Lucy Kovalova: Becoming World #1, Simone Era Dominance & The Evolution Of Women’s Pickleball | S2 E8

Lucy Kovalova is one of the OG queens of pickleball — a former world number one, multiple-time triple crown winner, and one of the most feared right-side players of all time. From a tiny village in Slovakia to Wichita State with no English, to “accidentally” becoming the best in the world, Lucy has lived every chapter of pickleball’s rise. In this episode, she sits down with Roscoe and Jared to share the full story: chasing pro tennis across Europe, landing in Kansas without knowing what D1 even was, discovering pickleball through a made-up paddle game… and then quietly becoming one of the best players on the planet. She opens up about the first US Open in Naples, forming superteams with Irina Tereschenko and Simone Jardim, the golden era of grindy dinking, dominating women’s doubles with Simone, the rivalry years as new talent flooded in, what really separates the top women’s teams today, how the PPA Tour turned pickleball into a real career, and why her relationship with the sport has evolved from pure love of the game to business, purpose, and legacy. Delivered by @DoorDash! 🚘 Pickleballers Hat: 🧢 https://shop.thekitchenpickle.com/products/pickleballer-snapback?variant=58191198781521 Instagram: 📲 @pickleballers 📲 @thekitchenpickleball 📲 @roscoebellamy 📲 @jpaulthechef 0:00 Lucy Kovalova intro and “accidental” world number one 1:03 Welcome back to Pickleballers delivered by DoorDash 2:20 Growing up in Slovakia: small village, tennis and ballroom dancing 4:18 The brutal pro tennis grind and trying to “make it” in Europe 5:43 Burnout, quitting tennis and deciding to go to college in the US 6:51 Landing at Wichita State with no English and becoming freshman of the year 9:04 College life, international crew and first impressions of Americans 11:05 Staying in Wichita, coaching at the club and discovering pickleball 13:04 The made-up paddle game, first temp courts and saying yes to US Open Naples 15:02 First US Open: women’s doubles, slow dinking and singles ATP vs Simone 17:14 Early mixed results with Matt and when they started dating 20:21 Winning TOC and Nationals and realizing they were a top mixed team 20:33 Pickleballers Hat AD 24:48 Women’s partnerships: Irina, Simone, Callie and building superteams 26:58 Dominating with Simone and the rise of new rivals 29:34 Inside the rivalry era and five-game wars on the PPA Tour 35:31 Respecting Anna Leigh as a player and Lucy’s perspective on that era 41:35 When pickleball became a full-time career and the rise of the PPA 43:32 From love of the game to business: contracts, sponsors and pressure 44:39 Looking ahead: two more years, legacy and being the “cool aunt” 46:00 Could she just coach, commentate or watch without playing? 50:06 What separates the top women’s teams in modern pickleball 51:13 Missing the old dinking era and thoughts on the wooden paddle event 54:11 PPA superlatives: funniest, smartest, loudest, best trash talk and more 55:31 How Lucy wants to be remembered on tour and on court 56:03 Life after pro pickleball, teaching at the club and ballroom dreams 56:50 Craziest match she’s ever played and final thoughts #Lucykovalova #Mattwright #PPA #MLP #Pickleball Source: The Kitchen - A Pickleball Community

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