The Hertz Major League Pickleball (MLP) New York City Preview

Major League Pickleball is taking over Central Park for the first time ever at CityPickle at Wollman Rink. The tournament runs from Thursday, September 19th, through Sunday, September 22nd.

There are a TON of extra events for fans, so if you're in the area, don’t miss out on any of the fun!

You can find them all listed in this article:

Now, let's get into the tournament preview.

How to Watch MLP NYC

All Championship Court matches will be broadcast on PickleballTV and MSG Network, with two matches airing on Tennis Channel. All Grandstand Court matches will be streamed live on the MLP YouTube channel.

Weather Outlook

Thursday and Friday could be challenging with potential rain. Hopefully, MLP has an alternate indoor venue lined up in case the showers are worse than expected.

Where Teams Stand

It’s been a while since Major League Pickleball last took place. Here are my Power Rankings for each team going into MLP NYC:

• Premier Level Power Rankings
• Challenger Level Power Rankings

Teams Competing in the Big Apple

There are six teams in both the Premier and Challenger levels, each playing in a round-robin format where they face every other team once.

Here’s a breakdown of the teams competing in NYC and their match schedules:

Player Availability

All teams have full rosters, with no players missing or on the injured reserve list for this event.

On-site substitutes:

• Men: AJ Koller, Roscoe Bellamy, Greg Dow
• Women: Olivia McMillan, Alex Walker, Monica Paolicelli

Note: There were numerous roster changes during the second waiver period, so many Challenger-level teams look different. Check out the current roster for each team.

To see a full recap of the second Waiver Period transactions, click here.

Premier Level Preview

Columbus Sliders

• My Power Ranking: 12th (last)
• Table Position: 11th – 0.77 points per match
• Current Team: Riley Newman, Meghan Dizon, Jay Devilliers, Andrea Koop
• Last 5 Matches: L (1-3) CAR, L (2-3) STL, L (1-3) STL, L (1-3) TEX, L (0-4) DAL

Riley Newman has been playing well on the PPA Tour, but Columbus needs him to step up big. Meghan Dizon is the X-factor—her 2024 performance has been below par, and they need her to shine for any playoff hope. Unfortunately, this team is on a five-match losing streak.

Prediction: Columbus wins one match, loses two in Dreambreakers, and loses the others outright, earning just 5 points out of 15 and eliminating their playoff chances.

Utah Black Diamonds

• My Power Ranking: 11th
• Table Position: 12th – 0.69 points per match
• Current Team: Connor Garnett, Callie Jo Smith, Tyler Loong, Alix Truong
• Last 5 Matches: L (1-3) STL, L (2-3) ORL, L (2-3) NY, W (3-1) LA, L (2-3) UBD

Connor Garnett and Alix Truong have been on fire lately, helping Utah recover from a rough start. The X-factor is Callie Jo Smith—her leadership in women’s doubles will be critical.

Prediction: Utah wins two matches, wins and loses one Dreambreaker, and loses another match in regulation, earning 9 points, which won't be enough for a playoff spot.

Carolina Pickleball Club

• My Power Ranking: 8th
• Table Position: 8th – 1.09 points per match
• Current Team: Ben Johns, Brooke Buckner, Jessie Irvine, Collin Johns
• Last 5 Matches: L (0-4) DAL, W (3-1) UBD, L (1-3) 5s, W (3-1) COL, L (0-4) TEX

A team with Ben Johns this low on the table feels shocking. There has been some negative buzz around the Johns brothers' behavior in recent MLP events, so they need a mindset shift.

Prediction: Carolina wins three matches, wins another in a Dreambreaker, and loses one in a Dreambreaker, earning 12 points. They’ll remain in playoff contention, improving to 1.5 points per match.

NY Hustlers

• My Power Ranking: 6th
• Table Position: 5th – 1.85 points per match
• Current Team: Jack Sock, Lea Jansen, Jackie Kawamoto, CJ Klinger
• Last 5 Matches: W (3-1) UBD, W (3-2) TEX, W (3-2) UBD, L (2-3) AZ, W (3-1) ORL

Jack Sock has underperformed, and if this continues, it could cost the Hustlers a playoff spot.

Prediction: The Hustlers win one match, another in a Dreambreaker, lose a Dreambreaker, and drop two matches in regulation. This nets them 6 points and drops them to the last playoff spot.

Challenger Level Preview

Florida Smash

• My Power Ranking: 8th
• Table Position: 9th – 1.29 points per match
• Current Team: Travis Rettenmaier, Martina Frantova, Christa Gecheva, Donald Young
• Last 5 Matches: W (3-1) SoCal, W (3-1) Black Bears, L (2-3) LV, L (1-3) ATL, L (2-3) MIA

Both Travis and Frantova have underperformed. If Florida makes the playoffs, it’ll be because of Gecheva’s play.

Prediction: Florida earns 5 points and is eliminated from playoff contention.

Miami Pickleball Club

• My Power Ranking: 7th
• Table Position: 7th – 1.43 points per match
• Current Team: Milan Rane, Bobbi Oshiro, Noe Khlif, Eric Oncins
• Last 5 Matches: L (2-3) Breakers, L (0-4) Breakers, W (3-2) Florida, L (1-3) Aces, W (3-1) Black Bears

Miami has improved steadily, and I predict three of their four players will be promoted to Premier Level next year.

Prediction: Miami wins three matches outright, one Dreambreaker, and loses one Dreambreaker, earning 12 points and moving into 4th place.