TUCSON, Ariz. — Pickleball's best pros are at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club this weekend for the inaugural Proton Tucson Open.
Returning to his old stomping grounds is Augie Ge, University of Arizona Tennis team alumni. On Thursday, he came back to his old training courts not with a racquet, but a paddle, playing in his first match of the PPA tour.
"It's crazy," Ge said. "When I tell people I'm a pro pickleball player, half of them don't believe and half of them don't even know it exists."
Ge was also a competitive table tennis player and picked up the pickleball paddle in 2022.
"I didn't even know pro pickleball existed until about three years ago," Ge said.
Ge played just for fun, until a year ago when he got laid off from his job in data science.
"I was already playing a lot of pickleball by then, so I figured I'd give being a full-time pro a shot before immediately trying to search for a new job and here we are," Ge said.
Ge lost his singles match today but will play in the Mixed Doubles round Friday and the Men's Doubles on Saturday.
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
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