2018 USA Pickleball National Championships offering largest cash prize in sport’s history
Indian Wells, Calif. – Event sports & entertainment management company Desert Champions, in conjunction with the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), announced a cash prize purse of $75,000 for the Open and Sr. Open (pro divisions) of the 2018 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, to be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden November 3-11, 2018.
Equal prize money will be awarded to athletes for all doubles, mixed doubles and singles medal winners for this year’s event. According to the USAPA, this year’s cash purse represents the largest ever distributed for the sport of pickleball.
USAPA Executive Director Justin Maloof said, “The venue move to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this year represents a significant step forward in our long-term strategy to elevate the sport of pickleball and showcase our top athletes on a national stage. The cash amount this year is really the icing on the cake and demonstrates a new level of investment and support by the Event partners and sponsors.”
“We are thrilled to host this incredible event at Indian Wells Tennis Garden and are beyond excited about the record-breaking size of the cash purse prize,” said Steve Birdwell, Chief Operating Officer of Desert Champions. “This impressive amount really speaks to the growing popularity of this sport.”
This is truly unbelievable,” said pro pickleball player, Simone Jardim. “Three years ago, when I started playing pickleball, I would have never dreamt that I would be playing at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, let alone for this kind of money. This entire experience is a giant step forward for our sport.”
This event is expected to draw more than 2,200 participants from across the country and will feature an array of daily live entertainment, food, concessions and exciting pickleball action. Admission to the grounds and to the 44 field courts is free. Tickets to the Championship Court are now available at USAPickleballNationals.com .
