Australian Pickleball Stars Tom Evans & Helena Spiridis Set to Compete on the World’s Premier Pickleball Pro Tour and League – the Carvana PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball in the USA 

• Fans in Australia can catch Evans and Spiridis at this week’s Proton Australia Pickleball Open, Jan. 28-Feb. 2 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 
• Evans and Spiridis join the PPA Tour and MLP after incredible careers with Australia’s National Pickleball League (NPL), where they were both part of the inaugural NPLeague 1 winning team, The Jalapenos

DALLAS, January 27, 2025 – Australian pickleball stars Tom Evans & Helena Spiridis have signed exclusive contracts with the United Pickleball Association in the United States – which consists of the Carvana PPA Tour (PPA Tour) and Major League Pickleball (MLP). As the premier entities of professional pickleball, the PPA Tour and MLP have exclusive contracts with the world’s top players, including the #1 female athlete, Anna Leigh Waters, and the #1 male athletes, Ben Johns and Federico Staksrud.

Evans and Spiridis join the premier global professional pickleball tour and league after successful careers with the NPL in Australia. This marks the first-ever signed contracts for Australian players in the elite Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) and the beginning of professional pathways through elite organizations for the best Australian players to succeed at the highest levels of the sport.  

The Carvana PPA Tour is the professional pickleball tour where the world’s top players go head-to-head to battle for the World No.1 ranking across singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Major League Pickleball sees these same top pros on co-ed teams in a 10-stop regular season leading up to the MLP Playoffs. Prominent MLP team owners include LeBron James, Tom Brady, Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios and more.

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States and is spreading around the world rapidly. Last year, the roughly 130 professional players on the PPA Tour and MLP earned more than $30million in prize money and were watched by more than 300,000 fans in person and millions more on broadcast. This leap to the elite global professional pickleball organization marks an incredible opportunity for these international stars. 

“Being signed to the number one Pickleball Association in the world, alongside the best players, is absolutely mind-blowing,” said Evans. “I’m so excited to see how far I can go and how much I can improve. I’m thrilled to partner with such a fantastic organization like the PPA Tour and help grow this incredible sport. My time with the NPL, both playing and serving as an ambassador, has helped propel me to this incredible moment – and I hope to see many more athletes making this incredible journey. Plus, being supported by the best paddle brand in the world, Proton, makes it all the more exciting.”

“When I first started playing pickleball, my goal was to one day become a PPA player in the US and now that dream has become a reality,” added Spiridis. “I’m so grateful for this opportunity. Partnering with such an incredible organization like the PPA feels surreal. We are so grateful to NPL for the opportunities given to us in Australian Pickleball and are looking forward to this incredible next chapter.”

After successful Tennis careers which saw them ascend to the top ranked juniors in Victoria and NSW as well as a top 300 and 200 International Tennis Federation ranking, Spiridis and Evans have swapped out the racquet for a paddle. The smitten couple, who also run eco-conscious swim and sport label, Waev, depart for the USA in June 2025, where they’ll compete amongst the top Pickleball athletes. 

Before then, however, Evans and Spiridis are set to compete at the Proton Australia Pickleball Open this week at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre alongside many of Australia’s top pros and pros from the Carvana PPA Tour. For more information on the event, visit ppatour.com.au.