Jade and Jackie Kawamoto picked up pickleball paddles for the first time in 2019 after wrapping up their high-level competitive tennis careers. This month, they signed sponsorship deals with Selkirk Sport, the leading pickleball equipment brand with the deepest roster of professional athletes. The sisters are both members of the ATX Pickleballers franchise under the Major League Pickleball (MLP) banner in the premier division, as Jackie and Jade continue to forge their path climbing the pickleball ranks together as members of Team Selkirk.
Recognized as Pickleball’s top-ranked twins, the Kawamoto sisters grew up in Maui, Hawaii, before moving to Greenwood, where they became dominant tennis players at Greenwood High School. Showing particular prowess in singles tennis, Jackie won the 2013 state singles championship, and Jade came in as the 2014 state runner-up. They then took their talents to Ohio, competing for University of Dayton’s women’s tennis program. After discovering the sport of pickleball in 2019, they quickly became hooked and particularly enjoyed the doubles aspect of the game, despite being more experienced on the singles side of tennis.
“We are so excited to welcome Jade and Jackie Kawamoto to Team Selkirk,” said Mike Barnes, co-founder and co-CEO of Selkirk Sport. “Jade and Jackie are talented athletes with massive potential, and their success thus far in MLP and on the PPA Tour is a testament to their hard work. They are also awesome people and advocates for pickleball off the court, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Selkirk family.”
Kawamoto and Kawamoto quickly made noise on the professional pickleball scene just six months after picking up the sport, and they have also become leading advocates for growing the sport in their local community of Greenwood, often hosting local tournaments in the area. Having each other as training partners is a huge benefit, and they have both made great strides en route to becoming world-class players. They have both signed on as PPA Tour contracted professionals and members of the ATX Pickleballer MLP team, owned by American professor Brene Brown. Jade competes with the popular Selkirk Vanguard Power Air Invikta paddle, and Jade opts for the SLK Halo.
Jade and Jackie have cemented themselves as regular touring professionals on the rise on both the PPA Tour as well as in Major League Pickleball, and they will look to continue putting up career-best performances throughout the busy 2023 professional pickleball calendar.
