The Dink Pickleball

The Dink Pickleball Logo
Pickleball Lives Here
$250k in Prize Money on the Line this Weekend at the Life Time Open
The Pros

$250k in Prize Money on the Line this Weekend at the Life Time Open

by Erik Tice on

The brand-new pro singles tournament is set to be the main attraction in professional pickleball this weekend. The event is being held at the Life Time Peachtree Corners, just outside Atlanta, Georgia. This venue has hosted multiple Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) events throughout the last few years.

Life Time has fully embraced pickleball, with many of its clubs adding courts within the last five years. Peachtree Corners is one of the cornerstones of its commitment to the game. Just over two months ago, it was announced that the Life Time LT Pro 48 Pickleball was becoming the official ball of the Carvana PPA Tour. 

The Life Time Open is a unique tournament - it is only for professional players and it is solely a singles tournament. No amateurs playing on side courts. No mixed doubles. No gender doubles. 

Just some of the world’s best singles players battling for the grand prize of $50,000 for the winner of the men’s and women’s brackets. 

And battle they will - this one is not for the faint of heart. The format is very unique in today’s game. 

Although it is a partner of the PPA Tour, the Life Time Open is open to all players - not just signed PPA pros. Players from the APP Tour and international players are playing in this tournament. 

Each match is the best three out of five games to 11, side out scoring, must win by two. Fitness will definitely become a factor in the later rounds because most players are not used to playing five games per match.

How to Watch the Life Time Open

Friday, October 17 - Round of 64 and Round of 32

Saturday, October 18 - Round of 16 and Quarterfinals

Sunday, October 19 - Semifinals, Bronze, and Finals

Weather Outlook

The weather looks to be warm and humid, with humidity levels reaching nearly 70%. The biggest cause for concern will come on Sunday, for the Finals, but hopefully the AM rain is gone by the time the finals air on ESPN2.

Let’s get into the brackets and entrants.

 

Want to advertise with us?

If your company is interested in reaching an audience of active pickleballers, you may want to give us a shout.

Women’s Draw

While there is no bracket graphic for the draw, you can follow along with the Life Time Open Women’s Bracket by clicking here (sign in required).

There are 42 entrants in the women’s draw, so that means the top 22 seeds will earn a bye into the Round of 32, with 20 women battling it out in the Round of 64 for the 10 open spots in the Round of 32.

Top Seeds

  • Parris Todd - has some injury concerns, as she rolled her ankle last week in the PPA Virginia Beach Cup
  • Lea Jansen - has multiple wins on the PPA Tour and is always ranked within the top 7 in women’s singles in the world
  • Kaitlyn Christian - has multiple wins on the PPA Tour in 2025, including Australia and recently at the Las Vegas Open
  • Judit Castillo - has wins on both the PPA Tour and APP Tour within the last two years and is widely regarded as one of the most athletic women in pickleball

International Flair

  • Pei Chuan Kao - originally from Chinese Tapei (Taiwan), Kao won the APP Fort Lauderale Open earlier this year
  • Ting Chieh “Jamie” Wei - also from Chinese Tapei, she was part of the UPA Trailblazer program this year and has wins over PPA Pros Lina Padegimaite and Marcela Hones

Other Notable Entrants

  • Simone Jardim - over 30 gold medals on the PPA Tour, with six of those coming in singles - known as one of the best female players of all time and is in the Pickleball Hall of Fame
  • Katerina Stewart - has won a gold and silver on the APP Tour this year and is an newer player to watch out for
  • Bobbi Oshiro - she doesn’t play a ton of singles, but is one of the most athletic players on the APP Tour and has won three silver medals this year
  • Salome Devidze - singles specialist that is the last person to beat Anna Leigh Waters in her singles career, in June 2024

Predictions

  • Semifinalists: Liz Truluck (over Parris because I think Parris is carrying an injury), Judit Castillo, Bobbi Oshiro, and Amanda Hendry
  • Finals: Judit Castillo beats Bobbi Oshiro in the finals

Men’s Draw

While there is no bracket graphic for the draw, you can follow along with the Life Time Open Men’s Bracket by clicking here (sign in required).

There were entrants 52 entrants in the men’s qualifier draw, fighting for 16 spots in the main draw. The men’s draw has a complete Round of 64 bracket.

Top Seeds

  • Federico Staksrud - Recently won the PPA Sacramento Vintage Open and was the #1 overall seed in men’s doubles for over a year and a half on the PPA Tour
  • Connor Garnett - Has multiple wins on the PPA Tour in the last two years and has never been lower than the 5 seed in any PPA tournament in that time
  • Chris Haworth - Recently signed with the PPA Tour and won the Virginia Beach Cup, moving him into the top 10 on the PPA Tour
  • Jaume Martinez Vich - Has never won gold on the PPA Tour, but is one of the most entertaining players and is always ranked in the top 10

International Flair

  • Phuc Huynh - The Vietnamese star just won the MB Vietnamese Cup and has wins over some of the top players in the world 
  • Armaan Bhatia - The Indian star recently signed with the PPA and has two gold medals in singles on the APP Tour this year
  • Noe Khlif - While he is US based now, Khlif is originally from France and has been playing on the PPA Tour for over a year now, but is still looking for his first medal in singles

Other Notable Entrants

  • Donald Young - Started playing on the PPA Tour in early 2024 and one of the most powerful drives in pickleball - former high level pro tennis player that reached as high as 8th in the world in singles - lives in Georgia now, so this is like a homefield advantage 
  • John Lucian Goins - AKA “Looch” - the teenager has back to back PPA Tour wins this year and is putting himself in position to be a regular top 10 finisher
  • Will Howells - doesn’t play a ton of singles, but has a win on the APP Tour this year and the former Fighting Irish captain has elite athleticism, so he could upset some people
  • Alex Crum - came onto the singles scene earlier this year and has wins over some of the top pros on the PPA Tour
  • Grayson Goldin - Signed with the PPA Tour in mid 2025 and has wins on the APP Tour - looking for his first big run as a signed PPA player this year

Predictions

  • Semifinalists: Federico Staksrud, Jaume Martinez Vich, Chris Haworth, and John Lucian Goins
  • Finals: Haworth beats Staksrud in the finals
Erik Tice

Erik Tice

Erik produces content for The Dink related to pro and collegiate pickleball. He is an avid watcher of pickleball and became passionate about the sport in early 2022.

Read more