Singles: During Tournament Play

I’ve learned the singles game. I love being responsible for cover 100% of the court. The more aggressive game fits my style of play.

So why don’t I see more tournaments offering singles?

It often comes down to time. Tournament are very popular and there are only so many hours in a day. When a club or facility chooses to host a tournament, they hope to attract as many players as possible. The fact is most players will choose to play doubles rather than singles. Usually each day is devoted to one event (mixed, women’s and/or men’s doubles). To add singles into the lineup usually requires another day. Adding another day means adding another day for volunteers to be on site. The player may only be at the tournament for 4 hours, but the volunteers may have a 12+ hour day.

How will singles effect my doubles game?

We’ve already talked that singles is a physically demanding game. If the singles event is offered as the first event, many players worry about exhausting themselves for their doubles events. They don’t want to let their partner down. If the singles event is offered as the last event, players may not have enough energy to “give it their all”. Tournament Directors often see “no-shows” for a singles event held on the last day; players are tired and are ready to go home. (Please always contact your Tournament Director (asap) if you’re not able to play your event. Your decision effects everyone in your event, and a “no-show” is hard on everyone.)

I’ve found a tournament which offers singles. Why is the single event more expensive than the doubles events?

Remember that adding another day to the tournament, often means reserving/renting the facility for another day. The facility does not generally charge per person, but per daily usage. Since singles automatically requires half the number of players as doubles, tournaments will often raise registration fees for singles to compensate.

Singles is a different game, and it requires you to change gears from doubles play. Singles is not for everyone, but if it’s your game, you’ll find it a lot of fun. It’s challenging, and it’s a great workout. Look for a tournament which features a singles event and go for gold.

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Special Contributor
Pickleball Is Great
Mike Hoxie, Kathy Rambousek, Gigi Guerra

Pickleball Is Great is the premier pickleball tournament management company in the western U.S., hosting dozens of pickleball tournaments and thousands of players each year. Thinking about staging a tournament? Reach out to the professionals at Pickleball Is Great!

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