PPA Arizona Changed EVERYTHING?! New Stars Are Taking Over

PPA Arizona delivered some of the biggest surprises we've seen this season.

Tyler Loong and Jimmy Miller break down all the action from Arizona, including Yuta Funamizu and Nico Acevedo's incredible run to the men's doubles final, Ben Johns & Federico Staksrud getting knocked out early, and several young players making serious noise on the pro tour.

We also discuss PPA's new later start times, the changes coming to the Arizona Athletic Grounds, the latest on the JOOLA paddle lawsuit, and how the new WPR system is affecting draws and tournament seeding.

Plus, we dive into the rise of Kiora Kunimoto and Elliott Schupp, Ben Johns' return to singles, Jalina Ingram's huge singles run, and Samin Odhwani's departure as MLP commissioner and new role overseeing Apollo's investment in professional pickleball.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and make sure to !

Time
0:00 – Welcome back to KOTC
0:51 – Pickler Universe & MLP Nations Cup
5:18 – Dominator
6:03 – Montis Pickleball
6:42 – KOTC All Access
8:18 – Jimmy responds to the podcast drama
10:31 – Firefight Zone & Jared Paul
13:14 – Dream pickleball podcast guests
14:51 – PPA Arizona recap begins
15:35 – PPA's Arizona Athletic Grounds deal
17:22 – JOOLA lawsuit update
18:56 – WPR, rankings & controversial draws
19:46 – Yuta & Nico's incredible run
22:16 – Biggest men's doubles surprises
23:37 – Tyler & JLG's Arizona run
25:02 – New PPA match format & start times
26:21 – Is nighttime pickleball better?
27:35 – PPA's lighting problem
30:04 – Women's doubles recap
30:58 – Tyra Black & Megan Fudge make the final
32:17 – New names emerging in women's doubles
33:59 – Mixed doubles upsets
34:51 – Kiora Kunimoto & Elliott Schupp HUGE run
37:54 – Why Elliott's play style is so dangerous
39:16 – Kiora's continued rise
40:07 – Sophia & Casey's mixed doubles run
40:53 – Why ALW & Ben had to practice together
42:30 – Ben & ALW get back on track
44:14 – Is WPR discouraging players from singles?
44:58 – The problem with automatic byes
46:57 – Lucky losers are affecting PPA draws
48:24 – Hunter Johnson's controversial penalty
51:21 – Hot take: Ben won't make another singles final
52:08 – Women's singles surprises
53:40 – Jelena Ingram's incredible Arizona run
55:06 – Kate Fahey vs. Brooke Buckner
56:40 – What's next on the PPA Tour?
58:17 – What happened with Samin & MLP?
59:41 – Who should become the next MLP commissioner?
1:01:45 – Tyler's remaining 2026 tournament schedule
1:03:48 – Final thoughts & what's coming on All Access

Website: tylerloong.com

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