Did Tama Just Save Singles Pickleball?


If you watch any pro pickleball, you know the "big" events are the Mixed doubles and the Men's and Women's doubles.

Anna Leigh Waters has won so many Women's singles championships that lots of fans don't even watch them anymore.

In fact, if you look at the stands on Championship Sunday, fewer people choose to watch the singles finals in either men's or women's divisions.

There has even been talk of changing the pickleball court dimensions for singles events, similar to the narrower lines in pro tennis for singles vs doubles.

The thought is that the narrower dimensions would force a more "cat and mouse" game at the net rather than the current long baseline rallies and passing shots.

Well, maybe Tama Shimabukuro just saved singles pickleball.

If you don't know who he is, he is a 15 year-old pickleball player from Hawaii who had an amazing run in singles at the PPA Tour's Atlanta Slam last weekend. 

And he plays the "cat and mouse" game at the net that the powers that be want to see more of in singles pickleball.

And he does it on the current court dimensions.

And he does it in a 15 year-old body.  Imagine what he'll be like with a full-grown body and a longer wingspan!

And he does it quite successfully.

His success in Atlanta was that he made it to the Singles finals.

In getting there he defeated the #13, #2, #11, and #3 players. 

He played the #1 player, Chris Haworth, in the finals.

And that finals match had to be the most well attended singles final I have ever seen on the PPA Tour.

Although he lost to Haworth in the final, he received the silver medal.

And he became an instant crowd favorite. 

His game is unique among current men's singles players.

He is significantly faster than you would think just by watching him walk. 

He plays very smart pickleball and anticipates his opponent's moves extremely well.

The fact is, it was refreshing to have a new face in singles.

And it was refreshing to have someone so young play so well and carry himself so well.

He was very humble despite his success, and he thanked the crowd numerous times for their support.

He also graciously signed autographs and posed for photos. 

Will his success continue into MLP this summer and into the PPA again in the Fall?

I don't know.

But for now he has people like me, who had grown tired of singles pickleball, watching with renewed interest.

Maybe he really did just save singles pickleball.

Congratulations!

As they say, "It's Tama Time!"


Ben Holt
​CEO Pickleball Living