Federico Staksrud Announces Split with adidas Pickleball, JOOLA Reunion Looms
Not too long ago, adidas Pickleball nabbed arguably one of the sport’s biggest stars in world no. 1 Federico Staksrud. It was supposed to be a match made in heaven: Great player hooks up with global brand, with both parties potentially amplifying each other.
Well, it was fun while it lasted—all five months of it.
Not even a year into his partnership with adidas Pickleball, Staksrud has already pulled the plug, announcing a mutual parting of ways between him and the Three Stripes right after the recently concluded Select Medical Orange County Cup, where the Argentine lost in the final to a red-hot and fast-climbing Hunter Johnson.
“After careful consideration, Adidas and I have decided to mutually conclude our partnership. The team put in incredible effort, working closely with me to create paddles designed for my game. I’m grateful for their professionalism, dedication, and trust. Thank you to everyone at Adidas—I look forward to seeing how they continue to grow the sport.”
– Federico Staksrud on terminating his partnership with adidas Pickleball
Of course, the Staksrud-adidas partnership was anything but smooth sailing. The pickleball superstar, in fact, used an adidas paddle only once in the PPA Tour, doing so in early February. But starting in the Carvana Mesa Cup, Staksrud switched to a JOOLA paddle while wearing the Three Stripes apparel. Curiously, the Argentine was previously affiliated with JOOLA, being one of the brand’s ambassadors for two and a half years before switching to adidas in January.
Then, in last week’s tournament, Staksrud eschewed adidas entirely, using JOOLA paddles and wearing JOOLA apparel as well.
With those developments, it seemed only a matter of time before Staksrud would officially split with adidas Pickleball—and that’s exactly what he did on Monday.
After Staksrud’s announcement, conventional wisdom says the Argentine and JOOLA are headed for a reunion. Then again, with Staksrud’s lofty standing in the pickleball world, don’t be surprised if other brands come calling.
