The third annual Delray Beach Pickleball Open is expected to draw nearly 800 professionals and amateurs to the event from May 10 to 14 at the Delray Beach Tennis and Pickleball Center.
There will be a pro shootout on May 11 with $30,000 in prize money for the Pros and Senior Pros. It will mark the largest purse, including equal prize money, for the Senior Pros at a major pro event.
“We have decided to honor the Champion Pros 50+ with equal prize money as they are the real pioneers that have helped grow the sport to what it is today,” said Carl Foster, Delray Beach tournament director and co-owner of Boca Raton Picklers professional team.
“Their level of play is still very competitive and enjoyable for spectators,” said Foster, who found out about the sport in 2019 and started a TV show, “Inside Florida Pickleball,” coming out of COVID and has since gotten into the pickleball event business. “The recent announcement of the new National Pickleball League featuring Champions Pros 50+ shows the national interest for these players.”
Foster said the Boca Raton Picklers team will be hosting a charity exhibition on May 10 on the Stadium Court showcasing the new doubles format that will be launched with the NPL on June 3 and 4 in Dallas with 6 teams at the ChickenNPickle. The Picklers will be one of those teams.
“This is our third year of the Delray Beach Pickleball Open, which we started coming right out of COVID,” Foster said. “We had social distancing, and it was a challenge to get that first one off the ground. It was a good event and CBS Sports got involved. Pickleball has consumed my life. It got me off the golf course and now it is all pickleball.
“It is a very addictive sport,” Foster said. “I don’t know how many people I have turned on to the sport, friends, and family…the people that I have interviewed have said after they step on the court for five or 10 minutes, they love pickleball. Even if they take one lesson or go out with friends and family, they become addicted.”
Foster, 71, said he is playing the sport every day to stay in shape along with a little bit of golf. He was a 10-handicap but doesn’t miss it that much, he said.
“This gives me a chance to be competitive again,” Foster said. “I am excited about staying athletic and staying in shape.”
The growth of the sport continues with over 40 million players participating and local municipalities constructing pickleball courts.
“They can’t build courts fast enough,” Foster said. “I go on social media, and I see them adding 16 courts here or 18 courts there. They are going to open up 60 courts covered in The Villages next summer.
“I think that is why it is growing so fast,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what size, shape, age, disabilities or not, wheelchairs…people maybe can’t move that much and can’t play tennis, or other athletic sports, but there is pickleball, obviously. For the average person, anybody can get out there and play, have fun and be competitive again.”
Foster said the Delray Beach Pickleball Open is one of their biggest events of the year and takes a staff of nearly 200 employees and volunteers to run. There will also be a National Pickleball ExpoVillage with plenty of pickleball-related exhibitors offering deals on products and services, along with live music and refreshments.
Foster said the 2021 event attracted 710 players and about 590 spectators for the week coming out of COVID with still some masks and spacing restrictions. In 2022, it was a sellout with 895 players and 4,350 spectators for the week.
“We are looking at 1,000 (players) plus for 2023 and 5,000 (spectators),” said Foster, who added new divisions this year, including a 30+, 40+, and a Super Senior 60+ Pro Division. The players will range in age from 10 to 80.
A total of 27 courts will be in use and they are also making preparations for live television coverage on “Inside World Pickleball” as featured on CBS Sports, Fox Sports and now launching on Amazon Prime’s new television network, Pickle TV.
Registration closes on May 3.
Visit .
