Show Notes
Zane Navratil is a PPA gold medalist again—and Nico Acevedo nearly turned a grueling tournament run into a championship of his own. Zane shares what made PPA Barcelona feel like a throwback, while Nico joins the conversation to unpack his breakout performance alongside Yuta Funemizu.
Nico talks about going from college tennis to the pro pickleball tour, the support that helped him take the leap, and how he and Yuta fought through a string of demanding matches. Their run included wins over Ben Johns and Federico Staksrud, close calls, match-point battles, and a marathon final.
The conversation also gets into the details behind Nico’s dangerous backhand flick, the balance work that helps him reach and recover, and the communication and mindset that powered the team. Zane shares his take on the European circuit, the MLP Nations Cup, and why the next wave of international players could raise the level quickly.
Plus: Guess My DUPR, listener comments, serve-rule debate, and plenty of PicklePod banter.
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0:00 Intro
3:17 Zane wins gold in Spain
9:28 Zane’s likes and dislikes in Spain
13:55 There is opportunity for players in Europe
22:45 Shout out to Judit Castillo
24:14 Nation’s Cup should borrow from Little League World Series
31:16 Guess my DUPR
35:57 Mean comments
Nico Acevedo
42:31 Nico Acevedo joins the pod
43:41 Johnny Goldberg tribute
50:40 Nico played soccer... and tennis
53:01 Believing you can win against the world’s best
57:10 What are comms like with Yuta?
59:33 The secret to Nico’s backhand flick
1:04:34 Mistaking Nico for Nico
1:07:23 Reliving the finals run
1:13:03 Late matches and getting heated with Christian
1:17:13 Nico’s future partners
1:23:21 Best forehand dink in pickleball Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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