Chad Flynn

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CHAD FLYNN
Senior Professional Pickleball Player | PPA Tour & National Pickleball League
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Current Residence: Eden Prairie, Minnesota (Note: Peak’s site currently lists Edina, MN — please confirm)
Age: 56
Plays: Right-handed
Division: Senior Pro — Singles & Doubles (50+)
Career-High Ranking: #3 in the world, senior pro singles
League Team: Indy Drivers (National Pickleball League)
Background: Longtime USTA tennis player and distance runner

Chad Flynn is a senior professional pickleball player who has rapidly become one of the top 50-and-over competitors in the country. A Minneapolis native now based in the Twin Cities, Flynn climbed as high as #3 in the world in senior pro singles—a remarkable ascent for an athlete who only discovered the sport in his early 50s.

A longtime USTA tennis player and dedicated distance runner, Flynn turned to pickleball during the COVID-19 pandemic when indoor courts and gyms closed. He headed to his local outdoor courts, where a welcoming community of players in their 60s and 70s taught him the fundamentals while younger players helped sharpen his game. He started with singles, finished fourth in his very first tournament, and never looked back.

The results came quickly. In his first year as a pro, Flynn medaled seven times at professional tournaments and qualified for the U.S. Open outright—earning his spot rather than relying on the lottery system most players use. When the National Pickleball League (NPL), a doubles league for players 50 and older, launched in late 2022, he was selected by the Indy Drivers in the inaugural draft and helped the team capture the 2023 NPL championship.

Flynn calls pickleball his “family sport.” His wife, Emmy Award-winning television anchor Mary Lahammer, and daughter Bayliss—a standout soccer player headed to college on scholarship—are his biggest supporters. After admiring their drive for years, Flynn found his own competitive passion late in life: “Where in previous things I was good, through pickleball I got to be great and discovered my passion.”

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Career-high #3 world ranking in senior pro singles
  • 2023 National Pickleball League champion with the Indy Drivers
  • Gold – Senior Pro Doubles (with Gonzalo Petschen), 2024 PPA Veolia Milwaukee Open
  • Medaled seven times at professional tournaments in his first year as a pro
  • Qualified outright for the U.S. Open (not via the lottery system)
  • Drafted into the inaugural National Pickleball League senior draft