Max 'Purple Jesus' Manthou unstoppable at the Skechers Pickleball English OPEN

By Matt Wright

After coming away from the English Open with a gold medal in the men’s singles, American Max Manthou is about to write the book on pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.

Manthou, 32, from Tacoma, Washington, was one of the American professionals who travelled across the Atlantic to the Telford International Centre, where a record number of players competed across seven days at the English Open.

He defeated his fellow countryman Ryler Deheart 11-8 8-11 11-9 in what was a closely fought final, having had to come from 3-0 and 9-6 down in the deciding game.

Manthou has been taken aback by how pickleball has expanded from its birthplace of the United States in recent years and has clearly become a student of the game.

Manthou said: “I wrote my Masters thesis on pickleball and I’m adapting it now.

“There’s going to be a book soon, I think in about a month it will be published – it’s called Pickleball: The Gospel.

“I’ve actually done research on pickleball, so I’ve been anywhere pickleball has been played – I was in the Midwest when I did my research – and the best thing I love about pickleball is that I feel like a new friend is just a paddle length away.

“It is that social, it makes friends out of strangers in an instant and that social glue, that I think some nations like the US kind of need, is really exciting.

“I’m so happy that the sport is growing but I’m not surprised because women, men, young, old, whatever can play. It’s so cool.”

The 2024 English Open was the largest pickleball event taking place outside of North America, with a record number of almost 2,000 players from 42 countries set to participate.

Although a British player did not make the podium in the men’s singles, over 30,000 people around the United Kingdom now play pickleball and there are almost 700 places in which to play the sport, showing its exponential growth.

On how hard he had to fight for gold in Telford, Manthou said: “This was the fourth time I played Ryler and each time it just goes to the wire.

“He’s a champion, he carries himself like a champion and I knew that every time I got up, he was going to push back, that’s just what he does.

“The match finished in my 13th hour of pickleball of the day, so that’s a new record for me.

“Since I’ve been playing pickleball, I’ve not travelled much outside the US, so this has been a great chance for me to do both.

“It’s my first time outside the US playing pickleball, so it’s been a thrill to be part of all this in Telford.”

Pickleball England has announced a record number of players competing at this year’s English OPEN from the 8th-14th August at the Telford International Centre in the largest pickleball event taking place outside of the USA EVER – visit pickleballengland.org