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UCSD - University of California - San Diego

07/01/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/01/2026 06:58

From the Baseline to the Kitchen

Published Date

July 01, 2026

Article Content

The sport of pickleball has surged in popularity, rising to become the fastest-growing sport in the United States. A pair of former Triton tennis standouts have put down their tennis racquets to play pickleball professionally. Daniel Traxler graduated as the men's program's all-time leader in Division I singles wins. Over the course of her four years on the court, Naomi Nguyen was victorious in 40 women's doubles matches, more than anyone else in the program's Division I era. Both Traxler and Nguyen now play on the Carvana PPA Tour, pickleball's professional circuit. Nguyen was also drafted by the SoCal Hard Eights of Major League Pickleball. MLP has a highly-anticipated tournament in San Diego July 16-19 at Barnes Tennis Center.

Traxler and Nguyen recently joined the Tritoncast podcast to talk about the differences between the two sports, which skills translate from one court to the other, favorite memories as a Triton, and more. Here are some excerpts from that conversation:

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

When did you first start playing pickleball?

Daniel Traxler: I started about three and a half years ago, the summer before my senior year. I was just playing a lot of tennis during the year and I wanted to play (pickleball) a little bit. My dad was taking it really seriously. We played a few tournaments that summer; it was pretty fun.

Naomi Nguyen: I think summer before my senior year. My mom loves pickleball, and she got me out there to hit my first ball. The UC San Diego club pickleball team asked Kate [tennis doubles partner Katelyn Vu] and me to compete with them in a tournament. We got third out of 16 teams, and that was really fun.

What are the differences between tennis and pickleball in terms of mindset and training?

Naomi: With tennis, I played for 13 or 14 years and there was a lot of pressure to perform because that's all I did. But then once I got into pickleball, everyone's been playing for seven years and here I am just picking it up, but I'm killing it. It was awesome there's not a lot of pressure on me at all.

Daniel: I'm the exact opposite. I took tennis as just "go with the flow." This is kind of what I did my whole life, I wanted something different. Pickleball, I really cared about. I wanted to make it as a pro. I was absolutely honed in when I was training. It was very specific: I bought a ball machine, I'm watching game film, all things that I never did in tennis.

What have you taken from your time as a tennis player? What has transitioned over and what skills help you be more competitive with pickleball?

Naomi: Definitely footwork and athleticism. Ground strokes, power footwork I guess have helped me, but honestly, it's not very similar.

Daniel: I definitely agree with Naomi. A lot of people think they're similar, but when you start playing at a high level, the intricacies are just so different. In the beginning, it actually took me a long time to get my tennis mind off. I trained so hard to get all my tennis tendencies to go away. That took the most amount of time, and now it's gone full circle. There are a few aspects that totally changed, and now I'm going back into more of my tennis skills. It's just an ever evolving sport, and I love that. There are layers upon layers, for sure.

Related content

Get to Know the Pros

NAOMI NGUYEN
Global Health
Sixth College
Goodyear, Ariz.
@naominguyen.pb

DANIEL TRAXLER
Real Estate and Development
Marshall College
Oceanside, Calif.
@danieltrax01

Naomi Nguyen played for the Tritons from 2021-25. Daniel Traxler was a Triton from 2020-24.

How often are you training?

Naomi: I try to do four hours a day with maybe one rest day a week. I love to grind. Usually I'll do a drilling session that's for two hours and then a rec session playing games for two more hours.

Daniel: It's been up and down. Probably two years ago, I found myself overtraining a lot. I was playing upwards of six hours, I was always getting injured, being on the cusp of injury, my wrist was hurting, I was fatigued, my shoulder was always hurting, I wasn't improving as much. Now if I'm not playing, then I'm drilling on my ball machine. The intensity is much higher, but the quantity is much lower. Probably around two hours a day now.

With so many on the market, how do you find a good paddle?

Daniel: Confidence is everything. I've used three paddles in three and a half years. My dad gave me a paddle, said it's good, and I took it. I tell myself that all the time, and then I'll believe that, and I'll play like that. I'm not one that tries out different paddles, or demos or anything, because I think that hurts your confidence in yourself. This is what I choose, and that's it.

Naomi: I've tried all the paddles on the market actually. People say whoever gives you the most money, but I'm big on loving the product. You have to promote what you're using; the more you love the product, the easier it is to promote it. I've tried a lot. I think most important is how it fits your game. Find a paddle that will help your weaknesses: a soft paddle if you hit hard or a hard, poppier paddle if you hit too soft. I think paddles do make a big difference for sure.

Naomi, you were drafted by the SoCal Hard Eights in Major League Pickleball. How does that team aspect fit into your PPA tour?

Naomi: Luckily I was signed earlier this year with PPA. You can only be drafted if you're signed. It's been an awesome experience with the team. It reminds me of the college days. Having a team to cheer for, because when you're playing just regular mixed and gender, it's you and your partner. But with MLP there are five other teammates, so six total, plus a coach, a manager, and an owner. We're a little family, it's a great experience. I cannot wait to be back in San Diego in July. That's my second home; I love it!

To hear the full conversation with Naomi Nguyen and Daniel Traxler, check out the Tritoncast podcast on the Athletics website or search 'Tritoncast' wherever you listen to podcasts.

UCSD - University of California - San Diego published this content on July 01, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 01, 2026 at 12:58 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]