Hundreds of pickleball players attend this year’s Paddles at the Plex Tournament.

The Opelika SportsPlex began their annual pickleball tournament on Tuesday, September 7. Players aged 60 and up will play until Thursday while players younger than 60 will begin playing on Friday. The last day of the tournament will be Sunday, September 10.

The Opelika PickleBall Club Board President Jim Young and Vice President Donna Angarano run the tournament.

When Young and Angarano held the first tournament in 2020, 221 people registered to play. Now, in 2023, the Opelika SportsPlex has 789 registered players and, of those, 725 are actually playing.

Many of these players have travelled to the tournament from all over the South East, primarily from Georgia and East Alabama. The large number of visitors staying in local hotels and eating at local restaurants has positively impacted Opelika's economy.

Additionally, participants must pay a $75 registration fee, which includes two events and a lunch voucher.

The Opelika SportPlex and Aquatic Center is located at 1001 Sportsplex Parkway, Opelika, AL 368021. The pickleball facility features two pavilions and 24 state-of-the-art pickle ball courts.

While registration has now ended, spectators are welcome to come and watch the matches which begin at 9 a.m. each day.