BOCA RATON, Fla. — Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, and Boca Raton hosted some of the sport's best at the fourth annual Boca Raton Pickleball Masters.
Six hundred of the top pickleball players are playing to win $30,000 in prize money.
With big money and some of the biggest names in pickleball taking the court, it's no wonder why the tournament is among the premier events in the sport.
"There's so many great players. But as good as they are players, they're just as great people," said Lee Sponaugle, who went pro in pickleball during the pandemic.
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Now, he finds himself facing off with top-level competition.
"This tournament is great," Sponaugle said. "Every year, you can see how many players are out here playing. Every year it gets bigger, and every year there are more people moving up in the ranks."
On Sunday afternoon, he and his partner lost a nailbiter to Hall of Famer Scott Moore, who was riding a high after winning the mixed doubles championship Saturday.
"I feel like I'm living a dream," Moore said. "I keep pinching myself thinking I'm going to wake up. I don't think it's real. Pickleball is the greatest sport in the history of man."
He admits in the pickleball world he's a big deal but at home he's just a dad.
"My kids are unimpressed by my hall of fame and gold medals," Moore said. "If I'm a champion, my wife and my mama will appreciate it."
Hoping to join Moore in the championship conversation is Alka Strippoli and Dana Wiatroski.
"It's been pretty exciting. It's a great atmosphere. It's a great draw," Strippoli said.
The duo is one win away from competing for the championship, and while they didn't want to jinx themselves, they credit quick chemistry for their success in the sport.
"I've known Dana since the summer we did NPL together. We just gel on the court and off the court too. I think that makes the difference," Strippoli said.
