Isle of Wight pickleball player Thomas Turney took silver at the English National Pickleball Singles Championships held at Loughborough University on 3rd and 4th May.
Thomas won all 4 of his group matches in his category (Men’s Open), before receiving a bye to the semi-finals as a result of being a top 2 qualifier. In the semi-finals, he beat Alexander Minogue Stone 18-16 to face European no.1 singles player James Chaudry from Southampton in the final. In the final, he lost to James 11-2, 11-5 (best of 3 sets).
400 players competed in this year’s national singles event, making it one of the largest singles events outside of the USA. Pickleball England saw a 73% increase in membership at the end of 2024 and a 47% increase in venues nationwide. There are now an estimated 45,000 players and around 1,000 venues across the UK.
Thomas said:
“I’m incredibly proud to have taken 2nd place at the Pickleball England Nationals. It was a fantastic event – huge thanks to Pickleball England for putting on such a well-organised tournament. The standard was incredibly high and well done to all the players who competed. It was a tough route to the final, battling matches against 6 of the top players in the country, but in a tough final, James Chaudry – the European Number 1 – was just too good.
“A big thank you to the Isle of Wight based company The Pickleball Store for their incredible support – if you’re looking to get into pickleball or need top-quality gear, they’re the place to go.
“I’d also like to shout out West Wight Sports Centre – a brilliant facility that’s been a huge part of pickleball on the island and a great place to play, train, and stay healthy.”
