APP Punta Gorda Open in full swing with record field of pickleball players

Author: Zach Oliveri
Published: Updated:

From some of the top pros to even pickup pickleball players, the PicklePlex in Punta Gorda is packed. As you have a record of over 1200 players competing in the Association of Pickleball Professional’s Punta Gorda Open. This is the beginning of the APP Pro Tour. So you know this event is circled on the calendar for on the of the tour’s top pros, Megan Fudge.

“I feel like it’s the first day of school all over again. 2024 is here,” Fudge said.

Fudge is competing in the women’s singles of the Punta Gorda Open. Her husband, fellow pro Ryler DeHeart, is competing in the men’s singles. The two were mixed doubles partners for two seasons.

“Then last season we had a pickleball breakup that everybody talked about,” Fudge said. But it’s super fun he’s my built in training buddy.”

“We always say we actually have two horses in the race,” Fudge added. “So if I don’t have a good day, I don’t bring our whole family out of it. Vice versa if he has a bad day. So we both have a chance to win it.”

Even though the tour has started, Fudge doesn’t have to leave her family behind. Because they join her on the road as the whole family travels to tournaments together in a RV.

“We spent so much time in hotels Airbnbs hotels flights and with two kids who are you know under the age of eight it was really tough,” Fudge explained. “So I’m like okay how can we make life you know work this a little better and be more efficient, bring more stability for the kids.”

Fudge’s mixed doubles partner is Andrei Daescu, the top ranked men’s pro on the tour. Last season, he led the tour in gold medals and total medals. His passion for the sport was discovered by accident.

“I was teaching tennis at a club in Palm Beach Gardens,” Daescu explained. And we had some members who played on a cruise ship. And they kind of twisted our arms to putting some scotch tape on some of the tennis hard courts. You know we tried it out…They needed two more players for a doubles exhibition and I always like to try new things. I’m like sure why not I’ll jump in. I remember playing an exhibition and I was like this game is a lot of fun.”

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