Gabe Tardio

Gabriel "Gabe" Tardio is the 19-year-old Bolivian sensation who went from building pickleball courts with his grandfather to becoming one of the most feared right-side doubles players on the planet. Born in Bolivia, Tardio was a top-10 under-14 tennis player before his grandfather introduced him to pickleball at age 14. The two of them literally built two courts together for family play, which is maybe the most wholesome origin story in pro pickleball. He moved to Florida in 2019 for tennis, but when COVID shut everything down in 2020, he started playing pickleball daily and never went back.

Tardio's rise has been meteoric. Experts call him the fastest-rising star in pro pickleball and the top right-side specialist in the game, with an aggressive spin game, absurdly quick hands, and a deep slice return that keeps opponents pinned. He's been stacking wins alongside Ben Johns in men's doubles and has competed for MLP teams including the St. Louis Shock, ATX Pickleballers, and LA Mad Drops. His training philosophy is 70% drilling and 30% match play, and off the court he's basically a typical 19-year-old: pizza, video games, gym, Netflix, steak, and acai. With a career win percentage north of 66% and a 2025 season that saw him win at an 80% clip, Gabe Tardio is just getting started. Follow him on Instagram @gabrieltardio.