Yana Newell

Yana Newell (formerly Yana Grechkina) is a professional pickleball player originally from Vladimir, Russia, now based in Kansas City, Missouri. A former college tennis player at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she earned Freshman of the Year honors and helped her team win back-to-back conference championships, Yana transitioned to pickleball around 2020 and has been climbing the pro ranks ever since. She's competed in 57+ professional tournaments with a career win rate over 56%, and her 2024 season was particularly strong with a 66% overall win rate.

Yana is married to fellow pro player Ben Newell, making them one of pickleball's power couples. They recently signed with TEAM OWL together, with Yana known for her put-away power using the PXE paddle. She's also part of the Chicken N Pickle Pro Team. Off the court, Yana has an impressively diverse set of interests - she's an accounting professional for the PPA Tour, speaks multiple languages, and enjoys everything from coding and painting to rock climbing and disc golf. Her go-to tournament snacks? Grapes and dried mangoes.