On July 23 in pickleball history, a notable event occurred in 2023 when an all-female professional pickleball exhibition was held at Oracle Park, showcasing some of the best women players in the sport. This event featured top talents such as Anna Leigh Waters, the number one player on the Professional Pickleball Association tour, alongside Lea Jansen, Anna Bright, Meghan Dizon, and the 2023 US Open Women’s Doubles Champions Simone Jardi. The exhibition included singles play on July 21 and doubles on July 23, highlighting the rising prominence and skill level of women in professional pickleball. The event was organized by Giants Enterprises in partnership with Pickleball4America, underscoring the sport’s growing appeal and the increasing visibility of female athletes within the pickleball community.
This moment is significant because it reflects the rapid growth and professionalization of pickleball, a sport that originated in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, when Congressman Joel Pritchard, businessman Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum created the game to entertain their families. Since that summer day, pickleball has evolved from a backyard pastime into a global sport with professional tours, international competition, and widespread participation. Female players have become central figures in this evolution, breaking new ground in skill, competition, and fan engagement.
That summer day in 1965, the inventors improvised with ping pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball on a lowered badminton net. The sport's name, “pickleball,” came from Joan Pritchard, referencing the “pickle boat” of crew races, not the family dog Pickles as some legends claim. Within a few years, the game gained structure with formal rules and dedicated courts, leading to the establishment of Pickle Ball, Inc., further promoting the sport. Over the decades, pickleball expanded from a local curiosity to a major athletic phenomenon, recognized for being one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and included internationally in events such as the World Games.
By 2023, the sport had developed professional circuits with fierce competition and commercial investment. Events like the all-women professional pickleball exhibition challenge old stereotypes and place female athletes front and center on a major sports stage, inspiring a new generation of players. These exhibitions not only showcase elite-level play but also emphasize sportsmanship, community, and the inclusive spirit at pickleball's core. The presence of champions like Anna Leigh Waters, already highly regarded in the pickleball world, highlights the peak level of performance achievable in the sport today.
Listeners interested in the origins and evolution of pickleball might appreciate how the game went from a playful invention on a summer afternoon to a sport with global competitions and professional players earning significant contracts. The July 23, 2023, professional women’s exhibition at Oracle Park demonstrated both the sporting and cultural maturity pickleball has achieved in just six decades.
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