The Gold Rush isn't the only thing golden about Sacramento. One of the biggest tournaments in APP history made sure of that as the 2024 APP Sacramento Open saw a Triple Crown awarded to Jorja Johnson, and multiple USA Pickleball Golden Tickets handed out to players headed to Nationals in November. What a week at Johnson Ranch Sports Club, and the proof is in the social media pudding!
Will the Real Megan Fox Please Stand Up: California is a good place to be for celeb sightings, but the Megan Fox lookalikes in Sacramento were astonishing! Any word on whether or not the real Megan Fox plays pickleball?
Better than a Chocolate Factory: The 2024 APP Sacramento Open was the first of the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket events and we are here for the pickleball dreams being realized! But is there anything better than 9-year-old Lily DeHeart snagging a Golden Ticket in the women's singles 3.0 19+ division? That Golden Ticket performance would make Willy Wonka proud!
Vamos: Spanish-born Judit Castillo can claim a pickleball 'first' as she took the reins with the APP Pro Player Blog and delighted readers in both English AND Spanish. Luckily, her wisdom and wit translate well over any language barrier.
You Always Remember Your First: Will Howells wins his first APP men's pro singles gold medal on this perfectly placed shot in a Championship Sunday match against Jack Foster.
Sactown Triple Crown: Jorja Johnson is queen of the pickleball court after winning gold in women's pro singles, mixed pro doubles with her brother JW, and women's pro doubles with Jillian Braverman. This 17-year-old phenom is going to need a bigger display case for all that hardware, as she becomes the youngest person ever to win a Triple Crown on the APP Tour!
Practice Makes Perfect: Chest bumps between Gabriel Tardio and Andrei Daescu may have gotten better throughout the tournament, but their pickleball game was near perfect, as they defeated JW Johnson and Will Howells to take home the men's pro doubles title.
Global Takeover: There is no better representative of the APP's efforts to grow pickleball globally than APP Founder Ken Herrmann. What a time welcoming our friends from Japan and Singapore!
It Takes a Village: It is no easy feat to put on a week-long event for over 1500 people, but the APP does so with the help of countless volunteers who give their time in support of the game of pickleball. We are so grateful for their help and love that they take full advantage of their experience!
Gold Rush: The APP is proud to be the only pro tour sanctioned by USA Pickleball and we love sending people to the USA Pickleball National Championships with Golden Tickets. We are looking forward to seeing these smiling faces at Nationals in Mesa, Arizona at the end of the year!
Dance Party: It's always a good time on the APP Tour and dancing is just one of the fun ways we keep ourselves entertained in between matches! Wink, wink.
Showed Up and Showed Out: There's no question it was an incredible week in Sacramento, California with 1500 players showing the world what a celebration of competition pickleball boasts. Standing-room-only crowds were treated to the best pickleball action, and we can't be more grateful for you, Sactown!
That does it from Sacramento, California, but don't be too sad. We're right back at it again in 10 days for the 2024 Chase APP Miami Pickleball Open. So take a breather and meet us in Miami!
*Coming to an APP Tour stop? Use #APPTour in your posts and you could be featured in a future Social Roundup!
