Riley Bohnert

Riley Bohnert is a 20-year-old professional pickleball player from Louisville, Kentucky, who turned pro in 2022 and has already racked up five pro medals. She's the only woman to win the APP Next Gen Overall Title three times, was selected for the APP Next Gen National Team in both 2023 and 2024, and helped Team USA defeat Team Europe at the 2024 Atlantic Cup. Her first pro gold came at the 2022 APP Indianapolis Open, where she won playing doubles with her mom. Her second gold? The 2023 APP National Indoor Championships alongside Simone Jardim.

Bohnert's path to pickleball started during a difficult period in her life when her father introduced her to the sport. She's credited pickleball with turning things around for her, calling it "life-saving." A former competitive swimmer, she relocated from Louisville to Delray Beach, Florida, to train full-time and plays with a Paddletek Tempest Wave Pro-C paddle. She even landed on SportsCenter's Top 10 with an around-the-post winner at the 2023 APP U.S. Indoor Championships. At just 20, Bohnert is one of the brightest young stars in the sport.