Pickleball Hall of Famer Dave Weinbach

Five Legacies. One Extraordinary Sport.

Celebrating the champions and contributors who helped shape pickleball’s past and its future

By Melissa McCurley • Acting President, Pickleball Hall of Fame
November 4, 2026 • 7 min read

Three exceptional competitors. Two pioneering contributors. Five individuals whose achievements have helped transform pickleball from a growing recreational pastime into a sport with professional competition, international reach and an enduring legacy.

Pickleball’s remarkable growth is often measured in numbers: new courts, expanding tournaments, professional tours and millions of people discovering the game. But behind those numbers are individuals whose dedication, achievements and vision helped make that growth possible.

The Pickleball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 honors five such individuals: Matt Wright, Lucy Kovalova, Dave “The Badger” Weinbach, Linda Laymon and Marsha Freso.

Announced on August 14, 2026, the class recognizes three inductees in the Competitor category and two in the Contributor category. Together, their careers reflect the competitive excellence, leadership, innovation and service that have shaped pickleball’s evolution.

Their stories also reveal something important about the history of any sport: championships may capture the spotlight, but the people who establish the rules, standards and opportunities for competition are equally essential to its success.

The Competitors Who Helped Define an Era

Matt Wright: Excellence Across Generations

2026 Inductee | Competitor

Matt Wright’s career is a study in sustained excellence. As professional pickleball evolved from a relatively small competitive community into a national sporting attraction, Wright remained among its most recognizable and accomplished athletes.

A seven-time US Open champion, four-time USA Pickleball National champion and 20-time PPA Tour champion, Wright established himself as one of the premier doubles players of his generation. He reached the No. 1 ranking in men’s and mixed doubles and recorded more than 460 professional match victories.

What makes Wright’s story particularly compelling is the balance he maintained between elite competition and a distinguished legal career. His accomplishments required more than exceptional athletic ability. They demanded discipline, adaptability and an unwavering commitment to performing at the highest level.

Through changing equipment, emerging talent and the evolution of professional pickleball, Wright demonstrated that greatness is not defined by a single championship. It is built through consistency, preparation and the ability to remain competitive year after year.

His induction recognizes a career that helped establish the expectations and competitive standards of modern professional pickleball.

Lucy Kovalova: Raising the Standard in Women’s Pickleball

2026 Inductee | Competitor

Lucy Kovalova’s journey from competitive tennis to the highest levels of professional pickleball reflects the extraordinary athletic talent that helped transform the sport.

A former member of Slovakia’s national under-16 tennis team, Kovalova brought an exceptional competitive foundation to pickleball. She became one of the defining women’s players of the modern professional era, earning championships in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles while reaching the No. 1 ranking.

Her accomplishments include four USA Pickleball National championships and 21 PPA Tour women’s doubles titles. During a particularly dominant period spanning 2020 and 2021, she captured 11 consecutive PPA Tour women’s doubles tournament titles.

Yet her influence extends beyond the record books.

Kovalova competed during a time when women’s professional pickleball was becoming faster, more athletic and increasingly visible to audiences across the country. Her competitive intensity, consistency and ability to perform under pressure helped raise expectations for the sport’s elite female athletes.

Her Hall of Fame recognition celebrates not only her victories but also the standard of excellence she established for the next generation.

Dave “The Badger” Weinbach: A Champion Across Eras

2026 Inductee | Competitor

Long before professional pickleball became a familiar presence on television and social media, Dave Weinbach was helping establish its competitive identity.

Known throughout the sport as “The Badger,” Weinbach brought an extraordinary competitive spirit to pickleball. His athletic background included high-level table tennis, and he developed into one of pickleball’s most decorated players.

Weinbach distinguished himself through championship performances across Open Professional, Skill/Age and Senior Professional competition. His ability to succeed across different stages of his career speaks to an uncommon combination of talent, preparation and determination.

But Weinbach’s contributions were never limited to winning medals.

As a respected instructor, he shared his understanding of the game with players seeking to improve their skills and competitive performance. His teaching helped extend his influence well beyond the opponents he faced on the court.

In many ways, Weinbach represents a bridge between different generations of pickleball. He competed during the sport’s earlier competitive years, adapted as the professional game evolved and continued to contribute through instruction and mentorship.

His induction recognizes both an extraordinary competitive career and a lasting commitment to sharing the game with others.

The Contributors Who Strengthened the Foundation

Linda Laymon: Helping Build the Rules of the Game

2026 Inductee | Contributor

Every successful professional sport depends on something spectators may rarely consider: confidence that competition is governed fairly, consistently and professionally.

Linda Laymon helped create that foundation for pickleball.

With more than 25 years of involvement in the sport, Laymon has served as a player, volunteer leader and member of the USA Pickleball Board of Directors. Alongside her husband, Lynn, she helped develop pickleball’s first comprehensive referee training program, referee handbook and officiating guidelines.

Their work helped establish the educational foundation from which today’s certified referee program evolved.

The importance of that contribution cannot be overstated.

As tournaments expanded and competition became increasingly consequential, officials needed standardized instruction, consistent interpretations and clearly defined expectations. Laymon helped move officiating beyond informal experience toward an organized system of training, education and accountability.

Much of that work took place away from the spotlight. But its effects can be seen wherever players compete under established rules and professionally administered standards.

Her induction is also a reminder of the extraordinary contributions made by volunteers who invested their time, expertise and passion in building pickleball long before its current popularity.

Linda Laymon’s legacy lives in the systems she helped establish and the countless players, referees and tournament organizers who benefit from them.

Marsha Freso: Taking Officiating Excellence Around the World

2026 Inductee | Contributor

Marsha Freso’s influence on pickleball can be found not only in the tournaments she has officiated but also in the referees she has educated, mentored and inspired.

One of the first 10 USA Pickleball Certified Referees, Freso became a leader in developing the training and evaluation systems needed to support the sport’s expanding competitive landscape.

Her contributions have included serving as a referee trainer, evaluator, National Officiating Committee member and contributor to officiating handbooks and educational standards. USA Pickleball has recognized the breadth of her work and her continuing influence on officiating development.

Alongside her husband, Byron, Freso has traveled internationally to help develop officiating expertise in countries including India, China, Belgium, England and Vietnam.

This work reflects an increasingly important chapter in pickleball’s development.

As the sport expands across borders, consistent rules and professional officiating become essential to creating meaningful international competition. Players must be able to trust that the standards governing a match are understood and applied consistently, regardless of where the competition takes place.

Freso has helped make that possible.

Her legacy is measured not simply in the matches she has officiated but also in the knowledge she has shared and the officials she has helped prepare for the future.

Her induction celebrates a career defined by service, mentorship and a belief that the integrity of competition matters just as much as the competition itself.

A Class That Tells a Larger Story

There is a compelling symmetry in the Class of 2026.

Matt Wright, Lucy Kovalova and Dave Weinbach helped show the world what elite pickleball could look like. Their performances elevated the sport’s competitive standards, created memorable championship moments and inspired others to pursue higher levels of achievement.

Linda Laymon and Marsha Freso helped ensure that the systems surrounding those performances could keep pace. Their work strengthened the rules, education and officiating practices necessary for a growing sport to maintain credibility.

One group helped raise the level of competition. The other helped protect its integrity.

Neither achievement stands entirely on its own.

As pickleball continues to expand, the Class of 2026 offers a timely reminder that progress is built upon the contributions of those who came before.

Their individual journeys are different, but their collective impact reflects the qualities that have defined pickleball throughout its history: perseverance, sportsmanship, community, leadership and a willingness to help others succeed.

Celebrating the Class of 2026

The five inductees will be formally welcomed into the Pickleball Hall of Fame during the 2026 Induction Banquet on Friday, November 13, at Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa in Arizona.

The induction weekend will also feature a screening of The Power of Pickleball on November 12 and a public on-court recognition ceremony during the APP Mesa Open on November 14.

Founded in 2017, the Pickleball Hall of Fame preserves the history of the sport while recognizing the champions and contributors whose achievements have helped shape its growth.

This mission becomes increasingly important as pickleball’s future develops at extraordinary speed.

New players are discovering the game every day. Professional opportunities are expanding. International competition continues to grow. And a new generation is beginning to establish its own place in pickleball history.

But the future of the sport is inseparable from the people who helped build its foundation.

The Class of 2026 reminds us that pickleball’s remarkable journey is not simply a story of participation numbers, championship trophies or television audiences.

It is a story of people.

People who competed when opportunities were limited. People who established standards where none existed. People who gave their time to teach, lead and develop the game. And people whose achievements inspired others to believe in what pickleball could become.

Matt Wright. Lucy Kovalova. Dave Weinbach. Linda Laymon. Marsha Freso.

Five individuals. Five remarkable legacies. One extraordinary sport.

Their names now take their place among the individuals who have helped define pickleball’s history, and their contributions will continue to influence the generations that follow.

Honor the Past. Connect Generations. Inspire the Future. ●

Be Part of the Celebration

Join us in honoring the Pickleball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 at this year’s Induction Banquet on Friday, November 13. Celebrate the remarkable individuals whose achievements and contributions have helped shape the sport we love.

To purchase tickets to this year’s induction celebration and learn more about the Pickleball Hall of Fame, visit pickleballhalloffame.com.