The most requested pickleball game in Los Angeles

On a recent Saturday afternoon, some 400 tanned and toned Hollywood stars descended on Jamie Foxx’s Los Angeles estate for a pickleball party. The gathering featured influencer-led cardio classes, swimming, a taco truck, a full bar and a DJ. As pickleball has gone from fad to established pastime in recent years, various games in Los Angeles are vying for the top spot to play and be seen. And Foxx’s game offers both great play and the Hollywood sport of networking.

“If you get good at pickleball, you never know who you might meet,” says Taylor Chien, a producer who partnered with Foxx to create the equipment company The Best Paddle. “I tell kids it’s the best way to make connections. Doors open quickly on pickleball courts.”

Two years ago, Chien and Foxx launched a brand that designs and manufactures pickleball paddles. (Their high-end carbon fiber paddles retail for $120, at thebestpaddle.com.)

Foxx’s estate is arguably one of the best paddle tennis complexes ever built, with three courts on the property. And being on the Oscar-winning actor’s pickleball game list is no easy feat.

“People send us private messages to participate in events,” Chien says of the larger tournaments they host. “At first, there were 50 people and now there are 400.”

Matt Manasse is one of those guests who always makes the cut. When he recently stepped on the court, he got the star treatment. The 36-year-old professional pickleball player is often described as the Ryan Seacrest of the sport. The former Purdue tennis player turned pickleball guru wears many hats, from brand ambassador to tournament organizer. He’s also known as a pickleball coach to the stars. His clients include Foxx, Matthew McConaughey and Emma Watson.

“You never know when Jamie Foxx’s pickleball party is going to happen, but when you get a text or a message, you know you’re in for a special treat,” Manasse says of the exclusive event. “It’s a low-key party that starts at 3 p.m. and before you know it, you’re dancing and it’s 11 p.m..”

The sport, whose Hollywood fans include Selena Gomez, Leonardo DiCaprio and the Clooneys, as well as Ari Emanuel and Brian Grazer, was played by nearly 50 million Americans last year, according to the Association of Pickleball Players.

Pickleball is also a part of popular culture. When McConaughey and his wife, Camila, launched Pantalones Organic Tequila earlier this year, the couple declared it the “official tequila of pickleball.” They’ve shown their true love for the sport in ads where they play pickleball, sans pants. The sport was also referenced by Larry David in the final season of Limit your enthusiasmwhich aired last spring. And David’s wife, filmmaker Ashley Underwood, made a documentary about…