The MLP Challenger Level Draft took place Wednesday, April 3, beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The 10 Challenger Level teams filled out their 2024 season rosters via a four-round, snake-format draft.
The Challenger Draft Order was randomly selected, with teams picking in order from 1 to 10 in Rounds 1 and 3 and in reverse 10 to 1 order in Rounds 2 and 4.
Predraft Exchanges
Prior to the start of the Draft, Miami Pickleball Club acquired picks #9 and #12 from the Bay Area Breakers in exchange for picks #3 and #18.
During Round 3, Atlanta Bouncers acquired picks #26 and #35 from the Brooklyn Aces in exchange for picks #24 and #37.
If you’ve been a regular reader of our articles here on Pickleball Union, you’ll know that we’ve featured Jack Munro on quite a few occasions. “Jr. Mint’s” introduction into the sport came via an injury suffered while playing baseball as a 10-year-old.
This incident prompted Jack to look for a sport that was a little safer, and what was baseball’s loss became pickleball’s gain. Jack is now one of the most promising young players around and recently became a part of the 2024 APP Next Gen National Team roster.
Pole Ewa Radzikowska is one of the senior players on the APP circuit at 44 but is still a highly formidable presence on the court. The four-time MLP champion and two-time MVP started as a tennis star on the WTA tour as a teenager and achieved a world ranking of 362 before a foot injury curtailed her tennis journey.
Ewa also won a gold medal in the women’s singles at the APP Sunmed Alabama Classic just over a year ago. Read about Eva’s exploits in the Major League Pickleball Season 2 Finals here.
MLP Challenger Level Draft Results In Full
| # | Team | Player |
| 1 | Frisco Pandas | Ewa Radzikowska |
| 2 | Chicago Slice | Jack Munro |
| 3 | Bay Area Breakers* | Vivian Glozman |
| 4 | Atlanta Bouncers | Jaume Martinez Vich |
| 5 | Florida Smash | Travis Rettenmaier |
| 6 | Brooklyn Aces | Lina Padegimaite |
| 7 | SoCal Hard Eights | Irina Tereschenko |
| 8 | Las Vegas Night Owls | Chao Yi Wang |
| 9 | Miami Pickleball Club* | Milan Rane |
| 10 | California Black Bears | Rafa Hewett |
| 11 | California Black Bears | DJ Young |
| 12 | Miami Pickleball Club* | Rianna Valdes |
| 13 | Las Vegas Night Owls | Judit Castillo Gargallo |
| 14 | SoCal Hard Eights | Erik Lange |
| 15 | Brooklyn Aces | Daniel De La Rosa |
| 16 | Florida Smash | Tammy Emmrich |
| 17 | Atlanta Bouncers | Genie Erokhina |
| 18 | Bay Area Breakers* | Collin Shick |
| 19 | Chicago Slice | Allison Harris |
| 20 | Frisco Pandas | John Cincola |
| 21 | Frisco Pandas | Stefan Auvergne |
| 22 | Chicago Slice | Kelsey Grambeau |
| 23 | Miami Pickleball Club | Roscoe Bellamy |
| 24 | Brooklyn Aces* | Martin Emmrich |
| 25 | Florida Smash | Pat Smith |
| 26 | Atlanta Bouncers* | Todd Fought |
| 27 | SoCal Hard Eights | Christine Maddox |
| 28 | Las Vegas Night Owls | Mo Alhouni |
| 29 | Bay Area Breakers | Rachel Rettger |
| 30 | California Black Bears | Amanda Hendry |
| 31 | California Black Bears | Emily Ackerman |
| 32 | Bay Area Breakers | Patrick Kawka |
| 33 | Las Vegas Night Owls | Anderson Scarpa |
| 34 | SoCal Hard Eights | Max Manthou |
| 35 | Atlanta Bouncers* | Angie Walker |
| 36 | Florida Smash | Martina Frantova |
| 37 | Brooklyn Aces* | Layne Sleeth |
| 38 | Miami Pickleball Club | Eric Oncins |
| 39 | Chicago Slice | Brendon Long |
| 40 | Frisco Pandas | Alli Phillips |
Challenger Level 2024 drafted rosters, broken down by team (* denotes pick slot was acquired in a trade):
| Team | Player #1 | Player #2 | Player #3 | Player #4 |
| ATL | Jaume Martinez Vich (4) | Genie Erokhina (17) | Todd Fought (26*) | Angie Walker (35*) |
| BAY | Vivian Glozman (3*) | Collin Shick (18) | Rachel Rettger (29) | Patrick Kawka (32) |
| BRK | Lina Padegimaite (6) | Daniel De La Rosa (15) | Martin Emmrich (24*) | Layne Sleeth (37*) |
| CAL | Rafa Hewett (10) | DJ Young (11) | Amanda Hendry (30) | Emily Ackerman (31) |
| CHI | Jack Munro (2) | Allison Harris (19) | Kelsey Grambeau (22) | Brendon Long (39) |
| FL | Travis Rettenmaier (5) | Tammy Emmrich (16) | Pat Smith (25) | Martina Frantova (36) |
| FRI | Ewa Radzikowska (1) | John Cincola (20) | Stefan Auvergne (21) | Alli Phillips (40) |
| LV | Chao Yi Wang (8) | Judit Castillo Gargallo (13) | Mo Alhouni (28) | Anderson Scarpa (33) |
| MIA | Milan Rane (9*) | Rianna Valdes (12*) | Roscoe Bellamy (23) | Eric Oncins (38) |
| SoCal | Irina Tereschenko (7) | Erik Lange (14) | Christine Maddox (27) | Max Manthou (34) |
MLP’s 2024 season schedule will begin with MLP Atlanta, May 9-12.
Click here to read about the MLP Premier Level Draft, which took place on Tuesday, April 3.
