Ben Johns scored FOUR points all weekend and Nico thinks he's already quit on the Mad Drops.

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$20K, one point, zero room for error — Nathan joins the pod fresh off winning the first-ever Paddletek One Point Challenge with Zane as his partner. We break down how they actually pulled it off, plus the chainsaw serve that almost got them DQ'd in the final.

Also this week: the Shock swept the 5s at Beer City Open, Zane's prop bet died in front of everyone, and there's a new S-tier. Federico Staksrud's about to be the most valuable trade chip in the league — we rank who should go get him. Kate Fahey vs. Jorja Johnson gets heated. And Zane's got a real answer for how to stop teams from hunting Anna Leigh Waters all game.

Then the actual news: Paddletek just bought PIKKL and signed the whole Johnson family — JW, Jorja, and Julie — plus Hurricane Tyra Black. Ron and Joe Saslow explain why that deal happened, why paddle brands keep eating each other, and whether Padel is about to eat pickleball's lunch.

Oh, and there's a cereal draft.

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------------------

0:00 Intro

1:39 MLP Mid Season recap

6:48 Takeaways from the weekend

8:34 Three S-tier teams

10:52 Everyone needs Federico Staksrud

14:59 Salary cap and salary floor

20:29 Icing out Anna Leigh Waters

Nathan Furness

26:34 The Paddletek 1-Point Challenge

35:50 Going toe-to-toe with Zane

43:10 Somebody hire Nathan

45:55 Cereal draft

54:10 Guess my DUPR

Ron and Joe Saslow

59:25 Ron and Joe join the show

1:02:09 How do the Johnsons fit in?

1:04:42 The age of consolidation

1:12:15 Addressing the “doubters”

1:21:30 Bullish on pickleball

1:25:59 What’s more valuable: reviewers or pros?

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Zane is fresh off a trip to PPA Tokyo and lands straight in Grand Rapids for the Beer City Open / MLP Mid-Season Tournament — so he and Nico have a lot to cover.

They break down the mysterious dueling "Team USA" pickleball announcements, preview Match Day prop bets for the Beer City Open, draft the most Silent Assassins in an MLP-style event, and dig into Jay Devilliers' surprise move to the APP Tour ahead of a wave of expiring PPA contracts.

Plus: Zane's Tokyo recap (sumo wrestling included), MLP trade deadline predictions, and a new Guess My Duper.

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0:00 Intro

1:47 Zane loves the World Cup

5:07 What's the deal with the new "Team USA"

10:57 Can an amateur team win at the Mid-Season Championship?

16:43 Prop bets from Match Day

27:56 Nico sets the odds for Mid-Season Championship

30:33 Zane uses the honor system in Tokyo

45:48 Jay Devilliers moving to the APP

53:25 Silent assassin MLP Draft

1:02:14 Possible big trade coming before the deadline

1:19:46 Guess my DUPR

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Is the best pickleball player in the world sitting on a pro soccer career she never cashed in?

Zane Navratil and Nico the Lefty sit down with Clem McAuley, Anna Leigh Waters' former club soccer coach, to find out just how real this "she could've gone pro" storyline actually is.

Clem recalls his first training session with a 12-year-old Anna Leigh – a kid who, in his words, practiced like it was a World Cup final. He breaks down her jaw-dropping U15 stat line (46 goals, 31 assists in 38 games) and what it was like building a roster and schedule around one player. Then there's his claim that with six months of real training she'd have top women's soccer teams calling – and inside two years, a shot at the US Women's National Team (USWNT).

Zane and Nico debate it themselves before Clem joins: is Anna Leigh Waters a Wilt Chamberlain-style talent dominating a shallower pool, or could her competitiveness and movement translate to any sport she picked up?

We went even deeper on thedinkpickleball.com – more from Clem, and insight from AC Delray's Director of Coaching, Anna Leigh's mom Leigh, and former Duke soccer All-American Kaitlyn Kerr. The full story covers her call-up to the Danone Cup, a FIFA-endorsed international football event for youth, along with real interest from the NWSL's Orlando Pride, a recruiting push from UNC, and how soccer almost pulled her away from pickleball for good – plus a soccer stat breakdown and highlight clips.

Find the full article here: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/anna-leigh-waters-the-soccer-prodigy-who-pickleball-stole/

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------------------

Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify

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Zane's calling in from a hostel kitchen in Tokyo and Nico's posted up at Gino the Righty's place in California, but somehow they still pulled off the wildest PicklePod yet.

This week: the New Jersey Fives win their third straight MLP event and take over first place in the standings, the league's first-ever four-team trade reshuffles the Chicago Slice and St. Louis Shock, and the guys break down the Casey Diamond/Grayson Goldin injured reserve controversy that's got every GM in the league fired up. Oh, and we finally talk about the scoreboard that collapsed on Brooklyn's Rachel Rohrabacher mid-match — and why MLP's statement on it might have made things worse.

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🗳️ Vote on our Continental Draft in the Pro Pickleball Talk Discord → https://www.discord.gg/JxEcUZ54z

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------------------

Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify

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#pickleball #pickleballcourts

------------------

0:00 Intro

5:30 MLP NYC recap

9:33 Which team falls to the 5-seed?

11:46 Ranchers stating their case

18:14 The Mid-Season Tourney = Soccer’s FA Cup

20:51 The Hogs surprise upset

24:10 The first 4 team trade in MLP history

30:10 Nico the Insider gets almost gets it right

37:23 Should teenagers be allowed to be pros?

42:35 The Royals IR scheme + hated teams

45:41 Power ranking MLP most hated teams50:19 MLP Scoreboard falls on Rachel Rohrabacher57:22 Continental draft

1:03:17 Guess my DUPR

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Zane Navratil and Nico the Lefty break down MLP St. Petersburg — the stunning blown foot-fault call that saved Nico and Mari Humberg's mixed doubles match, the eleventh-hour Casey Diamond signing drama between the Palm Beach Royals and Columbus Sliders, and why "super teams" like the St. Louis Shock, LA Mad Drops, and Columbus Sliders keep struggling out of the gate.

Then St. Louis Shock star Kate Fahey joins to talk her MVP weekend (top Player Impact Rating in the field), the art of playing "squishy" on defense, her breakdown of Sofia Sewing and Tina Pisnik's breakout run, and an honest conversation about on-court anxiety, working with a sports psychologist, and the line between competitive fire and burnout.

Plus: Zane and Nico draft an all-time Blue Card team, and the crew tries to guess a duper's rating.

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------------------

Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify

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------------------

0:00 Intro

2:34 Glazing St Pete Athletics

7:24 The Chicago Slice are outperforming expectations

15:38 Blocking out the haters

19:20 Sports Predict is giving away $1 million

Kate Fahey

24:33 Kate joins the show

24:56 Kate goes the extra mile for dogs

27:22 MVP of the weekend and weaponizing unpredictability

33:57 The definition of Squishy Pickleball

39:16 Palm Beach Royals bending the rules

49:11 Super Teams feeling the pressure

56:10 Embracing competitive spirit

1:04:02 The Blue Card Draft

1:11:56 Guess my DUPR

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This might be the biggest news week in MLP history. Zane and Nico break down the Hurricane Tyra Black ↔ Danni-Elle Townsend trade, debate whether the New Jersey 5s need to make a move of their own, and dig into salary floor/cap rumors that could reshape the league.

Then Danni-Elle Townsend joins fresh off the trade to tell her side of the story, followed by Florida Smash's Zoey Weil for a no-holds-barred conversation on the Jay Devilliers/Lea Jansen blowup, the "body bag" debate, and her ongoing beef with Jim Closs.

🗳️ Vote on our Hunger Games Draft in the Pro Pickleball Talk Discord → https://www.discord.gg/JxEcUZ54z

Be the first to try Zane's new course here: https://www.tzpickleball.com/

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Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299

------------------

Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify

-Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com

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------------------

0:00 Intro

2:31 Will the 5s make a move before the trade deadline?

9:33 New post-trade power rankings

Danni-Elle Townsend

16:15 Danni-Elle Townsend joins the show

19:23 The not-so-secret trade

23:49 Is there beef between Danni and Parris?

26:20 What was the trade process like?

31:12 Building the team around Danni

Zoey Weil

34:17 Defending the Florida Smash

36:36 Zoey dishing it out on X

41:25 Reaction to the Danni Townsend trade

44:42 Jay vs Lea | Pablo vs Everybody

49:22 Body bag vs full bag

53:20 Full bags are going to increase

59:30 Zoey judges the draft results

1:02:11 The Hunger Games Draft

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Last week Zane called out Hayden Patriquin's Columbus performance. Hayden texted back one sentence — and then went 10-0 in St. Louis. We cover all of that, the Shock's total demolition of the Mad Drops, a deep dive on how to actually beat Ben Johns, and full MLP power rankings with a new segment: the James Ignatowich Terminated Team of the Week. 🪓

We also run a brand new age-based MLP draft (teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s — yes, all age groups must be represented), Nico recaps his wild weekend at the Bread & Butter Nerdy Tournament in Vero Beach (featuring Robert Slutzky playing right-handed and Doug dropping $420 checks), and we debate whether the pro pickleball world needs to stop glazing Ben Johns just for showing up.

Plus: the dead spot problem is real, Nico's most awkward fan FaceTime, and another round of Guess My DUPR.

🗳️ Vote on our age draft in the Pro Pickleball Talk Discord → https://www.discord.gg/JxEcUZ54z

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Be the first to try Zane's new course here: https://www.tzpickleball.com/

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Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299

------------------

Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify

-Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com

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#pickleball #pickleballcourts

------------------

0:00 Intro

1:08 Nico’s experience at the Nerdy Tourney

5:06 Winner of the Nerdy Tourney

9:42 Drafting players from every decade

21:49 Nico’s funny story + Zane’s chill weekend

25:12 The Shock right the skip in home event

28:55 Hayden’s response to criticism

38:03 Ben Johns is the dad of MLP

40:48 Power + Tier Rankings

49:44 Terminated team of the week + paying for a roster spot

52:50 Trading bad bounces for bigger venues

59:59 Listener comments

1:02:11 Guess my DUPR

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Zane's calling in from Match Point Pickleball in Columbus (winners of the Dink Award for best pickleball facility) after surviving a six-hour clinic, MLP, and accidentally yelling "Let's go 5s" for his old team. Classic.

We break down everything from MLP Columbus — New Jersey Fives sweep their way to 25 standings points, St. Louis Shock falters, and Zane comes THIS close to beating Anna Leigh Waters in mixed doubles. Plus: Grayson Goldin's jaw-dropping Dreambreaker win just months after suffering two strokes, the Genie Bouchard situation explained, Anna Bright goes viral on X, and the moment you've been waiting for — the MLP Vibes-Only Draft.

Subscribe and let us know: Who has the highest ceiling in pickleball right now? 👇

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Check out Zane's Pro Pickleball Talk channel on Discord: https://discord.gg/wzNVADmZb

#Pickleball #PPATour #PickleballPodcast

Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299

------------------

Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify

-Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com

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#pickleball #pickleballcourts

------------------

0:00 Intro

4:36 Zane had game point against his former team

11:26 Are the Shock still No.1?

13:13 Sliders trying to mix Danni and Parris

15:57 NBA to MLP equivalents

19:55 Should the Sliders stack?

22:11 Zane blows the lob serve return

25:37 The Royals make their debut and Grayson Goldin’s emotional return

29:56 Drafting players on "Vibes" alone

37:00 Pro Pickleball discord and honorable mentions

40:12 Guess my DUPR goes off the rails

45:57 Pro players held to a different standard

50:23 Unearthing the comments section

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MLP is BACK — and Week 1 in Dallas did not disappoint. The Mad Drops took the whole thing, Ben Johns reminded everyone he is NOT to be slept on, and Danny Townsend made the entire pickleball world do a double-take. Nico and Zane break it all down.

Also this week: The Philippines tournament chaos (double gold, two balls, no final), Bao Duong absolutely owns Nico in a text exchange, Owl AI line-calling under the microscope, and Guess My Duper is back.

Subscribe and let us know: Who has the highest ceiling in pickleball right now? 👇

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Check out Zane's Pro Pickleball Talk channel on Discord: https://discord.gg/wzNVADmZb

#Pickleball #PPATour #PickleballPodcast

Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299

------------------

Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify

-Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com

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-Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball

#pickleball #pickleballcourts

------------------

0:00 Intro

1:25 Checking the comments section

6:39 Ball choice controversy in the Philippines

15:19 MLP Dallas recap

20:05 The Mad Drops took Dallas by storm

26:49 Columbus has a Dreambreaker problem

31:09 New look 5s struggle in Dallas

36:50 Nico's favorite team in 2026

40:27 Danni changed the women's doubles games

43:50 Zane missed birdwatch in Dallas

47:54 Not trusting AI line calls

50:42 Singles specialists are a real thing

55:04 Previewing MLP Columbus

1:03:11 Guess my DUPR

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