Godfather Athletes Deliver on the Biggest Stages in Pickleball
Last weekend belonged to the family.
While the rest of the tour was out there grinding for results, Godfather Pickleball athletes showed up on two separate stages — the PPA Fasenra Sacramento Open and the 2026 Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida — and left with gold medals, a bronze, and a semifinal run that confirmed what this agency has known all along: the roster is built different.
Here's how the weekend went.
Gabe Tardio: Undefeated in 2026, and It's Not Close
Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns did what they've been doing all year in Sacramento — they won. The Johns/Tardio partnership took men's doubles gold, defeating JW Johnson and CJ Klinger in the final. 11pickles Johns and Tardio were pushed, losing a game in the quarters, semis, and finals, but as usual were at their toughest when pushed. Pickleball
That's the signature of a team that doesn't panic. That's the signature of a champion.
Tardio hit a running around-the-post shot in the quarterfinals — on the dead run, ball already past the post, flicked back for a clean winner. 11pickles The ATP is one of the hardest shots in the sport. Tardio made it look like a warm-up drill.
There really is no competition for Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns in 2026. The Dink That's not a Godfather opinion. That's the consensus of every publication covering the PPA Tour right now.
Full Sacramento results: ppatour.com
Kate Fahey: Women's Singles Gold, Three Pickles, Zero Doubt
Kate Fahey won women's singles gold in Sacramento, defeating Kaitlyn Christian 11-3, 11-0 in the final. 11pickles Fahey entered as the top seed and delivered exactly what that billing demands — a dominant, wire-to-wire performance that left no room for argument.
Kate ran into a bit of trouble early, losing the only game of the event in her first match in the Round of 32, but then won 11-1, 11-3 in games two and three. She went on to pickle her opponents three times throughout the week, including in the finals. The Dink
Fahey's path was not easy. In the semifinal, she had to get through 17-year-old Kiora Kunimoto, who had already taken out Catherine Parenteau in the quarterfinal. 11pickles She handled it without flinching.
Kate Fahey has been the number two women's singles player for a while, and she confirmed her status on Sunday. Pickleball The conversation around the top of women's singles has one name at the summit and one name right behind it. That name is Kate Fahey.
Tina Pisnik: Bronze in Women's Doubles
Tina Pisnik and Cailyn Campbell earned a bronze medal in women's doubles in Sacramento. 11pickles It has to help playing with one of the true pros' pros in pickleball, Tina Pisnik. NML Pickleball That's not our description — that's how the rest of the tour talks about her.
Steady, professional, and always in the medal conversation. That's Tina Pisnik.
Pablo Tellez: Semifinal Run With Jack Sock
Pablo Tellez and Jack Sock made it to the men's doubles semifinals in Sacramento, where they fell to Andrei Daescu and Federico Staksrud 11-9, 11-5 in the bronze medal match. 11pickles Getting to that stage at a 1,000-point PPA event with a relatively new partnership is a result worth noting.
Pablo Tellez has been able to continue elevating his level in men's doubles and his ongoing improvement is showing up in his results with Sock. NML Pickleball They also took a game off JW Johnson and CJ Klinger after being down 10-6 in the second — a level of fight that hadn't been seen from that partnership before Pablo. NML Pickleball
The ceiling on this pairing is not yet known. That's a good thing.
Dusty Boyer: Gold at the US Open
While Sacramento was happening on the West Coast, Dusty Boyer was in Naples doing what he does — competing with everything he has and coming out on top. Dusty took gold at the 2026 Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships, the tenth anniversary edition of the biggest pickleball event on the planet.
Boyer came into professional pickleball as a former four-time Minnesota state tennis champion with a record of 170-13 over six years. He has since used that foundation to build something rare in this sport: a player who combines elite racquet skill with competitive instincts that don't waver under pressure. A US Open gold medal is the kind of result that announces you to the sport. Boyer announced himself.
What This Weekend Means
Four Godfather athletes. Two tournaments. Gold medals in Sacramento and Naples. A bronze. A semifinal.
This is not a coincidence. This is what happens when a sports agency is built by people who understand the game at the highest level — who represent athletes not because it's a transaction, but because the belief in what these players can do is genuine.
The roster keeps growing. The results keep coming.
To follow all Godfather athletes across the PPA Tour and beyond, visit agency.godfatherpickleball.com. To get your hands on the paddle the family trains with, head to godfatherpickleball.com and try The Boss or The SmokeShow for 35 days — risk free.
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