Sometimes, you just have to shoot your shot. Even if it’s with a pro athlete. 

Michael Loyd has been dating his girlfriend Juliet Steinhauer for over a year. And after traveling to tournaments together, dating long distance, and moving to Austin, the two have quite the story. 

“We met at an indoor pickleball place in Arizona called Picklemall,” said Steinhauer. “I was there playing, and I really wanted an excuse to go talk to him because I thought he was a cutie.”

She was the social media manager for a protein-infused water company called PWR LIFT, so her job actually provided a perfect reason to strike up a conversation.

“I went up to him and said that I wanted to send him some products because he’s a pro and we could sponsor him,” explained Steinhauer. “And then we would be on business meetings on Zoom and my boss would private message me on the side telling me to stop blushing because I was cheesing so hard.”

Eventually, Loyd got the hint. Their first date was a pickleball lesson at a friend’s backyard court. It was just the two of them - Steinhauer, a self-proclaimed 3.5, and the current No. 12 men’s singles player in the world.

“I was so nervous. I was like, 'Oh gosh, is this a tryout?' But it was very fun, and sparks were definitely flying,” she recalled. “Then, we pretty much started hanging out every single day after that.”

Loyd eventually moved to Austin, before Steinhauer followed suit so they could be together on a full-time basis.

The pair adores hitting the 20x44, and Loyd is a terrific mentor.

“He’s like my built-in coach. Michael has one of the hardest serves, so he’s helped me a lot with my serve,” said Steinhauer. “I don’t come from a racket sports background at all, so pickleball had a learning curve for me. He taught me to swing more loosely and don’t tense up so much. When I first started playing, I was just trying to get the ball over the net, but now he’s taught me the different swings and not to be so rigid when I play.”

While Steinhauer’s DUPR isn’t quite at Loyd's level, she travels with him regularly to support him courtside. 

“It’s cool seeing a different side of pickleball. I went from being an amateur, out on the public courts, to now getting to go to super cool tour events across the country,” she said. “I love it.”