Professional Pickleball · PPA Tour
“Switching athletic careers after more than two decades? That’s a whole different level.”
Born in Croatia, Ivan Jakovljevic moved to the United States in 2018 to play professional soccer. After 23 years on the pitch, he was introduced to pickleball in 2021 while teaching tennis in Tyler, Texas.
Within months he was winning amateur tournaments. By 2022 he was competing professionally. By 2023 he went full-time. Now signed to the PPA Tour and the Carolina Hogs in Major League Pickleball, Ivan brings an athlete’s discipline and a lefty’s unpredictability to every match he plays.
He lives in Dallas with his wife Katie—whom he met through pickleball.
From a 23-year soccer career to the PPA Tour. Ivan talks emotional discipline, coaching, finding purpose through pickleball, and why connection in the community matters as much as competitive drive.
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