With more pickleball courts than any Las Vegas hotel-casino, the Plaza is again the official hotel and title sponsor of the Las Vegas Pickleball Open, set for Sept. 22-27.
This year, the tournament is presented by pickleball-equipment retailer HEAD and will again offer professional players a competitive prize package of $25,000 split among grand-prize, silver and bronze medalists.
A cross between tennis, badminton, and ping pong, pickleball is the fastest growing racquet sport in the
U.S., boasting more than three million players – a number that has been growing by more than 10
percent each year over the past decade.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the tournament already has 345 registered amateur and professional players from across the country. At a time when other tournaments are witnessing a decrease in registration of 50 percent or more, registration numbers for the Las Vegas Pickleball Open are more than half of last year’s total. The tournament will also welcome the return of number-one-ranked men’s pro Ben Johns and number-one-ranked women’s pro Simone Jardim.
“While we face unique challenges this year, I have no doubt that the players will enjoy a great competition on our rooftop courts,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino.
The tournament will offer men’s, women’s, and mixed amateur doubles matches, as well as men’s, women’s, mixed and senior (50-plus) professional doubles matches. Due to COVID-19, spectators are not permitted, but medal matches will be live streamed at www.lasvegaspickleballopen.com.
Additional health and safety precautions will also be in place. Players can arrive to the courts no earlier than 15 minutes prior to their scheduled match, and social distancing will be enforced. Face masks are required of all staff, referees and players entering/exiting the courts and are highly recommended for players during match play. Already located throughout the property, hand-sanitizer stations will also be available on the courts and new balls will be provided for each match.
Players can register for the tournament at the above website. Participants can also book hotel packages at the Plaza offering discounted room rates, complimentary room upgrades, a $25 daily food and beverage credit, free slot play and bingo match play.
