Meghan Dizon: Powerful Journey from Elite Tennis to Professional Pickleball
How a Determined College Tennis Player Built a New Career on the Professional Pickleball Court
Meghan Dizon is an American professional pickleball player whose sporting journey demonstrates how determination, adaptability, and a strong athletic foundation can create a successful second chapter in competitive sports. Before becoming recognized on the professional pickleball circuit, she built an impressive tennis résumé in California and competed at the NCAA Division I level for Brigham Young University (BYU).
Her transition from tennis to pickleball is one of the most interesting parts of her story. After discovering pickleball in 2019, she quickly recognized that many of her tennis skills could transfer to the new sport. She turned professional in 2021 and became a PPA touring professional in 2022, eventually competing in women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Her journey reflects both the opportunities and challenges involved in building a career in professional pickleball.
Quick Bio
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Meghan Dizon |
| Former Sporting Name | Meghan Sheehan-Dizon |
| Profession | Professional Pickleball Player |
| Nationality | American |
| Hometown | Murrieta, California |
| Current Area | Salt Lake City area, Utah |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in according to current PPA records |
| Handedness | Right-handed |
| College | Brigham Young University |
| College Sport | NCAA Division I Tennis |
| College Major | Broadcast Journalism |
| Pickleball Career Began | 2019 |
| Turned Professional | 2021 |
| PPA Touring Professional | 2022 |
| Main Sports | Pickleball and Tennis |
| PPA Titles | 1 listed in current PPA records |
Early Life and Tennis Background
Meghan Dizon grew up in Murrieta, California, where tennis became an important part of her athletic development. Her junior career showed that she possessed significant competitive ability long before she entered professional pickleball. She established herself as one of the stronger young tennis players in Southern California and earned recognition for her results.
Her high-school record was particularly impressive. During the 2011 season, she went 53–0 in league competition and won Southwest League singles championships in both 2010 and 2011. She also helped Murrieta Valley High School reach the CIF semifinals for the first time in school history. Her junior résumé included national and Southern California rankings, as well as success in doubles competition.
Junior Tennis Achievements
Her junior tennis record provided an important foundation for everything that followed. She was ranked No. 117 nationally and No. 25 in Southern California during her junior career. She also received multiple local honors and became a 2011 Ojai doubles champion.
These achievements demonstrated her ability to compete under pressure and adapt her game against strong opponents. Those same qualities later became valuable when she moved from the larger tennis court to the faster, more strategic environment of professional pickleball.
College Career at BYU
After high school, Dizon continued her athletic career at Brigham Young University. She competed for the BYU women’s tennis program at the NCAA Division I level, giving her experience against high-level collegiate competition.
She studied broadcast journalism while balancing academics with the demanding schedule of a college athlete. Her BYU career statistics show 50 singles wins and 64 singles losses, along with 63 doubles wins and 43 doubles losses. The experience helped develop her competitive discipline and gave her a deeper understanding of doubles strategy.
Four Seasons of Collegiate Tennis
Her BYU career stretched across four seasons from 2011–12 through 2014–15. During that period, she competed in both singles and doubles and gained valuable experience against collegiate opponents from across the country.
Although her college tennis career eventually came to an end, it did not mark the end of her competitive sporting journey. Instead, her tennis background would later become one of her biggest advantages when she discovered pickleball.
Discovering Pickleball
One of the most important turning points in Meghan Dizon’s career came in 2019, when she began playing pickleball. At that point, pickleball was growing rapidly in the United States, attracting many former tennis players because of similarities in movement, shot selection, hand-eye coordination, and court strategy.
Dizon’s tennis background allowed her to adapt quickly. Skills such as driving the ball, controlling pace, moving efficiently, and understanding doubles positioning provided a strong starting point. Rather than treating pickleball as simply another recreational activity, she eventually recognized its potential as a serious competitive career.
From New Player to Professional
Her progress after discovering pickleball was relatively rapid. She turned professional in 2021 and joined the PPA touring circuit as a professional in 2022.
This transition required more than simply transferring tennis skills. Pickleball has its own techniques, tactics, court positioning, and rhythm. Dizon developed her game around powerful drives, accurate drops, communication, and strategic teamwork.
Professional Pickleball Career
Meghan Dizon has competed across the major professional pickleball disciplines, including women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Her versatility has allowed her to contribute in different formats rather than concentrating on only one event.
According to current PPA records, she has one PPA title, four finals appearances, and 25 semifinal appearances. Her PPA statistics also list 19 women’s-doubles semifinal appearances and six mixed-doubles semifinal appearances. These numbers highlight her consistency and ability to compete deep into professional tournaments.
Playing Style
Her tennis background remains visible in her pickleball style. She is known for combining power with controlled shot-making, including strong drives and accurate drops.
At the professional level, however, technical ability is only part of the equation. Pickleball requires patience, positioning, communication, and an understanding of when to attack or reset a point. Dizon’s doubles experience has made teamwork an important part of her competitive identity.
Major League Pickleball Career
Alongside her PPA career, Dizon has participated in Major League Pickleball (MLP), a team-based professional competition that places additional emphasis on communication and team performance.
In 2025, she was retained by the Phoenix Flames. In the 2026 MLP draft, the SoCal Hard Eights selected her with the No. 11 pick. Her selection reflected her value as an experienced professional capable of contributing in multiple formats.
2026 Season
During the 2026 season, Dizon competed for the SoCal Hard Eights alongside other professional players. The team finished the regular season in 10th place with 34 standings points and qualified for the playoffs.
The team eventually lost its opening playoff round to Brooklyn. While that result ended the team’s postseason run, reaching the playoffs represented another significant stage in Dizon’s professional career.
Career Timeline
2010–2011: High-School Tennis Success
She won Southwest League singles championships and established herself as a leading junior player in Southern California.
2011: Junior Recognition
She finished her high-school tennis career with a 53–0 league record and helped Murrieta Valley reach the CIF semifinals.
2011–2015: BYU Tennis
She competed in NCAA Division I tennis for Brigham Young University while studying broadcast journalism.
2019: Pickleball Discovery
She began playing pickleball and discovered that her competitive tennis background could translate effectively to the growing sport.
2021: Professional Pickleball
She turned professional and began building her career on the competitive pickleball circuit.
2022: PPA Touring Professional
She became a PPA touring professional and began competing at the highest levels of professional pickleball.
2025: MLP
She was retained by the Phoenix Flames for Major League Pickleball.
2026: SoCal Hard Eights
She was selected No. 11 by the SoCal Hard Eights in the MLP draft and competed during the team’s playoff season.
Education, Hobbies, and Interests
Her educational background is distinctive because she studied broadcast journalism at BYU while competing as a Division I athlete. The combination of communication skills and competitive sports experience has complemented her later work in pickleball media and instruction.
Outside competition, publicly documented interests include yoga, reading, baking, and board games. Her professional profiles have also highlighted an interest in fitness, wellness, and plant-based recipes. These interests provide another perspective on her life away from tournament competition.
Coaching and Pickleball Instruction
Dizon’s professional career has expanded beyond tournament competition. She has also participated in pickleball instructional content, helping recreational and developing players understand techniques and strategies.
Her instructional material has covered areas such as third-shot drops, topspin serves, lobs, dinking, court positioning, and partner strategy. Her ability to explain the game is particularly useful because she has experienced the transition from tennis to pickleball herself.
Strengths and Challenges
One of Dizon’s greatest strengths is her transferable tennis background. Years of competitive tennis gave her strong movement skills, hand-eye coordination, shot preparation, and competitive awareness. Those abilities gave her an advantage when learning pickleball.
At the same time, professional pickleball presents its own challenges. The sport requires players to understand soft-game exchanges, quick reactions at the kitchen line, partner communication, and tactical patience. Moving successfully from tennis therefore required adaptation rather than simply repeating her previous style.
Personal Life and Public Image
Dizon keeps much of her private life away from the public spotlight. Reliable professional sources focus primarily on her sporting career, education, interests, and coaching work rather than providing extensive information about her relationships or family life.
Her public image is strongly associated with professionalism, teamwork, positivity, and sportsmanship. Her own professional biography emphasizes communication and helping partners succeed, qualities that are especially important in doubles and team-based pickleball.
Family Background
Publicly available athletic records confirm that she has two brothers and one sister. Her brother Corey also played collegiate tennis.
Beyond those limited publicly documented details, extensive information about her parents, grandparents, extended relatives, or private family circumstances has not been sufficiently established through reliable sources. For that reason, those details are not included.
Professional Achievements
Her career contains several milestones that demonstrate her development as an athlete. Her junior tennis achievements established her as a talented young competitor, while her BYU career gave her four seasons of Division I experience.
In pickleball, she has progressed to professional competition, recorded a PPA title, reached multiple PPA semifinals and finals, and earned opportunities in Major League Pickleball. Her continued presence in professional competition demonstrates the long-term value of her adaptability.
Why Meghan Dizon’s Story Matters
The story of Meghan Dizon is particularly relevant to the modern growth of pickleball. As the sport has attracted former tennis players, athletes with established racket-sport backgrounds have increasingly found opportunities to build new professional careers.
Her journey also shows that changing sports does not necessarily mean starting from zero. Athletic fundamentals, competitive experience, discipline, and tactical awareness can provide a foundation, while new technical skills can be developed through practice and competition.
Conclusion
Meghan Dizon has built a distinctive sporting career by turning a strong tennis background into a successful professional pickleball journey. From an undefeated high-school league record and NCAA Division I tennis at BYU to professional pickleball competition, her career has been shaped by persistence, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace a new challenge.
Her rise in professional pickleball also demonstrates the changing landscape of racket sports. After discovering the sport in 2019, she progressed to professional competition, the PPA Tour, and Major League Pickleball. With her experience, versatility, coaching work, and continued involvement in professional competition, she remains an interesting figure in the growing world of elite pickleball.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Meghan Dizon?
She is an American professional pickleball player and former NCAA Division I tennis player.
Where is Meghan Dizon from?
She is from Murrieta, California.
Where did Meghan Dizon go to college?
She attended Brigham Young University and competed in Division I women’s tennis.
What did Meghan Dizon study?
She studied broadcast journalism at BYU.
Does Meghan Dizon have siblings?
She has two brothers and one sister, according to her BYU athletic biography.
What are Meghan Dizon’s hobbies?
She has publicly listed yoga, reading, baking, and board games among her interests.
When did Meghan Dizon start playing pickleball?
She began playing pickleball in 2019.
When did Meghan Dizon become a professional?
She turned professional in 2021 and became a PPA touring professional in 2022.
