Freddie Powell is British pickleball’s greatest exhibitionist. If you’re fond of outrageous winners, rubber-wristed retrievals, a cheeky wink and a devilish grin, the 24-year-old brings his full repertoire to every match he plays.
Born in Indianapolis but brought up in Poole, Dorset, Freddie brings more than a dash of theatre to the pickleball court. It’s backed up with talent and substance, too – he won a gold, silver and bronze at last October’s English Nationals and reached the quarter-finals in the singles and men’s doubles at the English Open.
“Am I a showman? Absolutely!” he says when Pickleball52 asks him about his on-court persona. “The reason I play pickleball is because I have a load of fun. That is my goal every time I step on court – just to have as much fun as I can. Does that mean I’m going to do a few stupid things and go for some outrageous shots? Definitely.
“I’ve got quite an enthusiastic personality. I like having fun and a bit of banter on court. I don’t see why that should change if I’m playing with Roehampton Club members on a Thursday evening or in the final of the national championships. It doesn’t make a difference to me – I’m going to play pickleball the way I always have done.”
Freddie finds pickleball’s relaxed vibe much more to his taste than the more cut-throat world of tennis, which he inhabited as a GB top-20 ranked junior. His ranking earned him a US college scholarship, but he sustained a stress fracture in his arm during his final year so got a job in a sports bar. There were pickleball courts near the bar so he started playing. When he returned to the UK in May 2022, he wondered whether anyone even played pickleball in the UK.
Happily, he soon discovered his nearest club and quickly established himself as one of England’s best players. He now works at London’s exclusive Roehampton Club as a tennis and pickleball coach and runs the pro shop, working alongside his close friend, 2022 English Nationals champion Louis Laville.
Freddie contrasts his competitive tennis experience with that of pickleball: “The biggest difference is it’s a lot more relaxed. It’s a completely different vibe at a pickleball tournament.
“At a tennis tournament, you’d sit at your own table, have your music in, do your warm-up, stay in the zone, not talk a great deal, go on court, play your match and go home. In pickleball, it’s just a massive get-together. It’s an enjoyable, sociable atmosphere that I thrive in way better than I did in the gladiatorial tennis atmosphere.
“For example, Louis and I are very good friends and we play each other quite a lot. We played each other in the singles final of the Mediterranean Open in Alicante recently. Louis won the first set, I won the second set, then we had a chat and a laugh during a toilet break before the decider.
“This was a pretty big final with a fair amount of money at stake, not just a local hit! That type of stuff just doesn’t happen in tennis. After a pickleball tournament, everyone goes out for a meal and drinks. That’s what draws people in the most. Compared to tennis, it’s night and day.”
As more money funnels into pickleball and the stakes get higher, might that start to change? Freddie says his experience at the Indian Open in Mumbai in February was a glimpse into a potentially more serious future.
“It was pretty hardcore,” he says. “People cared a lot, there were some interesting line calls and some pretty aggressive, pumped-up players. It was a bit different.
“That was one of the things I wanted to leave behind in tennis. I’ve heard pro pickleball has become quite edgy in the States but it’s something we’re try to ensure doesn’t happen here. I think it’s important we keep behaviour respectful. Things get competitive, that’s fine, but we’re trying our best to keep it as sociable and sportsmanlike as we can.”
Talking of America, Freddie is at the time of writing in Miami with Louis, Thaddea Lock and James Chaudry for the Chase APP Miami Open – and then to watch his compatriots play in the inaugural APP Atlantic Cup – pickleball’s version of the Ryder Cup. Freddie isn’t playing. From there, they’re all heading to Naples, Florida for the US Open.
Freddie has dual British-American citizenship thanks to his Indianapolis roots and doesn’t rule out the possibility of a future move into the USA’s professional pickleball tours. But, for now, he says: “If I did go to America I’d be a small fish in a big pond. It’s more enjoyable to be at the forefront of things in European pickleball. Louis and James bear the brunt of all the hype and it’s quite fun just being sat behind them!”
Freddie is also happy to remain out of the limelight when it comes to a central issue hanging over British pickleball at the moment – the Lawn Tennis Association’s bid to become the sport’s governing body, replacing Pickleball England. Freddie gave the LTA’s top brass an introductory pickleball session at the National Tennis Centre last month, but stresses that has no bearing on what side of the argument he falls on.
He says diplomatically: “I do not think that I have enough knowledge or influence to be worthy of expressing an opinion for one side or the other. I’m trying to stay out of all the politics. I just want pickleball to be tried by as many people as possible and for it to reach its maximum potential.
“I will fully back Sport England’s decision whichever way it goes. The last thing I want to happen is for there to be a decision made and we as a community spend the next two years fighting and bickering and wrestling for control, which will be to the detriment to the growth of the sport. It’s tough, but from my point of view I want this to be resolved as quickly and definitively as possible.”
While Freddie is happy to stay in the shadows of this very public dispute, he is not shy of the spotlight when it comes to showcasing his abundant talent on court. “I’ve been trying to rein in the flashy winners lately – especially in doubles,” he stresses. “But I think I’ll always be the same – having a bit of a mess about and enjoying what I do.”
