Imani Phillips capped a stellar performance at the maiden National Pickleball Championships by clinching two golds and a silver on the final day at the WER Joell Tennis Stadium yesterday.

Phillips began her day with a commanding 2-0 victory over Melisa Judd in the women’s singles final. She then teamed up with Sue Chiappa to secure silver in the women’s doubles before partnering with Matt Dragonetti to edge husband-and-wife duo Tom and Patricia Mills 2-1 in the 4.0 mixed doubles final.

“I’m so happy to be the No 1 pickleball player on the island, and this is the start of many more to come,” Phillips said.

“The singles final was great for me because it was an adjustment from the doubles. I played the mixed doubles semi-finals first, then moved to singles, so I had to adjust. I was executing the shots I wanted, and it was a really good final — I’m proud of my efforts.

“I would say the mixed doubles final was the hardest because there were a lot of fast balls coming our way. Tom and Patricia are a great team, super strong, but it was nice to get the upper hand.”

Phillips will return to the United States tomorrow to continue pursuing her professional career.

“I’m heading to Fort Myers, Florida, to train before my last tournament of the year in Daytona Beach from December 18 to 22,” she said.

“The tournament is part of the Pro Pickleball Association Tour. Turning professional is my next step, and I’m looking forward to it. My career in pickleball has progressed so quickly that I don’t want to limit how far I can go.”

Gavin Manders also enjoyed success, collecting two gold medals. His first came in the men’s singles final, where he defeated his student Tariq Simons.

Manders then partnered with Michael Way to win the men’s doubles 4.0, beating Tom Mills and Ryan Matcham.

Manders and Judd narrowly missed a place in the mixed doubles final after losing to the Mills duo in the semi-finals.

“I don’t take these moments lightly because I don’t know how long I’ll be out here,” Manders said. “Playing against someone I’ve helped to develop, who’s part of my family, is always special.

“Getting the win over Tariq was particularly meaningful because he beat me towards the end of my tennis career, so this was a special moment. Of the matches I won, the final against Tariq was the toughest.”

In other divisions, Natalie Chaves and Ruth Stovell overpowered Stacia Ming and Natasha Trott to claim the women’s doubles 3.0 title, while Joe Logan and Leslie Jackson took the mixed doubles crown in the same division.

Judd and Patricia Mills secured victory in the women’s doubles 3.5, with Gary Perry and Vince Chaves winning the men’s doubles.

The juniors also had their chance to shine, with prizes awarded across several age groups.

Gionni Araujo claimed double honours by winning the under-10 boys’ singles and pairing with Gavin Manders Jr to win the doubles.

Ella Metschnabel triumphed in the under-14 girls’ singles, while Isabella Neururer and Arabella Davies captured the doubles title. Hasan Khan won the boys’ under-14 singles, with Owen Stewart and George Peniston taking the doubles.

Dragonetti, the former president of the Pickleball Association of Bermuda, reflected on the sport’s growth and his role in its development.

“It feels great to see the progression of pickleball on the island,” he said. “Winning a tournament is one thing, but seeing so many people playing is even more gratifying.

“This was our vision from the start in 2022. The positive momentum on the island is fantastic. I stepped down as president in October to focus on my full-time job, but I’m still very involved in the pickleball community.

“The time and effort this board puts in are monumental. I committed two years to getting the work started, and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved.”