After just a month on the PPA Tour, Chris Haworth has already made a massive statement — winning gold in Virginia Beach and climbing past Ben Johns in the singles rankings 👀
Chris joins Zane Navratil to talk about:
🏆 His switch from the APP to the PPA
📉 What caused his APP slump and how he bounced back
🔥 Why men’s singles is more exciting than ever
🎾 Hitting with Carlos Alcaraz at a Babolat shoot
💰 Thoughts on the new prize-money model and how one win can change your year
🧠 Advice for up-and-comers trying to break through in pro pickleball
Plus, the guys break down:
• The Virginia Beach Open results
• Jack Sock’s resurgence and near-upset of Connor Garnett
• Colin Johns’ surprise move to Vietnam
• And how Anna Leigh Waters just had maybe the most dominant weekend in pickleball history
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00:00 – Intro: Virginia Beach recap + Chris Haworth joins the pod
05:00 – Chris on winning gold in Virginia Beach and his PPA breakthrough
06:10 – Leaving the APP Tour after a slump and betting on himself
07:30 – Why he made the switch to the PPA and how rankings work
09:40 – From 57th seed to top 10 — passing Ben Johns in singles
11:00 – The paddle certification drama and what Chris is hitting with now
13:30 – Hitting with Carlos Alcaraz at a Babolat shoot
16:10 – Advice for players trying to break into pro pickleball
18:45 – Thoughts on the PPA’s prize money model and “betting on yourself”
21:10 – Lifetime Open preview: $50k prize pool + 3 of 5 set format
23:50 – How the new “baseline-heavy” singles meta is changing the game
27:00 – What to expect at Lifetime and who’s playing
30:30 – Why Jack Sock’s locked-in mindset could make him dangerous
34:10 – Anna Leigh Waters’ most dominant weekend ever + Ben & ALW back to owning pickleball
41:30 – Colin Johns moves to Vietnam + UPA Asia expansion
46:30 – APP Tour recap: rising names to watch
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