Promising Chinese Player Defers PhD Programme to Give Pickleball Career a Shot
- Long Yufei, a Shenzhen native and former NCAA Division I tennis player, deferred her PhD program in 2025 to pursue a professional pickleball career.
- She chose this path after receiving acceptance letters from major US universities and being invited to join the United Pickleball Association's Asia Trailblazers Programme.
- The programme will train 12 players for three months in the US, offering two-year contracts with at least 10 annual events mainly in Asia, the US, and Australia.
- Long explained that postponing her doctoral program to follow a professional path in the rapidly growing sport was a decision she valued, after spending several months preparing research proposals prior to making this choice.
- Her decision signals growing professional opportunities in pickleball, reflecting the sport's rising popularity and expanding infrastructure worldwide.
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10 Articles
Sky Island Pickleball Club Advocate For More Court Space.
Sky Island Pickleball Club is rallying for more courts in Sierra Vista. A group photo event aims to highlight the need for additional pickleball courts. The club has over 140 members and hopes to build four new courts at the Oscar Yrun Community Center. With limited court space, the club faces challenges due to high demand.


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New pickleball courts being built in Harrison County - WXXV News 25
HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV)- Harrison County residents will have another way to enjoy pickleball soon. Construction has already started on two pickleball courts at the Harrison County Fairgrounds with an estimated completion of late July of this year. Courts will be available for public use. There is the potential to host community events and tournaments at the facility. Categories: Local News, News Tags: harrison county, pickleball
Pickleball vying with padel to become one of the UK's fastest growing sports
Add some pickle to your play, says Ettie Neil Gallacher What started across the pond in the 1960s as a game for children to play in their backyards is vying with padel to become one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports. While pickleball’s largest market remains the USA – indeed, it was named the state sport for Washington in 2022 – it saw a 65% increase in membership in the UK during 2024. How pickleball is played It is played with a solid bat an…
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