Federico Staksrud is one of the most complete players in professional pickleball, and for stretches of 2024 and 2025 he was the best men’s singles player on the planet. The Argentine combines a relentless baseline game with the patience and reset skills that make him dangerous in doubles and mixed too.
Here is a closer look at where Staksrud came from, how he climbed to the top of the PPA Tour, and the earnings he has built as one of the sport’s standout international stars.
Early Life and Background
Federico Staksrud is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to his official PPA Tour athlete profile, which lists him as 5’11” (180 cm). Like many of today’s top pro pickleballers, he came to the sport from tennis, where he built the court coverage and groundstroke power that now define his game.
His official PPA profile lists his age as 30. (You may see a 1991 birth year cited on some unofficial fan and aggregator sites, which would make him older; that birthdate is not confirmed by a primary source, so treat his exact age as approximate.)
Rise in Pickleball
Staksrud’s signature discipline is men’s singles, where he reached the very top of the sport. According to The Dink’s history of PPA No. 1 men’s singles players, he became “the first to dethrone the king,” ending Ben Johns’ long reign at No. 1 in April 2024. After a brief first stint, he reclaimed the top ranking on June 9, 2024, and held it for over a year, through August 31, 2025.
His 2024 season was extraordinary. The Dink notes he medaled in 21 of 24 events and collected nine gold medals that year, all while also reaching No. 1 in men’s doubles, a combination that earned him a reputation as the most complete player in the game.
He kept winning into 2025. In January 2025 he sat atop the PPA men’s singles leaderboard, and across the season he strung together multiple titles, including a run of golds that repeatedly returned him to the No. 1 ranking. He has also been a consistent factor in doubles and mixed, regularly reaching finals across all three disciplines at major events.
By 2026 the men’s singles field had only gotten deeper. Chris Haworth overtook the field to become PPA world No. 1 in men’s singles around late March 2026, leapfrogging both Hunter Johnson and Staksrud. Even so, Staksrud has remained one of the highest-ranked and most respected players on tour, entering events like the SXY Newport Beach Open (March 2026) as a top seed. Notably, he is one of only four men ever to hold the PPA men’s singles No. 1 ranking, alongside Ben Johns, Hunter Johnson, and Chris Haworth.
Multi-discipline threat
What sets Staksrud apart is range. Reaching No. 1 in singles is hard. Doing it while also climbing to No. 1 in doubles, as he did in January 2025 when he overtook Collin Johns for the top doubles spot, is rare air. That versatility keeps him in the mix for medals at nearly every event he enters.
Net Worth and Earnings
Federico Staksrud’s net worth has not been disclosed by any official or primary source, so any figure you see is an estimate. Several pickleball outlets and aggregator sites have estimated his net worth in the range of roughly $4 million, and have estimated his combined career prize money at $4 million or more. Treat both numbers as informal estimates rather than verified facts.
What we can say with more confidence is that his income reflects the modern pro pickleball model: PPA Tour prize money from a heavy tournament schedule, plus paddle and apparel sponsorships. For more on how the math works across the sport, see our breakdown of how much pro pickleball players actually earn.
Sponsorships and Brand Endorsements
Staksrud’s paddle sponsorship made headlines through 2025. He spent roughly two and a half years with JOOLA before leaving in January 2025 to sign a partnership with adidas Pickleball, which planned to launch a signature paddle for him. That deal proved short-lived. After a brief run, the two sides announced a mutual parting of ways in 2025, and on July 1, 2025, Staksrud and JOOLA announced a rekindled partnership, putting him back with the brand he had won so much with.
If you see references to other endorsements on fan sites, note that not all of them are confirmed by primary sources, so it is best to rely on the documented JOOLA and adidas timeline above.
Personal Life
Staksrud keeps his personal life largely private, and we could not verify specific details about his family or relationship status from a primary source. Rather than repeat unconfirmed claims from aggregator sites, we’ll leave this section brief: what is well documented is his identity as a proud Argentine competitor who helped raise pickleball’s international profile.
What’s Next for Federico Staksrud
With the men’s singles field tighter than ever heading deeper into 2026, Staksrud’s challenge is the same one that faces every former No. 1: stay sharp against a rising generation of contenders like Chris Haworth and Hunter Johnson. Given his track record across singles, doubles, and mixed, he remains a genuine threat to medal at any stop on the tour, and a clear favorite to climb back toward the top of the rankings.
For Pickleland players in Austin, watching a complete, tennis-bred competitor like Staksrud is a great study in patience, shot selection, and the resets that win long rallies, skills worth bringing to your own game.
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FAQs
What nationality is Federico Staksrud?
He is Argentine. His official PPA Tour profile lists his hometown as Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Was Federico Staksrud ever ranked No. 1 in the world?
Yes. He reached PPA No. 1 in men’s singles in 2024 and held the top spot for over a year (June 2024 to August 2025), and he also reached No. 1 in men’s doubles. He is one of only four men to ever hold the PPA men’s singles No. 1 ranking.
What paddle does Federico Staksrud use?
He is sponsored by JOOLA. He briefly partnered with adidas Pickleball in 2025 before he and JOOLA announced a renewed partnership on July 1, 2025.