Lucy Kovalova is one of the most accomplished and consistent doubles specialists in professional pickleball. A native of Slovakia who starred in NCAA tennis before switching sports, Kovalova has spent the better part of a decade at (or near) the top of the women’s doubles and mixed doubles leaderboards, collecting major titles and co-designing one of the sport’s best-known paddles along the way.
At a Glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Lucy (Lucia) Kovalova |
| Nationality | Slovakia |
| Residence | Wichita, Kansas, USA |
| Height | 5’11” (180 cm) |
| Hand | Right-handed |
| Turned pro (pickleball) | 2016 |
| Primary events | Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles |
| Current PPA ranking (2025) | #16 Women’s Doubles, #26 Mixed |
| Known partner | Matt Wright (long-time mixed partner & off-court partner) |
| Sponsor/Signature gear | ONIX — Evoke Premier line (co-developed with Matt Wright) |
| College | Wichita State University (tennis, 2011–15) |
| Age (2025) | 33 |
Who is Lucy Kovalova?
Born and raised in Slovakia, Kovalova came to the United States to play Division I tennis for Wichita State. After a decorated college career, she took up pickleball, turned pro in 2016, and rapidly established herself as a doubles force thanks to a compact, pressure-proof game and a notably heavy, two-handed backhand that punishes floaters. Today she lives in Wichita, where she also teaches racket sports when she’s not on tour.
Lucy Kovalova age (2025)
Lucy Kovalova’s age is 33. The PPA Tour’s official profile lists her age at 33 in 2025, consistent with her long tenure on the pro circuit since 2016.
If you’re searching lucy kovalova age or lucy kovalova pickleball age, the authoritative answer is 33 in 2025, with nine seasons of professional pickleball experience since turning pro in 2016.
Career Highlights & Major Results
Kovalova broke out on the national stage with a run of marquee titles from 2017–2019, followed by sustained podium form on the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour:
- 2017 — US OPEN Mixed Doubles Pro Gold with Matt Wright; Tournament of Champions Mixed Doubles Gold.
- 2018 — USA Pickleball National Championships Triple Crown (singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles), one of the sport’s rarest feats.
- 2019 — Multiple US OPEN finals appearances; Women’s Doubles Gold with Irina Tereschenko; continued elite mixed results with Wright.
- 2021–2022 — Continued championship match appearances on the PPA Tour; a PPA feature noted Wright had won 23 medals with Kovalova by mid-2022 alone.
- 2023–2025 — Active on the PPA schedule with evolving partnerships in women’s doubles (including Lea Jansen) and ongoing mixed doubles entries with Wright; current 2025 PPA rankings: #16 (Women’s Doubles) and #26 (Mixed).
Independent stat databases place her career win rate around the high-50s in pro events, with a ~55% clip in 2025 to date.
Playing Style: Why She Wins
- Two-handed backhand as a weapon — Kovalova’s backhand is a hallmark, compact on counters and heavy through contact on speed-ups.
- Composure under fire — Years of doubles finals mean she’s comfortable extending hand battles and resetting into neutral, an underrated reason her teams convert tight games.
- Strategic court positioning — With Wright, she often controls middle exchanges and takes time away on fifth-ball speed-ups; with women’s partners (e.g., Jansen), she leans into steady patterns and surgical dinking to earn sitters.
Lucy Kovalova and Matt Wright
Lucy Kovalova and Matt Wright has become a fixed phrase in pickleball for a reason: the duo are long-time partners on the court and partners off the court, and they’ve banked a large stack of medals together across US OPEN, Nationals, TOC, and PPA events. Notable points:
- US OPEN Mixed Gold (2017). Their breakthrough on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
- Sustained PPA success. By 2022, Wright had won 23 medals with Kovalova; they continue to enter mixed draws together in 2025.
- Co-designers of ONIX’s Evoke Premier paddle line. Their gear collaboration has been influential—one of the first widely adopted pro-developed paddles in pickleball.
Is Matt Wright Lucy Kovalova’s husband?
Public, authoritative profiles do not confirm a marriage, but consistently describe Wright as Kovalova’s long-time partner on and off the court. The PPA Tour uses exactly that phrasing, and features from 2024 highlight them as a couple. If you see lucy kovalova husband claims online, treat them cautiously unless supported by primary sources.
2024–2025 Form and Rankings
- PPA Rankings (2025): #16 in Women’s Doubles, #26 in Mixed; right-handed, 5’11”, based in Wichita.
- Partners: In addition to Wright in mixed, Kovalova has teamed frequently with Lea Jansen in women’s doubles at recent PPA stops.
- Results snapshot: An independent tracker shows Kovalova hovering around 55% wins in 2025 across doubles disciplines, with career wins near 59%—a sign of stable, top-tier performance in a field that keeps deepening.
Sponsorships & Gear
Kovalova is part of Team ONIX and famously co-developed the Evoke Premier line with Matt Wright—a series that helped popularize pro-influenced specs among competitive amateurs. The product pages and retailer listings credit both players as co-designers, and newer Evoke Premier Raw Carbon models continue the line’s evolution.
What she’s known to play: Variants of the ONIX Evoke Premier / Evoke Premier Raw line, depending on event and personal testing cycles.
Earnings, Prize Money & Lucy Kovalova net worth
There is no verified public disclosure of Lucy Kovalova net worth. Most net worth figures circulating online are unsourced estimates. What we can say with confidence:
- Pro pickleball prize money has grown significantly on the PPA Tour/UPA platform, with a 2025 model that emphasizes prize pool distribution for contracted pros and standard draws.
- Like most top pros, Kovalova’s earnings likely blend tournament prize money, sponsorships/equipment deals (ONIX), exhibitions, clinics, and coaching.
If you need a number, beware: no primary source publishes Kovalova’s personal net worth as of 2025.
College & Tennis Background
Before pickleball, Kovalova played NCAA Division I tennis at Wichita State University (2011–2015), earning multiple Missouri Valley Conference honors and contributing to four straight NCAA appearances.
FAQs
Who is Lucy Kovalova?
Lucy Kovalova is a professional pickleball player originally from Slovakia. She is known for her exceptional skills and numerous championship titles.
What is Lucy Kovalova’s age?
Lucy was born on May 10, 1993, making her 31 years old as of 2024.
Where did Lucy Kovalova go to college?
Lucy attended Wichita State University, where she played collegiate tennis before transitioning to pickleball.
What are Lucy Kovalova’s major achievements?
Lucy has won multiple US Open Pickleball Championships and USA Pickleball National Championships in both doubles and mixed doubles.
Is Lucy Kovalova active on social media?
Yes, Lucy is active on Instagram and Facebook, where she shares updates about her life and pickleball journey.
Lucy Kovalova pickleball age (how long has she been pro)?
She turned pro in 2016, giving her nine seasons of pro pickleball as of 2025.
Lucy Kovalova husband — Is she married?
Authoritative bios describe Matt Wright as her long-time partner on and off the court; no primary source confirms a marriage.
Lucy Kovalova and Matt Wright — why are they a big deal?
They’re one of pickleball’s most enduring mixed teams, combining complementary styles, a deep finals résumé, and even a co-developed signature paddle line (ONIX Evoke Premier).
Why Lucy Kovalova Still Matters in 2025
As the pro game gets deeper and faster, Kovalova remains relevant and dangerous:
- Experience vs. volatility — With hundreds of pro matches and a high-50s career win rate, she wins tight days that decide podiums.
- Adaptable partnerships — She’s succeeded with a long-term mixed partner (Wright) and multiple women’s partners (including Lea Jansen) without losing her core identity.
- Lasting brand impact — The Evoke Premier line helped normalize player-designed paddles, a trend now ubiquitous in pro pickleball equipment.
