Pickleball News
Celeb athletes battle pickleball stars at big Farmers Branch championship
In conjunction with the 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships powered by Invited and the PPA Tour, there's a new star-studded contest featuring a quintet of world-famous athletes taking the court with the best pickleball pros.
Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Romo, Jason Kidd, Tyler Seguin, and John Isner will participate in the “Celebrity Pickleball Showdown,” an exhibition on Championship Court at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, on Tuesday, November 7 at 7 pm.
Nowitzki, Romo, Kidd, Seguin and Isner will be joined by some of pickleball’s top professionals for the match, which will kick off pro play at Nationals.
“We can’t wait to welcome the pickleball world to Dallas for the biggest-ever celebration of our wonderful sport to date. Dirk, Tony, Jason, Tyler and John were eager to be a part of the record-setting USA Pickleball National Championships at Brookhaven and experience the festivities for themselves, so they’re thrilled to hit the court and join the fun,” said Dave Fleming, a local Dallas senior pro and the official broadcast voice of the PPA Tour. “Championship Court will be buzzing to see these outstanding athletes go head-to-head in North Texas. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy this special event and the unique experience that Nationals will offer.”
It'll be a one-of-a-kind match between Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks NBA All-Star; four-time Pro Bowl Dallas Cowboys quarterback and sports commentator Romo; NBA All-Star and head coach of the Mavericks Kidd; NHL star/Dallas Stars alternate captain Seguin; and tennis great Isner.
Tickets for the Celebrity Pickleball Showdown are available now and can be purchased online.
The National Championships will take place on November 5-12 at Brookhaven Country Club, vying for a Guinness World Record attempt for Largest Pickleball match, with dozens of musical acts including American Idol winner Phillip Phillps, beer gardens, music venues, culinary immersions, tasting rooms, interactive games, kid-friendly activities, merchandise, premium viewing platforms and more.
“Pickleball Boulevard” at Nationals will create the world’s biggest pickleball party and elevate the experience to heights never before seen in the sport. A full schedule of events is here.
More than 3,500 amateur and professional players will compete at Nationals on 65-plus courts for the biggest prize purse in event history, and more than 20,000 attendees are expected to take in the pickleball action and enjoy the festivities at Brookhaven, which underwent $5.3 million in transformative renovations and upgrades.
Individual tickets for Nationals, along with week-long passes, and tickets for pickleball clinics and select events on-site at Brookhaven are available here. It starts on November 5 with clinics and other activities, while tournament competition officially begins on November 6.