UPA Terminates Contracts of Ignatowich, Fu & Glozman Following Participation in Unsanctioned Event

The UPA contracts of James Ignatowich, Vivian Glozman, and Ryan Fu have been terminated "effective immediately" following their participation in multiple unsanctioned events.

All three players are currently in Japan, and were part of a series of clinics and exhibitions hosted by the Pickleball Japan Federation in Tokyo’s Ariake Tennis Park earlier this week.

"Effective immediately, the United Pickleball Association has terminated the contracts of players Ryan Fu, Vivian Glozman, and James Ignatowich," the UPA posted on Instagram Wednesday afternoon.

Parris Todd was also reportedly in attendance, but her situation is under review.

"Leadership is still reviewing the full details, and discussions are ongoing regarding the appropriate consequence - which could range from a fine to a suspension to, if warranted, termination," the UPA said in regards to Todd.

Why Were the Contracts Terminated?

The four players in question reportedly participated in a competitor's event, which is grounds for contract termination, just like Quang Duong earlier in the year (see below).

All four pros are listed on marketing materials for clinics and exhibitions hosted by the Pickleball Japan Federation this week.

An image taken from a Pickleball Japan Federation Instagram post embedded below

It's unclear why these particular pros participated in this particular event.

But UPA's stance on the matter is firm: "Participating in competitor events is a black-and-white violation of UPA agreements."

Who Had Their Contract Terminated:

James Ignatowich

• MLP Team - Chicago Slice
• Men's Doubles PPA Rank - 23rd
• Men's Mixed Doubles PPA Rank - T-11th
• Men's Singles PPA Rank - 40th

Vivian Glozman

• MLP Team - Chicago Slice

I did not list Glozman's PPA ranking, as she has not played on the PPA Tour since PPA Mesa in February. Glozman was on an MLP only contract, and has not played on the PPA Tour in 10 months.

Ryan Fu

• MLP Team - SoCal Hard Eights
• Men's Doubles PPA Rank - 37th
• Men's Mixed Doubles PPA Rank - T-34th
• Men's Singles PPA Rank - 39th

Why is Parris Todd's Contract Under Review?

Directly from a league statement:

"Parris Todd also participated in this event after initially reaching out for permission to do so, with incomplete context. Leadership is still reviewing the full details, and discussions are ongoing regarding the appropriate consequence - which could range from a fine to a suspension to, if warranted, termination. We will communicate the final outcome once that decision is made."

So it seems Todd reached out to the league for permission to participate, but didn't provide – or didn't have – all the details.

What this means

These three players will now have to figure out what to do in pickleball. We know James Ignatowich just launched his new paddle brand, "RPM," about two months ago:

Fu, who is very good friends with Ignatowich, also helps with clinics and plays with the RPM paddle. There are other tours to go play on, but the pay probably won't be comparable to the pay these three were receiving from the UPA annually.

Additionally, the Chicago Slice and SoCal Hard are no longer going to have the services of these three players. They will need to draft replacement in the upcoming 2026 MLP Draft (Date TBD).

Finally, many players have partners for multiple tournaments. The partners of Fu and Ignatowich are now going to be scrambling for new partners for The Masters tournament in January and the entirety of early 2026 tournaments.

Sounding Familiar?

If this is all sounding a bit familiar… it should. The UPA went through something similar over the summer with Quang Duong. We covered that incident extensively:

This is a breaking story and more information will come out regarding these contracts, especially Parris Todd's situation.