Tyra Black

Profile

Hurricane Tyra Black is an American professional pickleball player born March 2, 2001. She started tennis at age 3 and won singles and doubles tournaments on the ITF women's circuit. A former tennis player, she recorded a career-high WTA singles ranking of 331 (November 2022).

From tennis to pickleball

Feeling stuck in her career on the ITF circuit, she left pro tennis in early 2023 to escape the loneliness and burnout of tennis. In March 2023 a friend introduced her to pickleball, and she threw herself into 6-12 hours of training a day. Her only ITF title came in December 2020 on the clay courts of Antalya, Turkey, in doubles paired with Switzerland's Svenja Oxener.

Pickleball career

She turned pro in 2023 and rose rapidly in the PPA Tour rankings. Right after her debut at the 2023 Takeya Showcase she pulled off a big upset over the queen of pickleball, Anna Leigh Waters, drawing sudden attention. Young at 22 and with shallow experience, she continues to compete at the top level with the attacking power built in tennis as her weapon.

Play style

True to the "Hurricane" nickname, her greatest hallmark is a powerful, aggressive, tennis-bred style. An attacking player who overwhelms opponents with fierce strokes and aggressive net play.

Sponsor

She is with PIKKL. She is active on the PPA Tour and in MLP.

📎 Reference: PPA Tour | Wikipedia | Sporty Escapade