How much do the best pickleball players in the United States earn?

In just a few years, American professional pickleball has gone from a niche sport to a truly structured ecosystem.

Although earnings are still far from those of tennis or golf, the sport is experiencing a rapid rise, driven by media coverage, sponsorship and the creation of solid professional leagues.

Professional pickleball, a model inspired by the major American leagues

Two organizations currently share the upper hand:

• the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) , focused on individual and doubles tournaments,
• and the MLP (Major League Pickleball) , a league with a collective format, with teams, contracts and transfers .

The PPA offers a competitive circuit throughout the year, accumulating more than $5 million in prize money in 2024 , while the MLP is inspired by the major American leagues (NBA, MLB) with a draft system and team management.

A partial merger between the two leagues , planned by the end of 2025, should increase the visibility of pickleball, harmonize schedules and consolidate the economic model of the sport in the United States.

Revenues are rising sharply for the headliners

The pickleball boom has transformed the lives of its best players.

According to cross-estimates from Forbes , Sports Business Journal and USA Pickleball , top male and female players in the world now earn between $200,000 and $500,000 per year , combining bonuses, equipment contracts and commercial partnerships .

American player Ben Johns , world number 1, is expected to approach $500,000 in 2024 , thanks in particular to his partnerships with JOOLA , Skechers and The Dink .

Among women, Anna Leigh Waters , the young star of the PPA circuit, is estimated to have generated around $400,000 , between her victories, media appearances and advertising contracts.

Behind this elite, average earnings fall sharply: the majority of players ranked in the top 50 earn between $40,000 and $60,000 per season , depending on their performance and visibility.

But the trend is clearly upwards: in 2020, few exceeded $10,000.

Sponsorship and brands: a driver of professionalization

The rise of professional pickleball is largely based on massive investment from equipment manufacturers and commercial partners .

Brands like JOOLA , Selkirk , Head , Franklin or ONIX now support top athletes and finance major events on the calendar.

This support goes beyond mere equipment: these brands contribute to the promotion of sport , the production of content and the structuring of tournaments .

The appearance of pickleball on ESPN and Amazon Prime Video has also attracted non-sports sponsors , such as insurance companies, retail chains, and technology companies.

Pickleball is perceived as a friendly, mixed and family sport, ideal values ​​for brands wishing to associate themselves with a rapidly growing sport.

Tournaments with better prize money and increasingly attractive prizes

The 2025 calendar illustrates this rise in power.

The biggest events, such as the PPA Tour Finals or the US Open Pickleball Championships , have prize money ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 .

Winners in singles or doubles can thus leave with $25,000 to $30,000 , not counting personal bonuses linked to sponsors .

Even though the majority of professionals do not yet live solely off their winnings on the circuit, the increase in tournaments, the rise in prize money and the growing media coverage are opening up real career prospects .

Many athletes supplement their income with private lessons, coaching or local partnerships , while waiting for the economic maturity of the circuit.

Prestigious investors and newfound credibility

Pickleball's popularity is no longer limited to the courts.

Many American investors have invested in sports, including several celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment:

LeBron James , Tom Brady , Naomi Osaka and Kevin Durant have all invested in Major League Pickleball teams or projects related to the sport.

Their involvement strengthens the media legitimacy of pickleball and attracts new financial partners.

The leagues now benefit from regular press coverage, TV deals and streaming broadcasts, helping to make pickleball a fully-fledged spectator sport .

Towards a sustainable professional circuit

The professional pickleball economy is still young, but the foundations are solid.

Revenues are increasing, brands are getting involved, leagues are consolidating and the number of spectators continues to grow — multiplied by 10 between 2019 and 2024 , according to data from USA Pickleball .

Although income disparities between players remain significant, the overall trend is clearly positive.

Pickleball is now entering a phase of economic stabilization , where professionalization is becoming a reality and no longer just a promise.

The dream of a full-time career in pickleball is no longer a utopia: it is becoming an achievable goal for the best American players .

A young sport, but already promising

Professional pickleball follows the same trajectory as tennis in the 1970s: a period of rapid structuring, marked by the creation of circuits, rising prize money and media recognition.

There is still a long way to go before reaching the remuneration levels of major global sports, but the trend is clear:

Pickleball is establishing itself as a fully-fledged professional sport , with its own economy, stars and loyal fans.