Zane Ford

Zane Ford is a 20-year-old professional pickleball player from Pittsburgh, PA who turned down a Division I college tennis scholarship to go all-in on pickleball. Originally from the Steel City, Ford moved to Naples, Florida at age 14 to train on the ITF junior tennis circuit, where he climbed to a world ranking of 137 and earned blue-chip recruit status. But when the pickleball opportunity presented itself, he made the bold call to skip college tennis entirely and chase paddles instead.

Ford's tennis pedigree shows up in every aspect of his game. He won the 2024 APP Next Gen Dallas Singles title, grabbed silver at the APP Vlasic Classic in Cincinnati, and earned a silver at the PPA Tour Daytona Beach event. He plays with a Six Zero paddle and competes on both the PPA and APP tours. With a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo, a background in basketball and soccer, and die-hard Cleveland Cavaliers fandom, Ford is one of the more well-rounded athletes on tour. At just 20, he's got serious upside and has stated his goal is to become the best player on tour.