These Notable Players Are Not Playing MLP in 2024

The 2024 Major League Pickleball Premier Level Draft is on Tuesday. Due to negotiations and discussions between the newly formed United Pickleball Association (PPA and MLP) and professional pickleball players, we don’t know which pros are eligible for the draft.

However, according to various sources, we do know that several notable players have withdrawn. 

Let’s look at those players not expected to participate in Major League Pickleball in 2024.

The “Johnson Five” - JW Johnson, Dylan Frazier, Jorja Johnson, Gabe Tardio, and Milan Rane - Contract Issue

A contract issue is preventing the "Johnson Five" – JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson, Dylan Frazier, Gabe Tardio, and Milan Rane, from playing MLP.

They seem content with playing on the APP Tour instead of the MLP (or even the PPA).

As one of the most decorated pros in pickleball, JW Johnson would easily be a top-10 pick at the Premier Level. He is great at mixed doubles and elite at men’s. 

Dylan Frazier recently earned a gold medal alongside Hurricane Tyra Black at the 2024 Chase APP Miami Pickleball Open. Due to his elite hands and mixed doubles skills, he was also expected to be drafted in the first round of the Premier Level. 

Jorja Johnson is a top women’s player and likely would have been drafted as a top-10 female in the Premier League Draft. She became the youngest player on the APP Tour to win a triple crown at APP Sacramento. She will continue to dominate the APP Tour in both doubles games and likely earn more wins in singles.

Gabe Tardio has been one of the big risers in 2024. He wasn’t picked up in the Premier Level in the MLP 2023 Season 2 Draft but was chosen to play Challenger. Gabe and Andrei Daescu won the APP Sacramento and defeated Ben and Collin Johns on their way to a silver medal in PPA Mesa. With so much recent success, it’s not a stretch to assume Tardio would have been drafted by a Premier Level team this time.

Milan (Milly) Rane won gold in women’s doubles with Jorja Johnson at APP Miami and had a deep run at the PPA Mesa Cup with Bobbi Oshiro. Rane is a fringe Premier-Level player, and if she hadn’t been drafted there, she would’ve likely gone in the first round of the Challenger.

Listen to Jimmy Miller break down who he believes will not be in the MLP Draft.

Matt Wright and Lucy Kovalova - Choosing not to play

In terms of hand speed, Matt Wright is among the top five on tour. His speedups are great, and his counters are even better. Sure, he is up there in age, and his foot speed is near the bottom, but Matt is still an elite competitor.

Wright is better suited for men’s doubles but still performs well in mixed with his on- and off-court partner, Lucy Kovalova.  

Lucy and Matt have publicly said they do not enjoy pickleball as much if they aren’t playing together, so the decision not to play MLP was mutual. Lucy is a strong right-side woman player and would have been drafted at the Premier Level.

Rob Nunnery - Injury

Nunnery made the APP Punta Gorda men’s doubles finals but withdrew due to an injury. On his podcast, It Feels Right, he announced that he is not playing MLP in 2024 to focus on his health, and adding the MLP matches to his APP Tour plans didn’t make sense. Nunnery had been playing well and had a shot at Premier Level, but more likely would've been drafted early in Challenger.

Jill Braverman - Choosing not to play

The podcaster, former DUPR CEO, and MLP Chief of Staff is opting out of playing MLP in 2024. She would have had a chance to go to the Premier Level, and definitely would have been a first round pick in Challenger, had she fallen that far.

Megan Fudge and Ryler DeHeart - Choosing not to play

The couple would have probably been drafted at the Challenger Level, with an outside chance of Megan getting drafted to Premier. They will continue playing the APP Tour.

What This Means

With so many top pickleball pros withdrawing their eligibility for the 2024 MLP Draft, it will be interesting to see which players take their places and how competitive new MLP events compare to previous seasons.

Be sure to follow our coverage of the MLP leading up to the draft and throughout the season.