Lucy Kovalova

Lucy Kovalova is a Slovakian-born professional pickleball player, former world #1, and one of the sport's true pioneers. After playing professional tennis in Europe and earning a tennis scholarship to Wichita State University, Kovalova discovered pickleball at a local country club in Kansas. She didn't speak English when she first arrived in the U.S., but she let her game do the talking. By her first US Open in Naples, it was clear she was something special. She went on to form dominant women's doubles partnerships with players like Simone Jardim and Callie Smith, and achieved top-level mixed doubles success with her husband, Matt Wright.

Kovalova is a multiple-time triple crown winner, a PPA Player of the Month, and one of the players who helped define the "grindy dinking" era of pro pickleball. At 32, she's still competing at a high level with a career win rate near 58% across 327+ pro matches, known for her two-handed backhand and elite right-side play in doubles. She also teaches pickleball and tennis at a Wichita country club, and she's played on MLP teams including the Milwaukee Mashers. Kovalova is pickleball royalty, plain and simple.