Hundreds gather for Saluki Open Pickleball Tournament at SIU

Megan Hughes and Corné Prozesky take on Ashleigh and Derek Reeves in a doubles match on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Megan Hughes and Corné Prozesky go for a paddle pat after scoring a point on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Ashleigh Reeves and Derek Reeves await a serve on Sunday in Carbondale.

Saluki swim team member Drew Penick serves the ball on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Derek Reeves takes a breather in between points.

Pickleball action on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Spectators beat the heat on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Megan Hughes reaches out for a ball on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Pickleball action on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

CARBONDALE — Southern Illinois was something of a madhouse this weekend as people zipped to and from the many events going on across the region. Whether you were on your way to the Du Quoin State Fair, checking out the newly opened Walker’s Bluff Casino or kicking off the school year with Solar Bear activities, you probably sat in a bit of traffic.

If you found yourself stuck in downtown Carbondale or somewhere near the SIU campus over the weekend, you may have been behind someone participating in the third annual Saluki Open Pickleball Tournament hosted by the SIU Student Recreational Center.

Hundreds of people, 217 to be exact, descended on Carbondale this weekend to participate in one of the fastest growing sports in the country in one of the Midwest’s fastest growing places to play the game: the pickleball courts at SIU.

Spectators watch the final matches of the Saluki Open mixed doubles tournament on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Pickleball, which is most commonly compared to tennis, is much closer to ping pong or table tennis than it is anything else, says the majority of players who participated in the Saluki Open.

Pickleball is both an indoor and outdoor sport and is played with a paddle and plastic ball that’s similar to a wiffle ball. In either a 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 format, players hit the ball back and forth with their paddles over a 34-inch-high net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits an infraction. Games are played to 11 and only the team who serves the ball may score, which makes games go pretty quickly.

This weekend a multitude of complications, most of which included the extreme heat and spotty showers, did their best to try and slow things down, but pickleball and those who play it don’t seem to be susceptible to slowing down and neither is the game’s growth.

SIU swim team member Austin Kinsler returns a serve during the mixed doubles portion of the Saluki Open on Sunday afternoon.

Nearly 9 million people play pickleball in the U.S., according to a 2023 report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, which is almost double the number from 2021.

The USA Pickleball Association is the main entity overseeing the majority of pickleball happenings across the country alongside the Pro Pickleball Association (PPA), which is responsible for the management and regulation of professional pickleball.

The Saluki Open was an unsanctioned tournament, meaning it is not technically apart of the PPA or USA Pickleball Association, but that does not mean that those groups did not get involved.

John Hubbs, an ambassador for the USA Pickleball Association and pickleball coach at SIU, was largely responsible for the fast-paced and smooth production of the Saluki Open, despite mother nature’s attempt at thwarting the event.

“We were able to get through 550 matches,” said Hubbs, which is one hundred or so more than were played last year.

Hubbs said that during the first Saluki Open in 2021 there were about 140 participants, the following year in 2022 the number grew to around 180 and this year the event broke the 200 mark at 217.

“I believe that one of the reasons this has grown and has been so successful is that SIU has got facilities that they have invested in. We are able to run sixteen courts at a time,” said Hubbs.

SIU Rec Center Director Corné Prozesky awaits a serve on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

To put that into perspective, the Chicago Tribune reported in July that although there are several dozen courts in the city where players can bring their own nets, Chicago only has 12 dedicated pickleball courts with permanent lines and nets. SIU has 12 courts with permanent lines, six with permanent nets and only four without either.

Marion built the first permanent pickleball courts in the Southern Illinois region in September 2019 and Anna followed up the next month. Hubbs and those advocating for Carbondale to get in to the pickleball scene finally got courts in 2020 and never looked back.

Derek Reeves smiles after a long doubles match on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Willy Williams from Louisville, Kentucky has been playing pickleball for four years and was the winner of the men’s singles tournament at the 3.0 level this weekend. He said after recently playing at an indoor tournament in Carbondale and feeling the sense of community surrounding the sport in this region, he just had to come back for the Saluki Open.

“My experience this weekend in Carbondale has been amazing—from the people, to the layout, to the games themselves,” said Williams. “It was such a good time. I believe that anybody who has the chance to play in this tournament should and if you are thinking about getting involved in pickleball, pick up that paddle.”

Hubbs shared the same sentiment as Williams, saying that the social aspect and ability to make friends through this sport is another reason for its rapid success.

A pickleball player cools off after a match on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

“I’ve lost 40 pounds and gained 400 friends due to my participation in pickleball,” Hubbs said. “It’s a truth we all share in some form. The numbers might change but the sentiment doesn’t. Pickleball unites us.”

It's all hugs after a hard fought match on Sunday afternoon in Carbondale.

Participants in the Saluki Open were 12 and older and included 18 SIU students and players from 12 different states, some coming as far away as California. Participants nearly 80-years-old found success this weekend in Carbondale, proving that age is just a number when it comes to pickleball.

From mother and daughter partnerships to grandfather and grandson duos, the event at SIU showed that pickleball can be played by and alongside anyone from anywhere.

For more information about next years Saluki Open visit https://rec.siu.edu/events/moonlight-canoe.php. If you interested in seeing the results from this year’s tournament visit https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptplg.aspx?eid=b6c9bdf3-22bd-4a48-8fbb-3adfee0306a3.

Jackson Brandhorst is the Editor-in-Chief of The Southern Illinoisan. He can be reached at [email protected]

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