Celebrity Pickleball Tournament at 2023 Nationals to Feature Icons from Across Sports World
Sports icons Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Romo, Jason Kidd, Tyler Seguin and John Isner will join some of the PPA Tour's top talent in a celebrity pickleball tournament during the 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships.
The Celebrity Pickleball Showdown will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 7 at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, kicking off professional-level play at the event.
In case you're unfamiliar with some of these names...
Dirk Nowitzki
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023
- Played 21 seasons with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and won a title in 2011
- 14-time NBA All-Star
- Named the League MVP in 2007
Tony Romo
- Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback
- 14-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys
- Currently serves as the lead color analyst for CBS Sports
Jason Kidd
- 10-time NBA All-Star
- Head coach of the Mavericks
- Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018
- 8 of his 19 seasons as a player for Dallas, helping the Mavericks win a championship in 2011 alongside Nowitzki
Tyler Seguin
- A 14-year NHL veteran with over 900 games experience
- Forward and alternate captain with the Dallas Stars
- Six-time All-Star helped the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011
John Isner
- 16-time singles champion on the ATP Tour
- Reached a career-high ranking of No. 8 in the world
- Semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2018
Tickets for the Celebrity Pickleball Showdown are available here.
2023 Nationals highlights
If a celebrity pickleball tournament wasn't enough, Nationals has other big plans for this year's event.
Those include:
- A Guinness World Record attempt for Largest Pickleball match
- Dozens of musical acts including American Idol winner Phillip Phillps and local sensations Le Freak
- Beer gardens, music venues, culinary immersions, tasting rooms, interactive games, kid-friendly activities
- Customizable merchandise, premium viewing platforms
- “Pickleball Boulevard” at Nationals to create the world’s biggest pickleball party, according to a PPA announcement
Related: Nationals Is Moving to Dallas, USAP & PPA Announce Partnership
Over 3,500 amateur and professional players will compete at Nationals on 65-plus courts for the biggest prize purse in the event's history.
Over 20,000 attendees are expected to spectate the event.
