David Youngs has headed into retirement from pickleball – ending his playing career at the English Nationals with a bronze medal in the mixed doubles senior open and gold in the men’s doubles senior open.
Pickleball England quoted David as saying: “I just think it is really lovely to have gone out with a win – it is enough for me. I have had an amazing time and I’m going to have a new hip and enjoy retirement.”
His impact on the sport is significant – so Pickleball 52 spoke to some of his friends and playing partners about what David has meant to them…and the sport more broadly.
Julie Mac – who partnered David to bronze in the mixed doubles last weekend as well as many other tournaments in the last six years – says: “I first met David on the opposite side of the net at the first English Open in 2019. It was the final of the mixed doubles 50+ 4.0+, I just couldn’t believe how anyone can laugh and lob so much in a final until I found out he had only been playing for three weeks.
“He made two finals that day. I knew then that he would make a great partner.
“Winning medals with him by my side and the laughs along the way have made the last six years so much fun, he is loved by everyone in this sport and will be definitely be missed.”
At that first 2019 English Open, his partner was Ryan Folkard. The two were paired up despite having never met before, winning gold in the men’s doubles 50+ 4.0+ – and have paired up ever since.
“We have been the best of friends ever since,” says Ryan. “David has carried me to many medals since 2019 and his loyalty to partnering me over the years is to be admired as David got better and I didn’t!
“My favourite memories of David will always be sharing a beer or two afterwards -and him helping me climb the fence into the car park at Telford in 2023 to get the keys out of the car…after a few beers.”
“I met David at my second pickleball tournament and his first tournament – the English Open in 2019,” says Thaddea Lock. “He was so talented and I encouraged him to start playing regularly and compete in more tournaments. It was the start of a great friendship full of banter! He was always one of the people I looked forward to seeing most at tournaments and someone who no matter what was going on would always bring a smile to my face.
“I was gutted, along with the rest of the pickleball community, when I heard he was retiring from playing tournaments. I have many hilarious memories of David – his ability to take out the backdrops or referees being the funniest!
“I feel incredibly lucky that we got to compete as team-mates representing England in the European team championships in 2024 and 2025. I know we will remain great friends despite his retirement and he’ll always be in my corner cheering me on.”
Richard Love – who won gold in the men’s doubles senior open with David last weekend, defending the title they won last year – also notes his tendency to an amusing attention-grabbing on-court accident. The two have known each other for the best part of a quarter of a century, with Richard coaching tennis and David coaching squash at the same club.
“One of the things that really amazed me about David – he wanted to play ten different sports at county level, and I think he may have done it! Bowls, football, cricket, squash, tennis, pickleball – he’s a phenomenal sportsman. One of the things that annoyed me about playing him at tennis is he never sweats. I remember playing him in the final of a big Norfolk tournament, he beat me 8-6 in the final set, it was about four hours and I came off dripping – he wasn’t even sweating.
“When I first started playing pickleball, I played at the leisure centre I was manager of, and the guy in charge said, ‘Oh, I think you’ll be quite good – go and see a man called David at the University of East Anglia, he runs some sessions’ – and it turned out to be David Youngs. From that moment, he always had a doubles partner, Ryan, so I never really got the chance to play doubles with him, but we would train together and he introduced me to so many amazing people in pickleball. He’s one of the nicest guys so when you hang around with him, everyone wants to come and talk to you.
“Last year, my regular doubles partner got injured, and so did his – unfortunately for them, but luckily it meant I got to play with David at the Nationals. We won it last year, had a lovely time playing, and then this year the same opportunity came up. So it’s two years in a row we’ve won the Nationals together.
“It was quite nervy knowing it was his last tournament and not wanting to let him down. He’s been such a stalwart of the sport that there was a bit of pressure there. David played probably the best I’ve seen him play, especially in the final – he was incredible.
“It’s a really fitting end to his competitive pickleball career. I’m really proud to have the chance to be a little part of it.”
