Pickleball Player Tyra Hurricane Black on Racism in Sports

There are moments that change our lives forever, and for professional pickleball star Tyra “Hurricane” Black, that turning point came on February 6, 2023. Black, a former tennis player, was in Turkey for a tournament when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake (and thousands of aftershocks) rocked the country.

“I was at a tournament in Turkey, and there was a bad earthquake there. Lots of people died and it was a sad and crazy situation,” Black says. “I just remember my family was freaking out and sending me texts and calling me. No one really knew what was happening with the whole situation.” As she continued to receive notifications about the rising death toll, it made her think about her future. “There was a fear that if something ever were to happen, did I really enjoy my life and enjoy what I was doing? That was not the case.”

So when Black returned to the states, she decided to pursue something that brought her joy. Black had started playing pickleball with a friend recreationally and realized that despite losing badly against him, she found herself having fun. She had not experienced this while playing tennis. “I played tennis my whole life and I never really enjoyed playing. Of course traveling was super cool, seeing all of these beautiful countries and everything, but actually being on tour was very difficult, and it felt very lonely being out there being on the road so much,” she says.

Part of the reason being on tour was so difficult was the treatment she received internationally as a Black woman. She was often the only one that looked like her. The poor treatment wasn’t just coming from the fans, but also her tour mates. “Some of the other girls that were Black too, it didn’t really seem like they wanted anyone else of color out there on tour. They would kind of discourage you, and just be kind of mean, which was difficult for me,” she says.

Once Black quit tennis, she began playing pickleball full time. She says it was the first time in her life she genuinely loved what she was doing. She would play anywhere from six to 12 hours a day, but had no issues with the rigorous schedule because she was having so much fun.

The evidence of her joy? The smile on her face when she’s playing pickleball. She says, “Some of my old coaches will write me when I post something on Instagram and I’ll be smiling on the pickleball court. They’ll be like, ‘We’ve asked you to smile on the tennis court. We’ve never seen you do it. There’s barely any pictures of you smiling on the tennis court.’ But every tournament, I have new pictures of me smiling on the pickleball court.”

Black didn’t just transition from tennis to pickleball, she dominated. Three months after going pro, she defeated the world’s No. 1, Anna Leigh Waters, and is one of the first Black women to reach the top 10 in professional pickleball. She is also one of the top 10 women in the 2024 Major League Pickleball draft. She has garnered so much attention that she is now the face of Advil Targeted Relief, promoting diversity in the sport.

The reception she’s received in the sport feels different for her as well. “There have been a lot of African American people that come up to me and they love to see the representation on the court,” she says. “Everyone comes out, and they’re super supportive. Even people not of color have been super supportive of me out there. When I played tennis, it was a completely different story. To come into pickleball and have this super welcoming environment around me has been super amazing.”

Black grew up watching Black women athletes like Venus and Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens. She saw they stayed calm and composed through all the negativity and hate they faced, and they’ve offered her the inspiration to push through. Now, she is that representation for other young Black women. “It means so much to me. It’s that feeling of knowing that you’re helping someone else have confidence in themselves and their game, and whatever it is they’re doing. It’s an amazing feeling.”

She shares that as the sport grows internationally, she is concerned about how she will be received in other countries. She worries she may experience the same things she did in tennis, but she feels prepared to handle whatever may come her way with grace.

Her advice to other Black athletes who may be one of the few in their sport? “Know that you belong there no matter what the color of your skin is or what people say to you. You belong there. If you put in the work, you can do whatever you want out there. No one should be able to intimidate or put you down.”

Brittany Hammond is a NASM-certified fitness instructor, a fitness writer, and an avid reader. In addition to PS, she has contributed to Livestrong.com, Well+Good, Verywell Fit, and Health.com. She has worked as a group fitness coach for the past seven years.