Chris is joined by Theo Young, the organiser of the DUPR UK University Pickleball Championships, powered by JOOLA and sanctioned by Pickleball England.

Taking place at Courtzside in Stourbridge on 30 May, the event brings together university teams from across the UK for the first competition of its kind in the country.

Theo talks about building the event from scratch, what UK pickleball can learn from the US college scene, why university sport matters, and how younger players could help reshape the image of pickleball in Britain.

The conversation also covers Oxford, Cambridge, DUPR, JOOLA, purpose-built courts, livestreaming, team formats, dreambreakers, New Wave Pickleball Club, and why pickleball needs to look younger, sharper and more fun.

In this episode of the World Pickleball Podcast, Chris speaks to Calvin Innes, an award-winning creative director, fandom strategist and co-founder of The Forge, about one of pickleball’s biggest unanswered questions: how does the sport turn millions of players into genuine fans?

Calvin explains why participation alone is not enough, what pickleball can learn from Formula 1, UFC, cricket and other sports, and why storytelling, personalities, rivalries, behind-the-scenes access and fan-led content may matter as much as tournaments and results.

The discussion also explores the English Open, Olympic ambitions, the difference between players and fans, and why pickleball’s quirks may be some of its biggest assets.

Atlanta is already doing what it always does at this stage of the season — putting pressure on players who are not quite safe.

This week, we break down why the PPA Finals cut line matters more than the title itself, and how early-round matches are starting to shape entire seasons.

From there, we get into the new UPA rulebook and the confusion around rally scoring. There isn’t one version of pickleball anymore, and players are starting to feel that gap between the pro game and what they play locally.

We then look at Vanshik Kapadia’s run of results on the WPC circuit and what it says about India. This is not just a player story. It is what happens when a system starts to form.

That links directly to Lee Whitwell’s point — if the sport keeps tightening at the top, what happens to the players underneath it?

We also touch on the APP’s 12-minute format experiment in Sacramento, Ly Hoang Nam’s withdrawal from the PPA Asia event, and what we are watching next across Atlanta, Tweed Heads and Northern California.

No big claims. Just what is actually happening.