After five months, the global sports brand and world #1 have agreed to "mutually conclude" their partnership.

Adidas Pickleball made its presence known in January when the brand announced it had signed world #1 Federico Staksrud.

"I’m thrilled to work with adidas to set a new standard in pickleball equipment and continue to inspire players around the world," Staksrud said at the time.

Adidas Signs World No. 1 Federico Staksrud

Federico Staksrud, the world’s top-ranked men’s pickleball player, has joined forces with adidas Pickleball in a groundbreaking multi-year partnership. The collaboration marks a significant milestone for both Staksrud and adidas, as the brand continues its expansion into the growing sport of pickleball. A central highlight of the partnership

The Dink PickleballLuke Burton

It was a big deal for pickleball – a legacy, global sports brand was investing heavily into the sport, presumably for years to come.

But it never seemed to gain the momentum either side was hoping for.

Today, about five months after its inception, the partnership has officially come to an end.

"After careful consideration, adidas and I have decided to mutually conclude our partnership," Staksrud posted to Instagram.

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A post shared by Federico Staksrud (@federico_staksrud)

Staksrud never played with a signature adidas paddle. In February, a month after signing with adidas and using the brand's paddle in just one event, he was spotted at the Carvana PPA Mesa Cup using a JOOLA, the paddle brand he favored prior to the new brand deal.

We spoke with Staksrud at the time, who told us adidas was "giving me the freedom to keep playing with what I'm comfortable with until we make things right."

Staksrud Shelves Adidas Paddle ‘Until We Make Things Right’

Federico Staksrud, the #1-ranked singles and men’s doubles player on the PPA Tour, made waves last month as the new face of adidas pickleball. A few short weeks later, he was spotted swinging his trusty Joola again in a round of 64 singles win against Ty Parrish at the Carvana

The Dink PickleballAlex E. Weaver

For reasons that aren't yet clear, that time never came.

"The team put in incredible effort, working closely with me to create paddles designed for my game," Staksrud continued in today's IG post. "I'm grateful for their professionalism, dedication, and trust. Thank you to everyone at Adidas – I look forward to seeing how they continue to grow the sport."

We don't yet know if Staksrud is planning to sign with a new paddle brand, though JOOLA seems like the clear favorite.