Tyson McGuffin

Tyson McGuffin is a three-time Minto US Open singles champion (2017, 2018, 2019) and was one of the defining personalities of pro pickleball's first commercial era. As of April 2026 his PPA rankings have softened from his prime — singles #45, men's doubles #10, mixed doubles #13 — but his sponsor footprint and recreational-camp business remain among the largest in the sport.

Career

McGuffin's path into pickleball was unusual: he played college tennis at Scottsdale Community College and has a wrestling background. He picked up a paddle in the mid-2010s, turned pro in 2016, and within a year was the most consistent men's singles player on the early PPA Tour, winning the US Open singles in three consecutive years (2017, 2018, 2019) — a stretch that ended when Ben Johns's era of singles dominance began.

McGuffin built one of the first seven-figure paddle endorsement deals in the sport. In a notable shift, he moved from his original long-term partner Selkirk to JOOLA for the Magnus Pro IV 14mm signature line — a defection that mirrors the broader paddle-brand consolidation happening on the men's tour.

Playing style

McGuffin is right-handed and plays a high-energy, vocal singles game built on movement and conditioning. The wrestling and tennis backgrounds show: he covers the singles court better than nearly anyone, and points often end on McGuffin getting to a ball others wouldn't reach. He's less of a kitchen-line technician than the younger generation; more of a baseline-grind opportunist.

He is famously emotional on court — fist-pumps, audible chirps, occasional outbursts. Some find it endearing; some find it grating. Either way it's part of what made him commercially marketable in pickleball's first TV era.

Notable wins

• 2017, 2018, 2019: Minto US Open Pickleball Championships, Men's Singles Champion (three consecutive years)
• One of the first seven-figure paddle endorsements in pro pickleball
• 15+ career PPA Tour gold medals (per current PPA Tour stats: 6 singles, 6 doubles, 3 mixed)

Off-court

McGuffin runs Tyson McGuffin Pickleball Camps and Pickleball Camps US, which have hosted instruction events in 30+ states. He is married with children and remains one of the sport's most active recreational-level ambassadors — a role that arguably outsizes his current tournament rank.