(PPA Tour Release)
November 21, 2023 (Dallas, TX) – The 2023 edition of the Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships powered by Invited and the PPA Tour will go down as the most successful edition in its history. The event, which took place Nov. 5-12 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, an inner-ring suburb of Dallas, saw record-breaking participation, attendance and broadcast viewership, highlighting the biggest pickleball party ever.
Visitors to Pickleball Boulevard more than doubled initial projections, with over 50,000 attendees entering the gates at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch across the 7-day event. The peak day for attendance came on semifinal Saturday (9,500+), with Sunday selling out Championship Court tickets for the finals more than two weeks in advance. The Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown on Tuesday night also saw a capacity crowd, with roughly 3,000 spectators enjoying Dallas sports legends Dirk Nowitzki, Scottie Scheffler, Jason Kidd, Marty Turco and John Isner showing off their pickleball skills with Tony Romo in the broadcast booth.
“We had extremely high expectations for the 2023 National Championships and through the hard work of our team, and with the incredible support of the pickleball and Dallas communities, we were able to shatter those expectations,” said Connor Pardoe, CEO and Founder of the PPA Tour. “Pickleball Boulevard was buzzing with energy all week long, with both longstanding and new fans of pickleball enjoying live music, great food, and of course, the world’s best pickleball. We can’t wait to show how we can continue to grow our fantastic events and set the bar even higher for future iterations.”
A record 3,500+ pro and amateur players from 49 states and Washington D.C. played 6,928 matches over the course of the week. With nearly 3,000 of those coming from out-of-state, the seven Farmers Branch partner hotels all experienced sell-outs, driving significant economic impact for the region.
“We could not have been more delighted to partner with the PPA on the National Championships in Farmers Branch,” said Mayor of Farmers Branch Terry Lynne. “The event was an incredible success for the City, in collaboration with Brookhaven and our corporate partners. We were proud to host the sport’s elite players and pleased that the overall turnout and economic impact were larger than anticipated. It was a win-win for everyone.”
On TV, more than 2.6 million viewers tuned in to catch the action across 20+ hours of coverage on ESPN, Tennis Channel and PickleballTV, the brand-new 24/7 pickleball channel launched by Pickleball Inc. (the parent company of the PPA Tour) and Tennis Channel. The Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown hit the highest audience for a PPA Tour ESPN broadcast, with 390,000 viewers across the hour. ESPN also covered the mixed doubles final and women’s singles final, with the latter’s compelling ending bleeding into programming past the 2-hour window.
On-site retail at Pickleball Central broke two records – total sales across all years for the event as well as sales for all PPA Tour events. The 2023 edition was 3.5x more successful for Pickleball Central than any previous iteration of Nationals.
The 2023 championships also broke a Guinness World Record. The successful Deep Eddy Vodka Guinness World Record attempt saw 264 participants break the record for “Most Participants in a Pickleball Exhibition Match,” playing for twelve straight hours on Pickleball Boulevard. The entertainment hub of Nationals, Pickleball Boulevard featured amazing food and drink, family-friendly pickleball programming, activations from premier partners and nightly entertainment – headlined by American Idol winner Phillip Phillips.
The PPA Tour wraps up its 2023 season at the CIBC PPA Tour Finals in San Clemente, Nov. 30-Dec. 3 and returns to North Texas in May 2024 for the Texas Open at Oasis Pickleball Club in Rockwall.
About Carvana PPA Tour
Founded in 2019, the Carvana PPA Tour is where pickleball’s top athletes go head-to-head to determine the best male and female players in the world. The Carvana PPA Tour organizes and conducts tournaments at world-class facilities across the country, establishes player rankings, and awards over $5.5 million in annual prize money during the 2023 season with equal play and pay. Inviting amateur players to also compete and “play where the pros play,” the Carvana PPA Tour offers divisions for every age group and skill level. Characterized by a uniquely festive and fun atmosphere, Carvana PPA Tour events deliver unparalleled experiences for fans on-site, including pro player meet-and-greets, clinics, food, beverages, live entertainment, giveaways, games, shopping, and VIP upgrades. For more information, go to www.ppatour.com, and follow us on social: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn.