GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids hosted the Major League Pickleball midseason tournament at Belknap Park this week, with the championship match airing Sunday live on Fox Sports.
WATCH: Beer City Open puts Grand Rapids in the national pickleball spotlight
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The Beer City Open drew more than 1,100 amateur players alongside the sport's biggest professional names — and the event's growth was on full display.
Anna Bright, one of the top names in professional pickleball, took home the midseason tournament trophy with her team the St. Louis Shock. Fresh off the championship court, she described the atmosphere at Belknap Park.
"It's insane. You know, it actually felt a bit like a circus even," Bright said. "It's so fun to be here, and it really felt kind of like a home environment for us. [It] felt so good to get it done and raise the trophy in front of so many people who were here all week in the hot sun."
Bright also credited the city and tournament organizer Andrea Coop for the event's continued success and the energy it generates even on weekday mornings.
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"I think that just speaks to A.) the growth of pickleball, but B.) also just how good of a job the city and Andrea Coop does at putting on such an incredible, incredible event that people are excited to show up to on a Wednesday morning. They've got it circled on their calendar, so it's really been been so incredible."
Dan McConnon, a key figure in the local pickleball community and a volunteer with the Grand Rapids Pickleball Club — the event's benefactor — pointed to the talent on hand, the community that surrounds it, and the hundreds of volunteers.
"All the best players in the world [are] here to play pickleball in West Michigan, an amazing pickleball community," McConnon said. "This is the culmination of a year's worth of work by an incredible committee, and now with over 600 volunteers, you can see what this event in its ninth year has grown to."
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This marks the fourth year the Beer City Open has hosted Major League Pickleball's midseason tournament. Matt Manasse, a broadcaster with Pickleball TV, said the city has earned its place on the tour's calendar.
"Andrea Coop, she's built this tournament here, and the help of all the volunteers for the last few years, I think it's a stop [the pros] want to come back to it every single year for the mid-season tournament," Manasse said.
Bright echoed that sentiment — and suggested the event may need to expand to keep up with demand.
"We're going to need more stands. You know, to support even more people, especially after what a slam dunk it was this year, so I think Grand Rapids is absolutely crushing it in the pickleball scene and otherwise," Bright said.
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