Pickleball was never the plan for Ryan Fu ’23MBA, who played Division I tennis for Bryant after transferring from the University of Michigan and planned on getting a job in Boston following grad school. But the combination of an injury and a conversation with a childhood friend led him to the dinks and plinks of the fastest growing sport in America, where he now ranks among the world’s top 50 pro pickleballers.
More than 48 million Americans play pickleball, and Fu is one of 150 professionals on the Carvana PPA Tour, which hosts 26 annual events across 16 states. Players compete for prize pools that climb into the six figures, and the events can draw tens of thousands of fans; competitors include former pro tennis players like Jack Sock, who rose as high as #8 in the world during his Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) career.
Fu has come a long way for a guy who first picked up a pickleball paddle less than two years ago. A resident of Andover, Massachusetts, he was a top New England tennis recruit coming out of high school, but a shoulder injury requiring surgery hampered his collegiate tennis career and dampened Fu’s prospects for a professional career.
Earning his undergraduate degree in communications from the University of Michigan, Fu knew he wanted to expand his business education and be closer to home.
“I knew guys who were on the Bryant tennis team, and I thought the One-Year MBA would be a really good option, because the university has a strong business program,” recalls Fu. “I didn't exactly know what industry or field I wanted to go into. I was applying to many different types of jobs, like consulting firms, finance, sales, and real estate. I was pretty much open to anything.”
About a month before graduating Bryant, Fu met up with lifelong friend James Ignatowich, a fellow tennis player who was among the top five in the world in pickleball.
“He was like, ‘Ryan, you’ve got to come try pickleball,’” Fu says. His initial response was unenthusiastic: “He was trying to convince me and I was like, that's stupid. But I didn't have a job lined up, and I didn't want to move back into my parents' house to look for a job. I thought, if I can go try this thing, I know I could do it physically if I give it enough effort.”
About a month after completing his MBA, Fu moved to Florida with thoughts of becoming a pickleball pro. But there was one big problem: he had never played the game competitively.
“I just assumed I'd be able to do it,” he says. “I knew a bunch of guys who were at a similar level to me in tennis, and they were all top 15 in pickleball. I thought, there’s got to be some correlation between a high-level tennis player and being good at pickleball. It's not like there's 50 years of kids training as pickleballers – it’s a brand-new sport.”
“I knew a bunch of guys who were at a similar level to me in tennis, and they were all top 15 in pickleball. I thought, there’s got to be some correlation between a high-level tennis player and being good at pickleball. It's not like there's 50 years of kids training as pickleballers – it’s a brand-new sport.”
Fu also drew inspiration from his Bryant MBA program. “Pretty much every speaker who visited us said this is the time of life to take a chance and try and build something,” he says. “It sort of feels like I'm at a startup company.”
Many of Fu’s tennis skills have transferred well to playing pickleball, and the sport is far easier than tennis on his surgically repaired shoulder.
“My reaction time and hand speed at the net are by far my best thing, but I have significantly less ‘feel’ than most of these other pros, so the way I play is a little different than some other people,” he says. “But if you can move your feet and compete, that'll win you about 80 percent of matches.”
Working to improve his pickleball skills is key for Fu moving up the pro rankings, and a big reason why he is still in Florida. “I’m here to train, because 20 of the top 30 players in the world are within a 10-minute radius of me,” he says.
Compared to pro tennis, not only does pro pickleball have an easier entry point, it’s also easier to make money, says Fu.
“The top 150 in the ATP is significantly more impressive than top 30 in the world for pickleball,” he says, “But the guys who are top 30 are making way more in pickleball than someone who is number 200 in tennis.”
Sponsorships also can bring in income, especially as players advance in rankings. Still, Fu isn’t putting all his balls in the pro pickleball basket; he’s working on a few side hustles, such as offering pickleball lessons, online coaching content, and building a media business with friends.
Fu currently has about 15,000 social media followers and says the humor he injects into his online pickleball lessons help him stand out.
“I'm not a guy who's going to go and invent a product,” Fu says. “But what I can do is go hit a pickleball and try and build a business around that. That’s where the MBA is pretty helpful.”
