Paris was the epicentre of pickleball last weekend as GB’s Louis Laville brought back double gold from the French capital and our sport was showcased at Roland Garros!
Louis teamed up with world rackets champion Ben Cawston in the men’s doubles and with Hermione Baxter Chinery in the mixed doubles, claiming victories in both finals at the Skechers Pickleball Paris Open 2024.
After the mixed win with Hermione against USA pair Courtney McIntosh and Walter Lau, Louis said on Instagram: “[We] got better with each match and had an unreal final against Walter and Courtney! Hermione was awesome all day and to win with my Premier Pickleball League Vice Captain is a good sign.”
In the men’s singles, GB no.2 Louis fell just one short of a triple crown by going down to Poland’s Szymon Zawartko in the final.
There was further British success in the women’s doubles 5.0 where Hermione teamed up with Scotland’s Karen Crawford to win the gold. Karen also won bronze in the women’s singles.
Louis and his doubles partners collected prize money of €450 for topping the podium – and posed for photos at the foot of the Eiffel Tower!
Meanwhile, across town, pickleball made its debut at the French Open tennis. A court was set up on the north forecourt of Court Philippe Chatrier, and another court will be assembled on Court 5 for the last four days of the tournament.
In a press release revealing pickleball’s Roland Garros debut, the French Tennis Federation also announced the launch of a ‘pickleball license’ for the 2024/25 season.
For €26 for adults and €22 for children, the license will give players access to tournaments and a national ranking. It’s possibly a sign that the French Tennis Federation is seeking some element of control over governance of pickleball in the same way as the Lawn Tennis Association is in the UK.
