Tyson McGuffin has 86 medals on the PPA Tour.

He’s been a staple of the podium stand for the better part of his illustrious career and has pro titles dating back to before the tour’s inception.

It’s safe to say that he’s one of the icons of the sport.

But the 36-year-old’s week at the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships presented by Ensure Max Protein ended shockingly early on Wednesday in the Round of 32, as he suffered defeats in both mixed doubles and men’s doubles.

He and Lacy Schneemann fell to Chao Yi Wang/Pablo Tellez in straight games before he and Noe Khlif lost a three-game battle against DJ Young/Blaine Hovenier.

Now, there are a lot of reasons for losses: one player not feeling it that day, simply getting outplayed by superior opponents, or a myriad of other things.

But it’s still shocking to see someone as good as McGuffin, who once represented the pinnacle of the sport and still consistently makes deep runs at most tournaments, fall this early.

Truth is, though, these losses are evidence of the growing parity on the PPA Tour more than anything else.

We saw that parity in full effect on Tuesday, when Alexander Crum defeated top-seeded Federico Staksrud in the Round of 64 after battling through the qualifying rounds.

Regardless of seeding or past success, no one is safe.

That’s especially true at the bigger PPA tournaments—like this week’s event in the Georgia capital—where every single UPA-signed player is in action.

You—and your partners—have to bring your best to every match, or you will lose.

McGuffin will be fine. He is still a top tier competitor and will continue to be one until the day he hangs up his paddle.

But the parity on the PPA Tour is only increasing across the board, and it will continue to do so as the sport evolves and new players enter the fold.