Professional pickleball players are organizing to form the World Pickleball Players Association. The association marks the first time professional players have organized in such a formal manner, bringing them all under one umbrella.
A formal announcement by the WPPA is set for later Friday.
“This is something that we’ve needed for a long time,” board member and player Collin Johns said. “This is the right time. We have a lot of issues that are important to the players.”
The association will be governed by a seven-member player-board of directors whose priorities include health and safety along with transparency as it pertains to compensation.
With consolidation among pro leagues leading to the formation of the United Pickleball Association, players felt it was a natural step for them to organize.
“I don’t view this forming of the association to be combative in any way with the tour,” Johns said. “They can make it as collaborative as they want. It’s about some minimum standards that we can all agree upon. … We want to make sure everyone is treated the same, whether you’re the No. 1 player or the 100th-ranked player.”
Previous incarnations of tour-sponsored player councils lacked the independence of the WPPA, falling short of making lasting change on player issues.
The formation of the association was aided by Sports Solidarity, which was founded by former baseball player Harry Marino, who helped unionize minor league baseball players in 2022.
“We formed Sports Solidarity to help groups of players just like the players on this tour who are doing the work, putting in the hours and are making the sport go and just want to have a voice and a say,” Marino said. “This isn’t a money grab for them. We want professional pickleball to thrive, and we know as a player group, they can help move the needle in a positive direction.”
The WPPA will initially resemble a group like the Professional Tennis Players Association more than a union like the MLBPA or NFLPA in that pickleball players are currently classified as independent contractors. The WPPA simply wanted an independent player voice and felt it was a natural progression given the popularity of the sport.
“This really gives legitimacy to the players and the tour,” Johns said. “I also feel like there has been quite a lot of frustration among the players on certain basic things that don’t even necessarily cost money.”
Johns cited the ranking system as an example of something that could be reworked under the guidance of the WPPA. It’s just one of the issues they feel is worth tackling along with safety, scheduling and player discipline.
“It’s these hosts of issues they can fix,” Johns said. “We’re not going to ask for anything unreasonable, but you have to stay on target with things in order to get all the players to come together. That’s what’s been lacking in years past.”
The PTPA also released a statement of support for the WPPA’s creation.
“This is a significant and commendable milestone, representing the first crucial step toward independent, player-led representation,” the tennis association said. “We strongly believe in the importance of athletes having a unified voice that is free from league or tour control or interference. Such independence is vital to ensuring that the interests, rights, and wellbeing of players remain the priority in all decision-making processes.”
Pickleball has grown immensely over the past half-decade, with professional players making in the hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on tournament prizes and sponsorships.
