On a recent Saturday afternoon, about 400 tanned and toned Hollywood types descended on Jamie Foxx’s Los Angeles estate to attend a pickleball party. The gathering was complete with influencer-led cardio classes, swimming, a taco truck, a full bar and a DJ. As pickleball has matured from a fad to an established pastime in recent years, several games around Los Angeles vie for top honors as the favorite place to play and be seen. And Foxx’s game is providing both a great game and the Hollywood sport of great networking.
“If you get good at pickleball, you never know who you’re going to meet,” says Taylor Chien, a producer who has partnered with Foxx on the equipment company The Best Paddle. “I tell young people it’s the best way to network. Doors open quickly on pickleball courts.”
Two years ago, Chien and Foxx founded a brand that designs and manufactures pickleball rackets. (Their high-quality carbon fiber rackets retail for $120, a lamigliorepaddle.com)
Foxx's estate is undoubtedly one of the best paddle courts ever built, with three courts inside. And it's not easy to get on the Oscar-winning actor's pickleball party list.
“People DM us to join events,” Chien says of the larger tournaments they run. “It started with 50 people and grew to 400.”
One guest who always makes a difference is Matt Manasse. When he stepped out on the court recently, he got the star treatment. The 36-year-old professional pickleball player is often described as the Ryan Seacrest of the sport. The former Purdue tennis player turned pickleball guru wears many hats, from brand ambassador to tournament organizer. He’s also known as the pickleball coach to the stars. His clients include Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, and Emma Watson.
“You never know when Jamie Foxx’s pickleball party is going to be, but when you get a DM or text, you know you’re in for a special treat,” Manasseh says of the exclusive event. “It’s that no-frills party that starts at 3 p.m. and the next thing you know, you’re dancing and it’s 11 p.m.
The sport, which has Hollywood fans ranging from Selena Gomez, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Clooneys to Ari Emanuel and Brian Grazer, was played by an estimated 50 million Americans last year, according to the Pickleball Players Association.
Pickleball is also becoming part of popular culture. When McConaughey and his wife Camila launched Pantalones Organic Tequila earlier this year, the couple declared it the “official tequila of pickleball.” They've shown their true love for the sport in commercials featuring them playing pickleball, sans pants. The sport was even referenced by Larry David in the final season of Curb your enthusiasmaired last spring. And David's wife, filmmaker Ashley Underwood, directed a documentary about it. In Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Storyexamines the fast and furious way people are capitalizing on the game’s popularity. “What we’ve uncovered is a story about the birth of a professional sport. It’s a mad gold rush with an influx of money,” he explains of the 90-minute documentary (which is in negotiations for distribution). “It’s the celebrity, and the egos and personalities that go along with the rush to the top.”
With Mark Williams, who works with Foxx's equipment company, The Best Paddle
Courtesy of the subject
And now a sport that originally gained traction among the over-50s is finding a major traction among younger generations, including the offspring of the rich and famous. Jamie Grinberg is known for curating the perfect pickleball party for the younger generation. The 29-year-old former college tennis star recently threw a 16th birthday party for the daughter of a Hollywood executive with 60 teenagers. After the party, a couple of Hollywood real estate agents known for high-end listings approached Grinberg about hosting pickleball events at their open houses as a way to showcase their high-end listings. The real estate tournament is in the works.
But right now, Grinberg’s calendar is filled with private lessons and pickleball parties. “It’s a great, clean way for kids to exercise and socialize,” she says. “Parents can be with their kids and network at the same time.”
This story originally appeared in the August 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.