Relishing the other big pro tournament in town
Plus: The week's top stories — N.C. legislature passes abortion ban — Braxton Winston to leave City Council — YMCA selling NoDa property — New CLT runway underway — Panthers' stadium upgrades
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Move over, Wells Fargo Championship – the pro pickleball tournament is in Charlotte this weekend, and we’re taking you inside the action
HOT MATCH IN CENTER COURT: Tennis pro Jack Sock (pictured right on the court) made his pickleball debut Thursday at the North Carolina Open of the Caravana PPA Tour. Life Time Charlotte in the Rea Farms area of south Charlotte is hosting the tour through Sunday at its indoor tennis and pickleball facility.
by Lindsey Banks
As pickleball pro Jay Devilliers — also known as the “Flying Frenchman” — neared the end of his close match Thursday afternoon against Jaume Vich Martinez from Spain, a crowd of more than three dozen spectators held their breath in excitement.
Devilliers knew his opponent had a weak backhand swing, so he used that to his advantage to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Carvana PPA Tour North Carolina Open, which runs through Sunday at Life Time Charlotte fitness center in south Charlotte.
The eyes of national sports media may have been focused on golf 10 miles away at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club, but for fans of pickleball — a fast-growing sport with a cult-like following — there was no better place to be than watching the world’s top pickleballers battle it out.
Hundreds of pickleball players and spectators of all ages and from all over the country turned out Thursday for the first day of the North Carolina Open. A total of 933 professional and amateur players registered to compete in the tournament, paying $95 to enter with the chance to win a portion of the $238,314 prize purse. Pro players competed in ensembles bearing their sponsors’ logos.
Outside the gigantic Life Time Charlotte facility, there were no empty parking spots in sight, while inside, dozens of pickleball matches were being played simultaneously on professional-grade indoor pickleball courts.
Photographers scurried around, snapping shots of players in action and broadcasting the games for the online live stream. Players and fans milled around the “Vendor Village” in between matches to visit the promotional tables of some of the tour’s sponsoring companies.
Spectators paid $25 for a “grounds pass” to get access to the action, but courtside seats for the professional matches played on the center court required a $40 ticket. Fans watched amateur games from walkways behind nets.
Those who wanted the ultimate pickleball experience could buy $200 tickets to the tournament’s VIP lounge, which was roped off in two sections to either sit comfortably down on center court amongst the action or watch on a balcony from above. VIP ticket holders also received lunch and drinks.
CATCHING THE ACTION: Spectators watched amateur pickleball matches through screen windows on either side of the walkway.
Collin Brown of Atlanta stood behind the screen watching his 16-year-old daughter Alia compete in a high-level amateur singles match. Alia played tennis for her high school before making the switch to pickleball, and for the last year, she’s juggled attending high school with competing in pickleball tournaments.
She was recently offered a sponsorship deal with Engage Pickleball Paddles, and her father says she plans to make “a big announcement about her future” with pickleball at a competition in New York later this summer.
Players compete only against those on their level, which is determined by skill. Professional players as young as 16 are competing in this weekend’s tournament, going up against players like 28-year-old Devilliers.
Transitioning from tennis to pickleball: Devilliers, a tennis pro-turned-pickleball star, is originally from France but lives in Kansas, where he attended Wichita State University and played tennis. He picked up pickleball as a hobby in 2019. Now he’s on the pro circuit.
“Everyone wants to be the top player,” Devilliers told The Ledger in a courtside interview after winning his second match of the day. “You have a target on your back, and you just have to elevate your game every tournament. [I’m] very pleased that I’m in quarters, and hopefully I can push forward and make it to the final.”
Devilliers lost in the quarterfinals Thursday but will compete in the men’s doubles on Saturday.
Devilliers wasn’t the only pro on the court who got their start in tennis. Before Concord resident Brooke Buckner picked up a pickleball paddle in 2020, she was an assistant coach for women’s tennis at UNC Charlotte. Buckner, 31, made it to the quarterfinals Thursday but lost to Lea Jansen from Austin, Texas.
The pickleball community is passionate and welcoming of new fans and those who wish to learn to play, but as a professional player, you’ve got to earn your way in.
Charlotte resident and accomplished pro tennis player Jack Sock made his pickleball debut at the North Carolina Open this week. In his tennis career, Sock, 30, had career-high rankings of world No. 8 in singles and world No. 2 in doubles. After an injury set his tennis career back, he decided to make the switch to pickleball.
Despite his tennis accomplishments, Sock is not yet known in the pickleball world. In his matches Thursday, the crowd was noticeably louder when his opponent scored a point. Spectators told The Ledger that if Sock sticks with the game, the fans will grow to support him.
➡️ Want to go? The Carvana PPA North Carolina Open continues today and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Life Time Charlotte, 11220 Golf Links Dr. Tickets start at $25 and are available online. (Courtside seats appear to be sold out, but grounds passes and VIP tickets remain available.)
If you go: Every sport has its own spectator culture. Here are some tips for watching pickleball this weekend:
Wear comfortable clothing — no trendy or fancy outfits needed. Players sported athletic attire, and most spectators were also in workout clothing like leggings and T-shirts. (Those wearing jeans looked overdressed.)
Brush up on the lingo before walking in. Although some of the rules loosely resemble those in tennis, the “racket” is called a paddle — and despite what your gut tells you, the ball is not called a Wiffle ball. (It’s just called a ball.) Also, you’ll hear the term “cat-and-mouse” used to describe the sport, which essentially means pickleball is all about sneakily out-maneuvering your opponent.
Follow along by going to PPATour.com instead of the Pickleball Tournament website. The PPA Tour’s site is more user-friendly, and it updates the brackets after each professional match. (And you don’t have to make an account to see the players and event line-up.) You can watch the tournament online, and Sunday’s mixed doubles final airs at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
Lindsey Banks is a staff reporter for The Ledger. Reach her at lindsey@cltledger.com
Related Ledger pickleball coverage:
“Pickleball is the hottest Charlotte sport you’ve never heard of” (Jan. 13, 2020)
“A score for Charlotte’s pickleball scene” (Aug. 13, 2022)
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MAY 19-21: Enneagram Workshop: The Three Instincts (Subtypes); Friday 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 to 5 p.m. & Sunday 9 to 4 p.m. at The Enneagram Center, Charlotte. This workshop provides an understanding of your Enneagram type and how your instinctual biases operate in combination with it. Learn where you spend your time & energy and how to bring it into balance. Early Bird $275 (ends at midnight May 13th). Regular pricing $295.
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This week in Charlotte: Legislature passes abortion restrictions; BofA Stadium renovations discussed; Braxton Winston to leave City Council; Charlotte FC players linked to police investigation
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Politics
Abortion ban passes N.C. legislature: (Associated Press) North Carolina lawmakers ushered through legislation Thursday banning nearly all abortions after 12 weeks, with a 29-20 party-line vote in the state Senate. Gov. Roy Cooper has promised to veto the measure, but Republicans appear to have the votes to override a veto.
Braxton Winston to leave City Council: (WFAE) Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Braxton Winston announced that he will not run for another term on the City Council this year as he focuses on running for N.C. labor commissioner in 2024.
Dan Bishop to run for AG? (Longleaf Politics, later reported by Axios Raleigh) Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop of Charlotte is said to be considering running for N.C. attorney general next year, a move that would open a congressional seat in the Charlotte area.
Education
CMS teacher of the year: (Observer) Ana Cunningham, an English teacher at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, was named the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Teacher of the Year on Wednesday night. She was chosen from a slate of nine finalists.
Local news
Stadium plans: (WSOC) Charlotte officials have outlined a plan to provide public funds toward the renovation of the Bank of America Stadium, with part of the $600M expected to come from a tax on dining out. The strategy is expected to include $600M from the Carolina Panthers for a total project cost of $1.2B, and renovations rather than a new stadium.
Deadly condo fire: (WCNC) One person died in an uptown condo fire on Tuesday on West 8th Street near North Graham Street.
Business
YMCA changes: (Ledger, Axios Charlotte and others) Stan Law will retire as CEO of YMCA of Greater Charlotte and the organization will sell its Johnston YMCA property in NoDa due to financial needs and limitations, with the branch set to close at the end of the year.
New name for Sealed Air: Charlotte-based Sealed Air Corp., the maker of Bubble Wrap, is changing its name to “SEE” and is introducing a new logo — moves that the business said in a press release are the “next step in reinventing the company.”
Sports
Police investigation involving soccer players: (Ledger) Charlotte FC players Andre Shinyashiki and Nuno Santos have been linked to a sexual assault investigation by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, resulting in their absences from the team. No charges have been filed.
Panthers to play in Germany: (Joe Person of The Athletic on Twitter) The Carolina Panthers are expected to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Germany in 2024, in what will be counted as a Panthers home game. An announcement is expected next week.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Runway underway: Charlotte Douglas International Airport is constructing a fourth parallel runway, expected to open in 2027, which will reduce delays and cut fuel use and airline crew time. The airport's terminal expansion, the most visible part of its ongoing $3.5B improvement project, is expected to be finished by 2025.
Dashew on school assignment: CMS board chair Elyse Dashew says the school district is getting close to a student assignment plan for south Charlotte that will be good for kids. She also says CMS is being thoughtful about finding a visionary leader for the district.
Hot-button Ballantyne issues: More than 200 residents attended a meeting to discuss several contentious issues in the Ballantyne area, including a controversial rezoning and a road-widening project. Topics included the widening of U.S. 521, the addition of toll lanes on I-485, the Piper Glen rezoning proposal, a recent string of break-ins and updates on the Ballantyne Reimagined project.
Wednesday (🔒)
Pro-Charlotte ad campaign: The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority is running a $2.8M TV ad campaign promoting Charlotte’s top experiences in 16 media markets, thanks to additional Covid relief money. The campaign highlights some of Charlotte’s marquee experiences, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the U.S National Whitewater Center, the Mint Museum and a Charlotte FC soccer game.
City pushes for tax extension: The city of Charlotte is backing a bill that would extend the countywide tax on prepared food until 2060, although the topic has not been discussed at a City Council or committee meeting. The 1% tax, charged on restaurant meals, is one of several “tourism taxes” that could be spent on tourism-boosting projects such as a new football stadium.
Ramona to sign off: Ramona Holloway of the “Matt & Ramona Show” on WLNK 107.9 FM announced she is leaving the airwaves to become a community affairs director at Radio One. She cited the impact of the early morning radio show on her life.
City budget: City Manager Marcus Jones on Monday unveiled his recommendation for a $3.3B budget that calls for no new revenue from property taxes — and gives big pay boosts to police to try to fill expected vacancies.
Fundraising swim: Russell Raath, a Charlotte-based consultant, will swim nearly 5 miles from Robben Island to Big Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, to raise money for four charities that are important to him, including Charlotte Ballet. He'll have a companion boat alongside him to toss him gel nutrition and to keep a lookout for sharks.
Friday (🔒)
The future of ‘LoSo’: Charlotte's Lower South End, or LoSo, has become a popular neighborhood for apartment living and after-hours fun, with a mix of breweries, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The area has transformed from an industrial warehouse district to a destination neighborhood, though some people dislike the name.
County reversal on retiree insurance: Mecklenburg County has decided not to require retirees with dependents to cover the costs of dependents’ health insurance premiums after years of partially paying premiums.
Atrium lease questioned: Mecklenburg County commissioners voted to renew a lease for a county dental clinic at Atrium Health, but two commissioners wondered why the hospital system wasn't offering the space for free.
Headline philosophy explained: The Charlotte Observer’s editorial page editor acknowledged in a recent appearance at Charlotte Rotary that there is a “grain of truth” to the idea that news headlines are created to attract clicks, but emphasized that misleading headlines do not benefit the newspaper in the long run.
Ways of Life (🔒)
A reporter and PR guy who ran 46,000 miles: Alex Coffin was a multifaceted man who lived an impressive life, but his true legacy was the way he engaged with people, making them feel valued and showing them they mattered.
15 ways transit meeting was like Festivus: During a recent Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) meeting in Charlotte, officials got into heated exchanges over who was to blame for the Charlotte Area Transit System's (CATS) recent issues — and it sounded like an “airing of grievances” from the fictional holiday “Festivus” from the 1990s sitcom “Seinfeld,” The Ledger’s Tony Mecia writes.
Challenging times for soccer team: Charlotte FC has had to choose its words carefully and defend its transparency with Major League Soccer following news that two players were linked to an incident report of sexual assault
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project