Apollo Sports Capital and Tom Dundon make landmark $225 million investment in pickleball

Ben Johns comes over to the right side to hit a dink shot against Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquine in the 2026 PPA Carvana Mesa Cup finals match of the Pro Mixed Doubles Division at Arizona Athletic Grounds on February 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. Bruce Yeung | Pickleball Inc., the new parent company of Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour, said Friday it has raised a record $225 million in new investment, as the paddle sport continues its rapid growth trajectory. The latest investment comes from Apollo Global Management's newly created sports fund, Apollo Sports Capital , and Dundon Capital Partners , owned by billionaire Tom Dundon. Dundon is an owner of the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team and the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team and was an early investor in pickleball. The fresh funds bring the total investment in Pickleball Inc. to $315 million, as investors continue to look at emerging sports as a place to park their money . The raise values Pickleball Inc. at $750 million, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked to remain unnamed because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the company's valuation. The deal also includes rolling up several pickleball assets under the Pickleball Inc. umbrella, creating what the company called the largest pickleball ecosystem to date. Pickleball Inc. …