Over 4,000 worldwide pickleball players are in DFW for the 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships.
And they're here to win.
Pickleball professionals and amateurs alike are in Farmers Branch at Brookhaven Country Club for the championships.
Among them is Collin Johns, one of the best men's pickleball players in the world. Johns is ranked second in the PPA tour. His brother, Ben Johns, is first.
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Before pickleball, Collin played professional tennis for five years.
"When I retired from tennis, I started to play a little bit of pickleball, but mostly because my little brother was already the best player in the world."
Now, he's right behind him in the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) rankings.
First in the world for women's doubles and single's is 16-year-old Anna Leigh Waters.
"I started pickleball kind of by accident in 2017," Waters said. "I was skeptical at first, but I loved it."
PPA is based in Dallas and many players are from the area. However, some traveled across the nation to compete.
A duo from California is competing for the first time. The two, Tammy Yee and Cheri Simmons, competed in women's doubles 65 and over during Monday's tournaments.
"Five years ago someone introduced it to me," Tammy Yee said "Next thing I know I start playing more and more and now I'm addicted."
The championship is expected to generate $10 million in revenue for the city, VP of communications for the PPA tour Jeff Watson said.
On Tuesday, the championship will feature a celebrity pickleball showdown with figures like Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Romo and Jason Kidd.
The championship will also feature various artists through its run, including Phillip Phillips and local bands like Le Freak and Emerald City Band.
On Sunday, the PPA says they broke the Guiness World Record of most participants in a continuous pickleball match.
Tickets for the Nov. 12 finals are sold out and ticket sales are expected to generate over $1 million, Watson said.
Your chance to see the Pickleball Boulevard isn't over though, tickets are still available for other days of the tournament here.
