Staksrud bids goodbye to JOOLA with heartfelt Instagram post
Federico Staksrud's final match as a JOOLA representative was picture perfect.
The top-ranked men's singles player on the planet delivered a singles masterclass against Jaume Martinez Vich on Championship Sunday at the Zimmer Biomet Masters powered by Invited that left the fans - and his opponent - in absolute awe of his skill set.
"Congratulations to Fed for another great run and giving me another lesson," joked Martinez Vich, after falling 11-7, 11-2 to the Argentine superstar on Humana Championship Court. "I'll pay you later."
The victory was bittersweet for Staksrud, of course, as he officially parted ways with his longtime paddle sponsor once the final point was collected.
His relationship with the company clearly meant the world to him.
"JOOLA has been unbelievable to me. If it wasn't for JOOLA, I never would have been able to pursue this career," said Staksrud. "They gave me a dream and I'm just trying to embrace it. I'm really sad now. It's kind of tough times, but I'm just going to move on and hopefully this is good for my career and hopefully good for the game, too."
On Monday, Staksrud took to Instagram to sincerely thank JOOLA again for their unwavering support in helping him reach his professional pickleball goals.
JOOLA expressed their gratitude to Staksrud in return via Instagram as well.
The mutual respect here is simply off the charts - and with good reason.
"We’re proud of you. We thank you. We’ll be cheering for you," affirmed JOOLA.
Stay tuned for Staksrud to announce his new paddle sponsor in the near future.
The PPA Tour resumes later this month with the inaugural Australia Pickleball Open from Jan. 28 - Feb. 2 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne.
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