Ivan Jakovljevic

Ivan Jakovljevic took one of the more unconventional paths to professional pickleball. The 34-year-old Croatian started his athletic career as an attacking midfielder in Croatia's top soccer division with NK Osijek, then bounced through clubs in the Czech Republic and Germany before landing in the US to play for Oklahoma City Energy FC and the Houston Dynamo organization. He discovered pickleball in 2021 while teaching tennis with his brother in Tyler, TX, and within two years had gone from winning amateur tournaments to competing as a full-fledged pro.

What makes Jakovljevic especially dangerous is that lefty game. At 6'2", his tricky, unpredictable attacks give opponents fits because he doesn't come from the typical tennis mold that most pros share. He's competed in Major League Pickleball with teams like the Carolina Hogs and has racked up over 200 career MLP matches. He even beat Ben Johns along the way. Based in Zagreb, Croatia, he found more than just a new sport in pickleball; he met his fiancee in Dallas through the pickleball community.