Pro pickleball tourney coming to Cape Coral
Top players from around the globe are taking their talents to Cape Coral for the city’s first-ever major pickleball tournament.
Player registration for the Carvana PPA Tour Veolia Cape Coral Open is now underway, inviting pickleball enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels to participate alongside the best professional players in the sport.
Taking place at the Lake Kennedy Racquet Center from March 5 to 9, the Cape Coral Open promises an unforgettable experience for both amateur and professional players alike.
“The entire staff at Lake Kennedy is excited for this event,” said Jason Smith, Lake Kennedy Racquet Center director of operations “The staff is working tremendous amounts of hours to have this run as smoothly as possible. We’re also excited that this will put the city of Cape Coral on the map for pickleball.”
Amateur players are encouraged to register as soon as possible to secure their spot in what will be the debut for the Carvana PPA Tour in Cape Coral. With more than 500 players already registered, the competition is expected to be fierce. Organizers said this is an incredible opportunity for amateur players to showcase their skills and play alongside the best professional players in the world.
Amateur players are the backbone of the PPA Tour and like each stop on the PPA Tour, the Veolia Cape Coral Open provides a unique platform for them to showcase their skills alongside the finest athletes in the sport. With the slogan “play where the pros play,” the PPA Tour aims to create an inclusive environment where players of all levels can come together and experience the excitement of professional pickleball.
“A debut tournament is always a cause for excitement and in particular when it’s being held at such an incredible facility as the Lake Kennedy Racquet Center,” stated Connor Pardoe, founder & CEO of the PPA Tour. “The Cape Coral community has always demonstrated an intense passion for the game of pickleball and we couldn’t be happier to bring the best players in the world to their doorstep. For the many amateur players in the area, this is a golden opportunity to compete with your peers and rub shoulders with the best of the best.”
On the pro side, the Veolia Cape Coral Open will feature some of the biggest names in pickleball, including World No. 1 players Anna Leigh Waters, Ben Johns, and Argentine Federico Staksrud. They will be joined by global superstars such as former tennis icons Genie Bouchard and Jack Sock, making this event a must-see for fans and players alike.
“This is the first professional tournament not only in Cape Coral, but for our racquet center,” Smith said.
Former Lake Kennedy General Manager Tom Stegemen and the PPA worked in conjunction to make this event a reality. The team at Sport Facilities Companies, as well as incoming general manager Lisa Zuk, have worked tirelessly to bring tournaments of this caliber to the Cape.
The Lake Kennedy Racquet Center, which is slated for a name rebranding, features 32 pickleball courts, 12 tennis courts, and opened on Aug. 28 last year.
Smith said tournaments and events such as the Carvana PPA Tour Veolia Cape Coral Open is, in-part, what the facility was designed to house.
“This sport is growing at a rate that’s never been seen before,” Smith said. “The city built these courts… and the city asked for assistance from pro tournaments to help them design it. So it’s very much designed to host an event of this size. Having 32 pickleball courts, there’s not many facilities throughout the country that even have that many courts at one center.”
Bringing so many eyes, especially from around the country and world, is a positive for the city and the center.
“It’s huge for the city,” Smith said. “Once we start running more of these events, businesses in the area will benefit from it with the amount of participants and spectators coming in.”
Pickleball players of all skill levels are also encouraged to sign up for PPA Tour Pickleball Camps. Each camp is led by a PPA pickleball pro who will personally teach an array of pickleball skills that progressively build upon each other to improve skills on the court.
Additionally, the Junior PPA will participate in the tournament.
Dedicated to fostering youth pickleball players through competition events, development opportunities, and social activity, the Junior PPA offers a spotlight for youth athletes around the world to showcase their talents, develop physical and mental skills, and compete against other top juniors in the rapidly growing pickleball community.
Smith said the center hopes to play host to professional tournaments, both tennis and pickleball, for years to come.
“We want some of the best players in the world, and the PPA is going to have the top pickleball players in the world playing in our city,” he said.
For more information and to register for the tournament, visit ppatour.com/tournament/florida-open/.
Lake Kennedy Racquet Center is at 420 SW 2nd Ave.