The World Pickleball Podcast

Podcast by Chris Beaumont and Gordon Watson

The World Pickleball Podcast

Chris Beaumont and Gordon Watson chat about the world game of pickleball, uncovering the most fascinating pickleball stories from across the globe in their own fun, unique style. This podcast is perfect for all pickleball fans, especially those who want to know more about what is happening outside of the USA (though hey, the US folks will love it too!) Join us weekly for a light-hearted but very serious world pickleball fix.

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Latest episodes

28 April 2026

Lee Whitwell on who pickleball’s future is really for

Lee Whitwell joins the World Pickleball Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond results.

The reigning senior pro star and Game ChangeHER co-founder breaks down the US Open, the growth of the English Open, and why pickleball still struggles as a spectator sport. More importantly, she explains why the future of the game will not be decided by the pro tour, but by the millions of players who show up to courts every week.

We also get into paddle sponsorships, grassroots coaching, the psychology of competition, and how pickleball creates something most sports don’t — a genuine sense of belonging.

If you care about where the sport is heading, this is one to listen to.

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21 April 2026

The Moment Pickleball Became More Important Than a Cancer Diagnosis

Why Pickleball Gets Under Your Skin — A One-Year Quest to Understand It

What makes pickleball so addictive?

In this episode, Chris sits down with Clare Frank — former California fire chief, author, and lifelong athlete — to unpack a question most players feel but rarely explain.

After a health scare, Clare realised she feared losing pickleball more than the diagnosis itself. That moment sent her on a one-year journey across the US to understand why the sport has such a powerful hold on people.

From playing in a maximum security prison to chasing games in the rain like an addict, to competing in a Down Syndrome tournament in memory of her sister, this is not a typical pickleball story.

It’s about:

why pickleball hooks people faster than any other sport
how it blends competition, community and dopamine in a way nothing else does
and why the game feels the same whether you’re in a prison yard or your local club

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t stop playing… this one explains it.

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17 April 2026

Melissa McCurley on building modern pickleball

Melissa McCurley helped build the modern pickleball world long before most people realised what the sport could become.

In this episode of the World Pickleball Podcast, Chris Beaumont sits down with the 2025 Pickleball Hall of Fame inductee, former PickleballTournaments.com CEO, US Open architect, national TV commentator, and current APP executive to talk about the work that turned pickleball from a driveway game into a professional sport with real structure.

Melissa explains how the US Open became the sport’s Super Bowl, why early TV exposure changed everything, what it was like to become the first woman to commentate pickleball on national television, and how tournament operations, player ratings, and professional standards evolved during the sport’s most important growth phase.

This is also a conversation about what still needs fixing. Melissa talks about the sport getting in its own way, the need for stronger global alignment, why history still matters, and what pickleball must do next if it wants to become something that lasts.

If you want to understand how modern pickleball was built, and what comes next, this is the episode.

In this episode:

Melissa McCurley on building the US Open into a bucket-list event
How PickleballTournaments.com changed the sport
The first years of pickleball on CBS Sports
Why player trust matters in commentary
The origins of UTPR and rating systems in pickleball
Melissa’s role at the APP
Why pickleball still needs more structure
The tension between the sport’s history and its future

Follow World Pickleball Magazine for global pickleball news, analysis, rankings, tournaments, and the weekly World Pickleball Report.

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14 April 2026

PPA Australia’s Depth Problem and Louis Laville’s Return Hint at Pickleball’s Next Phase

In this episode of the World Pickleball Podcast, host Chris Beaumont and co-host Gordon Watson break down the latest developments across the global pickleball scene, with a sharp focus on PPA Australia, player pathways, and the evolving European landscape.

The discussion opens with a deep dive into the PPA Australia event in Moreton Bay, where a lack of depth in the draw raises bigger questions about participation, cost, and the impact of a growing global calendar. Chris and Gordon explore why fewer players are entering certain events, how rising travel costs are affecting the sport, and whether emerging tours like PPA Asia are beginning to reshape player priorities.

The conversation then turns into a broader debate about competitive standards. What happens when top players are not consistently facing elite opposition? Can regional tours maintain quality while the global game expands? And is pickleball entering a phase where depth, not just talent, becomes the defining factor?

Attention then shifts to Europe, where Louis Laville returns to the RTA Tour and immediately makes an impact with double gold in Stockholm. His rise becomes a case study in what exposure to higher-level competition can do for player development, and what it means for the next phase of European pickleball.

Chris and Gordon also examine the wider implications for the sport, from consistency at the elite level to the importance of playing against top-tier opposition regularly. This is not just about results, it is about how the global structure of pickleball is shaping the level of play itself.

If you want to understand where pickleball is heading, not just what happened last weekend, this episode delivers real insight.

Topics covered:

PPA Australia Moreton Bay event analysis
Lack of depth and participation challenges in tournaments
Impact of rising travel and competition costs
PPA Asia vs PPA Australia dynamics
Louis Laville’s return to the European RTA Tour
Player development through global competition
Consistency and standards in professional pickleball

Subscribe to the World Pickleball Podcast on Spotify, iTunes, and all major podcast platforms for weekly insight into the stories shaping the global game.

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03 April 2026

Gustaf Getarud on Europe’s Pickleball Boom, Smart Play, and the Battle for the Sport’s Future

In this episode of the World Pickleball Podcast, Chris Beaumont sits down with one of the most influential figures in European pickleball, Gustaf Getarud, to talk about playing, building and thinking the game at a high level.

Gustaf discusses how a corporate background in leadership and recruitment has shaped his approach on court, why process and problem-solving matter so much in pickleball, and how he has stayed competitive against stronger athletes with deeper racket-sport backgrounds.

The conversation also moves into the bigger picture. Together, Chris and Gustaf look at the changing European tournament scene, the risks of oversaturation, the tension between open competition and exclusivity, and what Europe can learn from the tour wars in the United States.

There is also insight into:

why European players often approach the game differently from Americans
how Gustaf adapted after training in the US
the value of drilling for difficult match situations
why flexibility of style matters more than many coaches admit
the players and partnerships to watch in Europe right now
why Gustaf believes Francesca Romani could become Europe’s number one before the end of the year

If you want a podcast that goes beyond surface-level chat and gets into how European pickleball is actually being built, this is one worth listening to.

Listen on Spotify, iTunes and other major podcast platforms, or find more at worldpickleballmagazine.com.

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02 April 2026

Anna Leigh Waters, Hanoi pressure, Phuc Huynh, Ly Hoang Nam and Chris Haworth No.1

In this week’s World Pickleball Podcast, Chris Beaumont and Gordon Watson dig into the biggest talking points from the MB Hanoi Cup and the wider pro game.

The show opens with a light-hearted detour into English Open plans before turning to the real debate: Anna Leigh Waters withdrawing from women’s singles in Hanoi after a packed run of tournaments. Chris and Gordon discuss whether the professional schedule is starting to ask too much of the sport’s biggest names, and whether it was the right look for Waters’ first major international appearance in Vietnam.

They also get into Phuc Huynh’s decision not to play, the wider concerns around PPA Asia exclusivity, and whether some American players are being protected too far into the draw at the expense of local and regional talent.

From there, the conversation moves courtside. Chris and Gordon break down Ly Hoang Nam’s controversial win over Christian Alshon, the disputed line call that followed, and what the result means for Vietnam’s growing place in the pro game. There is also discussion of Hong Kit Wong and Eunggwon Kim’s big doubles win over Tyson McGuffin and Riley Newman, Mitchell Hargreaves’ strong run, the women’s singles picture in Hanoi, and the early shape of the mixed doubles and women’s doubles draws.

The episode then shifts back to the United States, where Chris Haworth’s rise to world No.1 in men’s singles is placed under the microscope. Chris and Gordon also talk about how hard it is becoming to close out matches against the sport’s very best players, what that says about the current level beneath the elite, and whether the PPA’s dominance is helping or hurting the storytelling around the pro game.

This episode covers:

Anna Leigh Waters withdrawing from singles in Hanoi
whether the pro schedule is becoming too congested
Phuc Huynh’s boycott and the PPA Asia contract debate
Ly Hoang Nam’s win over Christian Alshon
the line-call controversy in Hanoi
Hong Kit Wong and Eunggwon Kim’s standout doubles result
Mitchell Hargreaves’ strong run
Chris Haworth becoming world No.1
why top players are becoming harder to close out against

For weekly global pickleball journalism, visit World Pickleball Magazine and sign up for the World Pickleball Report.

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