The Veolia Texas Open Pickleball tournament is underway in McKinney and runs until March 15. Here’s what you need to know.
Most of the time I like to say that I live under a rock because I miss most trends. However, one popular pastime that I am actually aware of is pickleball, largely because the sport is played or talked about by thousands of people nowadays. The racket sport was invented in 1965, but it wasn’t until around 2019 that it really started to take off. The University of Michigan notes that roughly five million people play the sport now (!) and that number is expected to increase. Texans are on board with this development, especially as roughly 20,000 people are expected to attend the Veolia Texas Open Pickleball tournament this week in McKinney.
The North Texas event kicked off its first day of competition yesterday, March 9, and will run through March 15. It’s a special occasion for residents, visitors, and competitors who want to engage with this exciting pastime with fellow fans. Alex Valentine, who plays pickleball professionally, spoke withCBS News about being able to enjoy homecourt advantage at the Veolia Texas Open. “My parents actually live in McKinney. I played a lot at the park courts, and yeah, it’s quite a hub and really exciting that everyone’s getting involved,” he said.
Downtown Dallas is home to the Professional Pickleball Association (PFA), AKA its international headquarters, which further explains why the sport is seeing thousands of viewers and participants flock to the city’s pickleball courts. The World Championships will also take place in North Texas this year from November 2-8. The Chief Strategy Officer for the PPA Tour, Samin Odhwani, said, “We’re probably one of the only major sports leagues that’s based outside of New York City. The NFL, NBA and MLB are all kind of concentrated up there.”
Odhwani added that the presence of both the PPA and the Professional Golfers’ Association of America in North Texas showcases how important the area is to the development of professional sports. “Now with the PGA coming here with us being here, we kind of recognize like, ‘Hey, talent pool is there and we need those people to help build this league,’” he told CBS News. PPA’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Jeff Watson, agrees with Odhwani. “To have this here is really, really impactful for our business,” Watson said.
Interested in checking out the Veolia Texas Open Pickleball tournament in McKinney for yourself? We’ve got all the details you need below.
Tournament information
The Veolia Texas Open Pickleball tournament is being held from now until March 15 at The Courts in McKinney, located at 3253 Alma Rd. Tickets are still available for these all-ages events, which you can purchase here. Prices range from $30 per person to upwards of $100 depending on whether you want to attend one day or multiple days of the tournament. The ticketing page will also provide you with important information like when the matches start.
Women’s singles and doubles are scheduled for the tournament, as are men’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles. This link provides you with information on the pickleball players participating in each. And if you can’t make it down to McKinney to soak in the action in person, don’t worry! You can enjoy the Veolia Texas Open from the comfort of your own home, as the matches will air on PickleballTV beginning on Thursday, March 12. The best thing about that streaming service? It’s totally free.
