Pro athletes love tattoos.

From exquisite full sleeves to remarkable minimalist designs, the players are decorated in permanent ink.

We spoke with three male pros who shared their favorite tattoos and the stories behind the art.  

Tyson McGuffin

Now if there’s one pickleball pro people associate with tattoos, it’s Tyson McGuffin.

How many tattoos does "The Most Electrifying Man In Sports" actually have?

“I have no idea, but I have two sleeves. My chest is done and my back is halfway done. I’m actually getting the rest of my back and my legs done soon, so I’ll be fully covered in tattoos,” said McGuffin. “I feel like I’m a big fan of art, and all my tattoos have meanings. I have a tattoo for my wife, my dad’s side of the family, my mom’s side of the family, and I have a tattoo for all my kids. I call it collecting art physically.” 

Any regrets in the tattoo department along the way?

“The first tattoo I got on my back when I was like 16, and my brothers have it as well. It’s a T and M, so it’s probably the silliest tattoo that I have, but it’s not that bad. When I get my back done, though, I’ll actually be covering it up,” he added. 

So what are his plans for the back tattoo? 

“I’m doing this whole portrait piece on my back that has inspirational people I’ve kind of followed throughout my whole career,” he explained.

Michael Loyd

And what about Loyd? How many does he have?

“I have 26 tattoos right now,” he replied. “My first tattoo was on my 18th birthday. I got a polar bear cub, which is for both of my parents. My dad is obsessed with Coca-Cola and a polar bear is their mascot. My mom is a kindergarten teacher and she loves bears, so her classroom is always the one with the bear. I put the two together and got a polar bear tattoo over my hear. That was my first tattoo.” 

Loyd has quite a few favorites in the bunch. 

“I have a juice box on my thigh, and it’s actually a religious one. It’s the fruit of the spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. All of the ingredients in the juice box are the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. The tattoo is a play on words and I think it’s pretty funny,” he explained. “It starts a lot of conversations. People will see it and compliment it, not even knowing that it’s religious, and it always sparks an interesting conversation.” 

Caden Nemoff

How many tattoos does Nemoff have?

“I’ve lost count at this point. I did the full sleeve on my right arm and my left leg is now just getting started. But, I’d guess somewhere in the twenties or thirties, but don’t tell my mom because she’s not proud of it,“ he shared. “I have an Asian mother, so she’s not stoked about all my tattoos.“

Any favorites?

“I have a few. I love my mom’s signature. And then I also have my grandpa’s car that my dad drove, a baby blue Cadillac Seville. Growing up, I got to ride in that, and I was hoping one day it'll be mine when I get older. It was so cool,” said Nemoff.

Which pro pickleball player has the coolest tattoos? Let us know on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).