Three Breakout Player Candidates Headed into MLP 2025

Major League Pickleball (MLP) begins its season in three weeks at MLP Orlando. Each year in MLP there seems to be a player or two who have a “breakout” season.

In 2023, I would say the two breakout players were Rachel Rohrabacher and Christian Alshon. Last year, Kate Fahey and Quang Duong were the breakout players.

Who will it be this year? I have three candidates to keep an eye on.

Before we get into my three players, let’s define what a “breakout player” really is.

My definition of a breakout player

First and foremost, a breakout player can’t already have a bunch of results and be well known. For example, I am not considering Kate Fahey as a breakout player candidate this year, because she had enough results last year, that everyone knows how good she is.

Next, I would argue that anyone in the top 10-20 in terms of doubles are already established players and aren’t eligible to be considered a breakout player. Through the first quarter of 2025, I think Parris Todd and Lea Jansen have both been playing great doubles pickleball along with their already elite singles. I think both are easily on their way into the top ten women in doubles, if the Columbus Sliders teammates aren’t already there. However, because they are veterans and established players, I think it would be ridiculous to say either of them are breakout players.

Additionally, I think having the opportunity to be a breakout player is important. What do I mean by this?

Let’s take a look at a player like Tatiana Ruhl. Ruhl was drafted to the Dallas Flash in March, but as a backup player. Ahead of her, are two women who are both easily top ten in women’s and mixed doubles, in Jorja Johnson and Hurricane Tyra Black. The opportunity isn’t really going to be there for Tatiana to become a breakout player, unless the players ahead of her have some sort of injury. Therefore, I am not really considering players who were drafted as a backup.

Lastly, I would have to say the player’s team has to be relatively competitive. While I think Zane Ford is going to continue his upward trajectory in pickleball, I don't think the New York Hustlers are going to be very competitive. Since MLP is such a team sport, even if Ford excels, I don’t think he is going to see great results in terms of winning matches and games. Therefore, I am not considering him for breakout player.

Top Three Breakout Player Candidates

Victoria DiMuzio

Victoria DiMuzio - PPA Tour

MLP Team: Atlanta Bouncers

DUPR: 5.9

Age: 26

Birthplace: Toronto, Canada

Current Residence: Delray Beach, Florida

Victoria DiMuzio was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where her athletic journey began at a young age. Growing up in a city with a rich sports culture, Victoria was introduced to tennis early on and quickly became captivated by the sport’s blend of strategy and physicality. By the time she was a teenager, she was competing in local tournaments, developing a reputation as a tenacious and skilled player with a fierce competitive drive. 

She competed in various provincial tennis events and quickly rose through the ranks, making a name for herself as one of Ontario's promising young talents. The discipline and mental toughness that tennis instilled in her laid the foundation for the next chapter of her athletic career.

Victoria was drafted to the Southwestern Ontario Brewers in the Canadian National Pickleball League last year. She played with Amanda Rosati (Rochester, NY) in women’s doubles and Mikaël Gaumond in mixed doubles. The Brewers made it all the way to the finals, falling just short, earning a second place finish.

On the season, Victoria went 35-17 in her games, for a 67% win percentage. She finished as the top Canadian woman in all of CNPL in 2024. She was also named the Player of the Match in eight of her 26 matches played. Her DUPR was 4.33 when she got drafted in the CNPL and now it is top 25 in the world.

DiMuzio chose to go full-time in pickleball in late 2024/early 2025. She moved to Delray Beach, Florida in very early January, making pickleball her sole focus.

She signed with the PPA Tour exclusively in early 2025 and was drafted 11th overall by the Atlanta Bouncers. Victoria joins the team of Jaume Martinez Vich, Todd Fought, Vivian Glozman, Sam Querrey, and Rachel Rettger.

DiMuzio brings a ton of power on both wings and has a ton of put away power. She likes to play the left side in women’s and can play both sides in mixed doubles. She continues to work on her transition zone game and consistency while dinking at the highest of levels. 

Mehvish Safdar

Mehvish Safdar - University of Minnesota Tennis

MLP Team: Utah Black Diamonds

DUPR: 5.386

Age: 28

Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio

Current Residence: Durham, North Carolina

Mehvish is a Pakistani-American, who was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio after her parents emigrated from Pakistan.

Safdar stood out in Ohio as a tennis player growing up. In high school, she was a 3x Ohio State Champion, once in doubles and twice in singles. She is in the Ursuline Academy High School Hall of Fame and is still the overall wins record holder. Her career record in high school: 140-8 overall, 116-8 in singles, and 24-0 in doubles.

In college, Mehvish was offered a full scholarship to the University of Minnesota, as a five star recruit. She had a stellar career as a Gopher, specializing in doubles, while also playing a very solid singles game. In fact, Safdar is still in the top 20 all-time at Minnesota with 74 doubles wins in her career.

After her college career at Minnesota, Safdar went to the University of Indiana to pursue a Ph.D. in Sports Psychology. She is currently in the dissertation phase of the program. 

In 2024, Mehvish started taking competitive pickleball very seriously. She played mostly for the University of Indiana club team, winning the DUPR mixed doubles collegiate championship and the women’s singles collegiate championship in 2024. She was also named First-Team All-American in Collegiate Pickleball in 2024 as well.

Safdar signed with the UPA within weeks of the MLP Draft. She will be playing for the Utah Black Diamonds with Connor Garnett, Tyler Loong, Allyce Jones, Genie Erokhina, and Yates Johnson.

She has mostly played the left side in women’s doubles, and can very easily play both sides in mixed doubles. I assume she will play the left side with Loong in mixed doubles, but that is yet to be seen. 

Mehvish has the extreme competitiveness, mental fortitude, and tenacity to really up her game in the next few months in MLP. I am very high on her abilities to adapt to the MLP Premier Level very quickly.

Mya Bui

Mya Bui - University of San Francisco Athletics

MLP Team: Miami Pickleball Club

DUPR: 4.987

Birthplace: Toronto, Canada

Current Residence: Tampa Bay, Florida

Bui (pronounced "Boo-ee") was also born in Toronto, like DiMuzio. Since the age of five, she played tennis. Although her parents never played, they are big fans of the sport and had Mya and her younger sister, Jada involved in the sport at a young age. 

In high school, Mya was a 4x LOSSA Champion, OFSAA doubles champion as a senior, OFSAA singles champion as a sophomore, and finalist during her junior and senior years. She was also the Pickering High School tennis MVP all four years.

Bui played collegiate tennis at the University of San Francisco, for the Dons. She started her freshman year in the fall of 2017 and ended in the spring of 2022. She graduated in 2022 with a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Her first scorelines in DUPR were in May 2024 in Tampa. She also played some in Canada. 

She does not have much history playing pickleball, but she does have some notable wins. In the PPA Daytona Beach Open in December, she beat aforementioned Victoria DiMuzio in singles, and she also beat Martina Frantova in the main draw. Additionally, her and Matt Barlow lost to Catherine Parenteau and Federico Staksrud, 9-11, 9-11. 

Just last week, Bui teamed up with Eric Oncins, and they beat Wes Burrows and Lingwei Kong in the first round of the PPA Red Rock Open. They followed that up by winning the first game of the match against eventual winner, Parris Todd and Dekel Bar. They eventually lost, 11-5, 11-13, 4-11.

Miami drafted Bui 17th, and she joins teammates Noe Khlif, Milan Rane, Jay Devilliers, Yuta Funemizu, and Ava Ignatowich.

Bui has a rope of a two-handed drive from the baseline and a ton of power from her left side. She is tall and has a lot of reach. If she can clean up her transition zone and consistency in dinking (a theme with all three of these breakout candidates), she may help Miami win quickly.

Summary

I think Bui, DiMuzio, and Safdar have the best chance of becoming breakout players in 2025 in the MLP season. They all have the power to make it in Premier, they all have the tennis background, and they are set up for success on their teams. Time will tell if one of these players will have a breakout year, or if it is someone else.