We asked some of pickleball’s leading lights: “What is your biggest wish for pickleball in 2025?”
Thaddea Lock: “More purpose-built courts in the UK to make it easier for more people to have access to and play the sport.”
Mollie Knaggs: “I would love for pickleball to continue to grow and see the performance side of pickleball for young people and inspire as many young people to take on the sport as possible.”
Louis Laville: “Continued growth and it maintaining its sociability despite becoming more professionalised. And me winning hands battles.”
Julie Mac: “I’ll work as hard as I can to give my Deaf pickleball players the opportunities the sport has given me, at whatever level they choose to play at, and to make sure they socialise, they have fun, and they can open their hearts to this amazing sport that we all love.”
Richard Love: “It would be amazing to see bespoke pickleball venues popping up around the country throughout 2025. This would make it possible to grow the sport even more and make it accessible to more people.”
Tom Corfield: “My biggest wish for pickleball is to see the movement continue to grow. It’s been amazing to see how far the sport has come this year with more tournaments and festivals available. I’ve met so many new people whether they are just starting to play or having played for 10 years and hope to meet many more! Watching the inaugural European Championship, it was great to see how high the level has risen across Europe. Personally I’m working on a couple of ventures which I hope will contribute to this growth.”
Louise Stephens: “That pickleball continues to grow and develop at the rate it has been and that pickleball venues open up around the country.”
Karen Mitchell (chair, Pickleball England): “In England, the creation of many more new facilities. Globally, the unification of the international governing bodies so that there is just one united global governing body.”
Nathan Parker (Wales international): “The number of pickleball players has increased dramatically over the last couple of years which is amazing and because of this, my wish is for the number of pickleball facilities and coaches to increase along side it. Unfortunately there are still barriers to participation in this respect and it is down to everyone in the sport to help reduce these barriers.”
