Vegas Lights: Mixed Doubles Showdown at the Walgreens Open

On August 29 in pickleball history, an exciting and ongoing event is the Walgreens Open at the Las Vegas Strip, a major tournament on the professional pickleball tour. This event takes place over several days from August 27 to 31, 2025, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Today, August 29, features the mixed doubles competition, which is set to run from 2 PM to 10 PM Eastern Time. This tournament not only showcases top-ranked professional players, but it also honors pickleball’s rich heritage, including a vintage wooden paddle tournament commemorating the sport’s founding. It represents a vibrant moment in pickleball’s growth as a professional sport, bringing together players, fans, and enthusiasts in a high-profile venue in one of the world’s most famous cities.

The fact that this event occurs right now highlights pickleball’s explosive rise in popularity since its invention in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The sport has evolved from a backyard game invented by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum into a global phenomenon with professional tours, national championships, and even international competitions. The sport’s name itself carries an interesting story — it was coined by Joan Pritchard in the summer of 1965. Contrary to the popular myth that the game was named after the family dog named Pickles, evidence shows the dog was born three years later. Instead, the name "pickleball" refers to the "pickle boat" in crew races, symbolizing the mix of different game elements thrown together when creating the sport. Joan Pritchard’s contribution to the naming of the game is an important piece of pickleball’s history that has only gained full recognition in recent years.

Pickleball’s growth accelerated in 1984 with the founding of the United States Amateur Pickleball Association, which helped standardize the rules and promote the sport nationally. Around that time, the first composite paddles were invented, improving the game’s playability and durability. Since then, pickleball courts have sprung up across all 50 states by 1990. Interest has soared not just in the United States but worldwide. Events like the current Walgreens Open in Las Vegas reflect the professionalization and increased visibility of the sport that began as a fun family game.

For listeners interested in the sport’s historical milestones, it is captivating to see how a game invented out of boredom one summer afternoon in 1965 has grown to fill venues in Las Vegas with thousands of spectators watching world-class athletes compete. This blend of a compelling origin story and current elite competition shows pickleball’s unique journey. The Walgreens Open also pays homage to the past with events like the vintage wooden paddle tournament, linking current players to the sport’s roots.

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