The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) made a Southern California splash as the world’s top pickleball players put on a show at the OWL APP Newport Beach Open. The world’s first and world’s best pickleball tour welcomed pro and amateur players and a capacity crowd for five thrilling gold medal matches at the Tennis and Pickleball Club at Newport Beach.
Amanda Hendry earned her first two APP Tour gold medals of her career, Max Manthou took home two gold medals of his own and Chris Haworth continued his dominant season with another men’s singles title. Santa Monica’s Christine Maddox won her first career APP Tour gold medal in her home state, longtime pickleball veteran Simone Jardim joined Hendry atop the women’s doubles podium, and Erik Lange added another gold to his 2024 season in men’s doubles.
Men’s Pro Singles
The championship action started off with a familiar matchup in men's pro singles. Four-time defending champion Chris Haworth faced off against his doubles partner Grayson Goldin for the gold. Haworth proved once again that he’s one of the top names in men’s singles, crusing 15-7 and 15-9 to clinch his fifth consecutive gold medal.
“It was just one of those days for me,” said Haworth. “Every shot I was hitting seemed to be landing and dipping below the net. Last year I wasn’t able to get a gold, I had five silver medals, and this year I’ve been lucky to get it done.”
Jack Foster earned the men’s pro singles bronze medal in Newport Beach.
Women’s Pro Doubles
The women’s pro doubles gold medal match featured a colossal matchup, with No. 1-seeds Amanda Hendry and Simone Jardim taking on No. 2-seeds Yana Newell and Rianna Valdes. Hendry and Jardim came out firing and held on to win game one, 11-8. Newell and Valdes flipped a switch in game two, pulling away with their own 11-8 win. Game three was as close as it gets, with Hendry and Jardim ultimately winning 12-10 en route to gold.
“Simone’s been such a great mentor, coach and friend,” an ecstatic Hendry said. “She’s done so much for me this year and has really helped my game so much. I’m so thankful that my first gold medal was with her.”
“I had to cry a little bit but I told myself to suck it up – this girl has earned a gold medal,” a proud Jardim said of her teammate. “I’m so proud of her. She’s worked so hard, and here we are.”
Riley Bohnert and Daria Walczak teamed up for women’s doubles bronze.
Mixed Pro Doubles
Two partnerships making their first Championship Sunday appearances as a team graced the stage for the mixed pro doubles final. APP U.S. Next Gen National Team members Riley Bohnert and Richard Livornese, Jr. battled against Christine Maddox and Max Manthou to see who would take home the gold. Manthou and Maddox, who took down some top partnerships as the No. 21-seeds, showed off their chemistry as they won 11-8 and 13-11 for gold. The win marked Maddox’s first APP Tour gold medal of 2024 and Manthou’s first of the day.
“Man, these ladies can ball and pickle. It makes it so exciting and so dynamic, especially ths one next to me,” Manthou said referring to Maddox. “This is thrilling, and one of my favorite moments in my career.”
“We both like to create some chaos on the court,” Maddox added. “We just let it fly and we trust each other, and I think that’s what makes a good partnership.”
Amanda Hendry and Will Sobek earned the mixed pro doubles bronze medals.
Women’s Pro Singles
Amanda Hendry and Yana Newell both returned to championship court to face each other in a thrilling women’s pro singles gold medal match. The defending champion Newell had the edge in game one, winning 16-14. Hendry, the top seed of the bracket, responded with a nail-biting 15-13 win in game two. Game three featured five different lead changes and 10 ties, but Hendry rose to the top as she won 15-13 to secure her second gold medal of the tournament and her career.
“All credit to Jack [Foster], who was in my corner,” said Hendry. “I was definitely a little emotional on the court. Singles always gets to me a little bit, but Jack really kept me calm. I’m thankful for him.”
Maria Klokotzky earned the women’s pro singles bronze, her first APP Tour medal of the season.
Men’s Pro Doubles
Erik Lange and Max Manthou, fresh off their men’s pro doubles title in Dallas, took the court to defend their crown against first-time finalists Spencer Lanier and Zack Taylor. Game one was back and forth, but Lange and Manthou proved too strong as they won 11-9. The Pacific Northwest duo maintained their momentum in game two, pulling away 11-7 to win their second-straight men’s pro doubles golds together.
Lange had a special shoutout after the win: “We have great chemistry as a team, a lot of supporters, and I had my lucky pinecone, which smells like the holidays here in Newport”.
Patrick Kawka and Richard Livornese, Jr. took home men’s pro doubles bronze.
AARP Champions and Masters Pro Action
In AARP Champions Division (50+) competition in Newport Beach, Karin Ptaszek-Kochis won the women’s singles title while Marcello Jardim earned the men’s singles gold medal. Jennifer Dawson and Dayne Gingrich won the mixed doubles title, Lisa Alipaz and Lee Whitwell battled for women’s doubles gold, and David George and Daryl Wyatt secured the men’s doubles gold.
In AARP Masters Division (60+) action, Kirsten Anderson took home two gold medals – one with Scott Moore in mixed doubles, and one in women’s doubles with Yvonne Ting. Kevin Booth and Bill Muno won the men’s doubles title.
Additional Details
Full tournament results available here. The five gold medal matches from the OWL APP Newport Beach Open will air nationwide on CBS Sports Network on Nov. 14 and Nov. 20, and on ESPN2 on Nov. 17.
The APP Tour returns to action January 15-19 for the APP Fort Lauderdale Open, held at the APP’s state-of-the-art headquarters, The Fort. More information about upcoming APP events—including APP Tour dates, player registration and ticket information—is available on theapp.global. Pickleball enthusiasts can also stay in the know by following the APP on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, Threads and LinkedIn.
