Click here to learn more about Witness Pickleball.