ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando is one of two cities awarded teams in Major League Pickleball starting with the 2023 season, the league announced Thursday.

What You Need To Know

  • Major League Pickleball adds teams for Orlando and St. Louis in 2023

  • Ryan DeVos is a co-owner of Orlando's team

  • The MLP season gets underway Jan. 26-29 in Mesa, Ariz.

  • The closest the Squeeze will play to Orlando is at Pictona at Holly Hill in March

The other new team represents St. Louis.

The Orlando Squeeze and St. Louis Shock bring the league to 24 teams in a sport that mixes elements of badminton, ping-pong and tennis. The sport has gained popularity over the past decade.

Sports executive and philanthropist Ryan DeVos will be a co-owner of the Squeeze.

“Orlando is a tremendous sports town,” DeVos said. “As our family has seen over its 30+ years of stewardship with the Orlando Magic franchise, fans here love their teams and I’m excited to see the Squeeze added to that mix. We’re also eager to join with MLP and its franchise ownership groups to connect with the millions of pickleball enthusiasts across the country and grow the sport even further.”

The 2023 MLP season kicks off in Mesa, Ariz., Jan. 26-29, with all 24 teams across the MLP Premier and Challenger levels competing. The Squeeze will not actually play in Orlando. Teams compete in a series of six tournaments scheduled for this year in Arizona, California, Florida and Georgia.

The year will be divided into two “seasons” of three events. In the first season, 12 teams will compete in the MLP Premier Level (the first 48 drafted players), and 12 will compete in the MLP Challenger Level (the next 48 drafted players), with rosters consisting of two men and two women. The teams will then flip levels and re-draft players for the second season. 

Pictona at Holly Hill will be the location for the Florida tournament.

The tournaments for the 2023 MLP seasons are:

Season 1

  • Jan. 26-29 – Mesa, Ariz. – Legacy Sports USA
  • March 23-26 – Daytona Beach, Fla. – Pictona at Holly Hill
  • June 15-18 – San Clemente, Calif. – Life Time Rancho San Clemente
  • Season 1 Championship: June 19

Season 2

  • Sept. 21-24 – Atlanta – Life Time Peachtree Corners
  • Nov. 2-5 – La Quinta, Calif. – LaQuinta Resort & Club
  • Dec. 7-10 – San Clemente, CA – Life Time Rancho San Clemente
  • Season 2 Championship: Dec. 11

The expansion came on the same day the league announced its tournaments would be broadcast and streamed by the Tennis Channel.