Hannah Blatt was a passionate squash player, but ever since she first picked up a pickleball paddle, she never looked back, and over time she took up the sport professionally.
But pickleball was never on her priority list. Initially, she played the sport just for fun. But a series of calculated risks eventually paid off. She is now one of the renowned professional pickleball players on the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP).
“When I started playing pickleball, my intention wasn’t to play professionally,” she said on the Pickleballers Podcast. “But slowly you realize that maybe you can compete at the highest level, and you want to throw yourself in there. But I had no idea where to start,” she added.
Since Blatt lived in South Florida, where several senior professional players are based, it helped her train and hone her skills by sparring with established professionals, including Ava Ignatowich and Hurricane Tyra Black.
Chasing bigger goals
Blatt, however, has been adamant about testing herself against professionals instead of playing in smaller events.
“I don’t think I ever played a tournament in a non-pro division. Sometimes people will start at 3.0 and advance up, but I just thought I’m just going to travel to this tournament and enter the pro division and see how I compete,” recalled Blatt. “So I played a few tournaments, but I was still working my full-time job.”
Beyond the competition, it was the tournament lifestyle that convinced Blatt she wanted to pursue pickleball full time. Travelling to different cities, building friendships, and embracing the unique atmosphere of each event left a lasting impression.
“I liked tournaments because it was like an escape from reality. You go to this tournament, you’re kind of high on life, and you’re playing pickleball in New York or Austin, somewhere different. Then you’re meeting new friends, and it’s just fun,” she explained. “I remember getting home from tournaments and feeling sad or drained. I called it ‘tournament withdrawal.’ I was wondering why I was so sad when I’d get home from tournaments, and I realized it was because I couldn’t wait to go to the next tournament.”
‘It’s special’
Another defining moment in her life came when Blatt partnered with Grayson Goldin in mixed doubles. What began as an on-court partnership evolved into a personal one, with the pair later signing PPA contracts, earning selection by MLP teams, and recently announcing their engagement.
“It’s a cute little pickleball love story,” said Blatt.
Reflecting on sharing both her career and personal life with Goldin, Blatt said having someone who understands the demands of professional pickleball has made all the difference.
“It’s special. It’s not every day that people are able to find their significant other while doing a hobby or passion. A lot of people use dating apps and that’s fine, but to be able to tell the story of finding each other through pickleball, both of us playing professional pickleball, I think that has been one of the biggest things,” she insisted.
“It’s hard playing pro pickleball. It’s lonely, it’s long days, long weeks. To have someone there with you who understands it completely, and to be there for your support when you get off the court, is so special. It makes me want to do this as long as I can,” Blatt signed off.