The 2024 USA Pickleball National Championships will be held in Mesa, Arizona. The announcement was made by USA Pickleball, the national governing body, on Friday, January 16. This monumental pickleball event will be held at the Arizona Athletic Grounds from November 10 to 17, 2024.
“The 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships will be a true destination event for the best of the best in our sport. We look forward to welcoming our community to the Valley of the Sun to enjoy this year’s Nationals along with the beautiful weather, outdoor activities, and tourist attractions that Arizona has to offer,” USA Pickleball Chief Executive Officer Mike Nealy said in the press release.
“Our team has been listening intently to the feedback and insights from our players, which is why this year’s Nationals will truly be a reimagined version with the player experience prioritized above all else from beginning to end. We are thrilled to work with the team at Arizona Athletic Grounds and ELITE Sports to host a fantastic and high quality competition experience at a state-of-the-art pickleball venue.” He added.
“I’m excited to partner with USA Pickleball to host the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships at Arizona Athletic Grounds. Arizona Athletic Grounds President Mike Burke said, adding that he welcomes everyone to join the long-week exceptional experience for the pickleball players and fans.
The announcement came two weeks after USA Pickleball revealed the 11 Golden Ticket events for the 2024 Nationals, including 5 APP Tour events. The Arizona Athletic Grounds was built in 2022 and has a whopping 2,000-seat pickleball stadium and 41 courts. It was formerly known as Legacy Park and was acquired by AZ Athletic Associates in December 2023.
Interestingly, the 1st USA Pickleball National Championships in 2009 was also held in Arizona, at Sun City Festival in Buckeye. At that time, there were only eight dedicated pickleball courts. Another 12 courts were built by converting tennis courts using taped lines. The historical event was 400 participants from 26 states and several Canadian provinces.
Obviously, the USA Pickleball National Championships have come a long way from its humble beginnings. The 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships was held at the Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, Texas. The said event had nearly 7,000 matches and was around 3,000 matches more than that of the 2022 Nationals, which was held in Indian Wells, California.
Last year’s event also had nearly 3,500 players (amateurs and pros) nationwide. It had an estimated 10,000 attendees during the day’s final events. As pickleball continues to be America’s fastest-growing sport, the upcoming 2024 USA Pickleball National Championships is expected to break records in pickleball and sports history.
