The Inaugural Women’s Open, Presented by The James, is set to begin Friday in Columbus, Ohio. The tournament will take place at Pickle N Chill, a venue with nine indoor courts and ten outdoor courts.
This is a very special event that celebrates and showcases women in pickleball. It’s not just women who play pickleball; the event celebrates all women. Every aspect of the tournament will be presented by women - the production team, referees, and even APP Tour tournament operations staff.
The event’s main objective is to fuel the growth of pickleball among women and girls.
Normally, for a pro tournament, I analyze each draw in-depth, highlight top storylines, and give predictions for play. This tournament is a bit unique, and I want to point out a few key aspects that I believe are worth emphasizing.
How to Watch
By the way, this event will be nationally televised on Sunday on CBS Sports. It will air from 3-5 pm ET on Sunday. Here is the full broadcast schedule:
- Saturday, 10/5 - 11 am-5 pm ET - APPTV on YouTube
- Sunday, 10/6 - 11 am-2 pm ET - APPTV on YouTube
- Sunday, 10/6 - 3-5 pm ET - CBS Sports
The Tournament will Raise Funds for Breast Cancer Awareness
The event’s second mission is to raise funds for breast cancer research.
“The APP Women’s Open presented by the James is about so much more than pickleball,” said Shannon Dan, EVP of Global Partnerships for the APP. “It unites players around breast cancer awareness and aims to fuel growth of the game among women and girls. We are thrilled to collaborate with Victoria’s Secret to raise critical funds for the Stefanie Spielman Fund and hold this Dream Big Summit, which will introduce more young women to the sport and help them navigate through life with confidence.”
Since the Stefanie Spielman Fund was founded in 1998, more than $26 million has been raised by thousands of individuals, companies, and charitable foundations in support of breast cancer research. The Spielman Fund funds cutting-edge research projects such as investments in digital pathology and the Spielman Genetic Tumor Bank, one of the nation’s largest breast cancer tissue and tumor repositories.
Victoria’s Secret & Co. is the presenting sponsor of the Dream Big Summit
The Dream Big Summit is a panel of influential women leaders discussing topics around self-advocacy in all aspects of life.
Women participating in the Dream Big Summit discussion:
- AJ McCord, APP broadcaster - Moderator
- Megan Fudge, #1 ranked APP Tour player
- Electra Paskett, PhD, professor and director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in the Department of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, deputy director for population sciences and community outreach, and founding director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
- Natalie McLean, Senior Designer, Victoria’s Secret & Co
- Lisa Hinkelman, PhD, Founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), author of the groundbreaking research report, The Girls’ Index™, and Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Succeed in Relationships, Academics, Careers and Life
The Dream Big Summit will be on Saturday, October 5th, after play has concluded (around 6 pm ET). Victoria’s Secret & Co. is committed to bringing at least 100 young women and girls from the local Columbus community to watch the panel. All players and spectators are encouraged to attend this lively discussion between powerful women.
Event Schedule and Draws
Friday, October 4th - Women’s Pro Singles
Top Three Seeds:
- Megan Fudge
- Amanda Hendry
- Simone Jardim
Player to watch out for: Alexa Schull. The high schooler has a ton of potential and seems to be getting better monthly.
Prediction: Megan Fudge beats Simone Jardim in the finals on Sunday
.@OfficialAPPTour pic.twitter.com/TF78p8d9Ip
— Megan Fudge DeHeart (@TheMeganFudge) October 3, 2024
Saturday, October 5th - Women’s Split Age Pro
Top Three Seeds:
- Simone Jardim/Angela Simon - Simon is CLEANING up on the AARP Champions Division with Lee Whitwell and has six gold medals on the tour.
- Susannah Barr/Sheri Courter - Courter hasn’t been playing long, but the Ohioan is paired up with one of the best women’s players in the world, and she herself has won titles in split-age pro.
- Amanda Hendry/Lee Whitwell - Whitwell is a National Team coach and one of the best players in the AARP Champions Division in 2024. I also love the lefty/lefty combo here.
Prediction: Jardim and Simon win the whole thing on Saturday
Sunday, October 6th - Women’s Pro Doubles
Top Three Seeds:
- Jill Braverman/Megan Fudge
- Allison Harris/Simone Jardim
- Susannah Barr/Arielle Butler
Partnership to watch out for: Bryanna Ojeda and Cade Pierson - the Californians are a tough out for an unseeded team.
Prediction: Allison Harris and Simone Jardim win the whole thing over Fudge and Braverman
