Utah Signs Genie Bouchard Bringing 'Haters' Out on X

Sometimes, a story comes along and writes itself.

This is one of those times.

On Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024, Genie Bouchard – the former standout tennis pro turned pickleball pro – signed with the Utah Black Diamonds, a Premier Level team in Major League Pickleball (MLP).

Genie wasn't the only signing or waiver wire transaction of the day—but if you follow Pickleball Twitter, you know she was the most talked about.

Let's break down how we got here and share some reactions heard around the pickleball world.

How Genie ended up a Black Diamond

Technically, this move began on Sunday at the MLP trade deadline.

That day, the Black Diamonds made three moves and declared they'd be making another one (the one that led to signing Genie) soon.

• They acquired Andrea Koop and cash considerations for Callie Smith (to the Sliders).
• Then, they acquired Lina Padegimaite and cash considerations for Andrea Koop (to the Aces).
• Finally, they acquired Genie Erokhina and cash considerations for Lina Padegimaite (to the Black Bears).

They then waived Erokhina.

Connor Pardoe, Founder and CEO of the PPA Tour and owner of the Utah Black Diamonds tweeted that they would pick up a player off the waiver wire for their last event.

Then came Wednesday:

Reactions from the world of Pickleball

As news traveled, so did the reactions of MLP fans, GMs, and other players:

Kaitlyn Kerr (Pickleball Chick)

With the first pick in the Premier waiver wire period for @MajorLeaguePB , Utah Black Diamonds @connorpardoe_pb selects @geniebouchard 🤯

Jimmy Miller (KOTC and GM of the Black Bears)

While these aren't super critical, you better believe those were coming in as well:

And, while we can't say with 100 percent certainty that this HeyShayPB tweet is in response to the Bouchard signing, we do notice that the time stamp is the same as Tice's announcement tweet:

What a joke

Is the criticism warranted?

Let's be real for a moment. Genie Bouchard is not ready for a Premier Level spot in Major League Pickleball.

BUT she is a big name.

It's important to note that Utah is already out of playoff contention with just one more event to play. So, even if they signed THE BEST player available, it wouldn't matter much in the big picture.

So, instead of trying to win out to end the season strong, they decided to make a move that could help them build their brand, cultivate a fan base, and save them some money.

Gary Vee emphasized the importance of pro pickleball (and pro pickleball players) building better brands in a recent episode of the PicklePod.

So, who better to add to your roster than a quasi-celebrity with millions of followers across social media that has worked her butt off to build a loyal fan base?

The Black Diamonds aren't winning any trophies this season, so building toward the team's status and profile is the next best thing.

Pardoe responds

In regards to these criticisms (and emojis like this one 🤯), Pardoe said this on Twitter the next day:

This one is for the UBD haters who are upset about us making trades and being smart with $. …. do you know another team that is investing in a $28M + home facility? Maybe we care the most…. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/RikNLrneX8

Regardless of what MLP fans or pundits like our own Erik Tice (who is totally fine with the move, by the way) think, the fact remains that – for at least one event in 2024 – Genie Bouchard will be a Premier Level pickleball pro.

Good on you, Genie. And Godspeed to the rest of the Black Diamonds.

Let’s go @geniebouchard 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/jK6juGoFrH