Pickleball.com spent Wednesday with Michael Loyd to get the inside scoop on the player experience at the Jenius Bank Pickleball World Championships.

Loyd enjoyed a slow start to his morning after getting a full nine hours of sleep.

“After I woke up, I got breakfast with my girlfriend, Juliet and I had an omelet, some potatoes, and a protein shake. I like to get good food in my system so I’m fueled and ready to go,” he explained. “Then, I called my coach John Cincola and we worked on a game plan for the day.” 

Loyd began working with Cincola two months ago, and it has been paying dividends already.

“John is not only one of the smartest guys in pickleball, he’s also one of the best dudes,” praised Loyd. “He’s been a huge part of my game. He makes days like this easier because he’s picking out the Xs and Os and I can just focus on hitting the ball.”

Before getting down to business in the Round of 32, Loyd warmed up with Donald Young.

“Groundies, a lot of hybrid shots, drop shots, passing shots. I’m always practicing my passing shots and every single type of third. In the middle of the point play, I’m trying to think about specific patterns that I’m going to try and execute against my opponent,” he shared. “I’m playing singles against Jay [Devilliers], so there’s specific things I’m looking for on the serve return and that first pass that I want to pay attention to and try to practice before I get on the court with him.”

This marked the first singles matchup between Loyd and Devilliers.

The Frenchman ultimately emerged victorious, 12-10, 11-6. 

“When things don’t go my way, I like to feel whatever I’m feeling. I give myself 10 minutes to go to the locker room, let it sit, be angry, be mad, sad, whatever,” said Loyd. “Then, I put on a fresh outfit and reset.” 

Next on the agenda was a light cool down stretch.

“I like to do a three-minute stretch,” confirmed Loyd. “I don’t want to completely shut down my body because I know I’m going to warm back up later on, so I just do some easy toe touches, butterfly stretch, pretty light.” 

He then met up with Cincola again to break down what happened in the match. 

“You also have to recognize that you didn’t just lose the match. Your opponent also went out there and played well,” emphasized Loyd. “Jay is massively underseeded, so kudos to him. Hopefully, he has a good tournament.”

Loyd had a long break before men’s doubles began with Martin Emmrich, so he relaxed in the pro lounge, ate a turkey sandwich from HEB, and played Pokémon on his Nintendo Switch. 

In the late afternoon, it was time to join forces with Emmrich and battle Rafa Hewett and Marshall Brown. 

Loyd and Emmrich secured an 11-5, 11-6 triumph.

“Martin and I are good partners because I love to speed up the ball and get into hands exchanges, and I want somebody who complements me in that. I think Martin does that terrifically. He’s got such a big lefty presence and we cover the ball well,” noted Loyd. “After playing together for so long in MLP, we know where we’re sitting and we know who we’re covering for, so it works out really well.”

After that, Loyd watched several matches with Juliet and a few friends from Austin, before enjoying the activities along Pickleball Boulevard and eating a hearty dinner.  

Loyd’s mom, Carrie, along with his brother, Jason, and his grandparents were at Brookhaven Country Club cheering him on as well.

“It helps a lot having my friends and family here. They help me remember that playing pro pickleball is a blessing,” he concluded. “It can feel like a job at times, but having them here helps take the edge off things.” 

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