Jay Devilliers Signs with the APP Tour: Five Years Later, a New Chapter Begins
June 19, 2026. Jay Devilliers, one of the most recognizable players in professional pickleball, has confirmed his signing with the APP Tour starting September 2026. The announcement — published this week by the tour itself and confirmed by the player on social media — closes five uninterrupted years on the PPA Tour and opens a new chapter for the Frenchman known across the sport as "The Flying Frenchman."
The Announcement
The APP Tour presented it the way they always do — "SIGNED" in bold letters — introducing Devilliers as a former triple crown champion of the circuit. On his Instagram, Jay was direct and unambiguous:
"I'm so thankful for this new chapter. After five years competing on the PPA Tour, it felt like the right time for a change. I'm incredibly grateful for my time on the PPA and everything I learned along the way. The experiences, relationships, and memories will always mean a lot to me. Now it's time for a new challenge — back where it all started."
The hashtags he closed with say everything: #newchapter #apptour #letsfight.
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Who Is Jay Devilliers
Born in France, Devilliers came to professional pickleball in 2019 after a tennis career that took him from his hometown to a training academy in Barcelona and eventually to Wichita State University, where he graduated with a triple major in International Business and Management — in a language he barely spoke when he arrived on campus. While a student, he served as a hitting partner at the tennis US Open in 2017 and 2018, sharing practice courts with the best players in the world. That experience, he has said, shaped his competitive mindset for everything that followed.
His transition to pickleball was immediate and his rise, sustained. On the APP Tour he reached world No. 1 in 2021, collecting 18 titles in the circuit. After moving to the PPA, he climbed to No. 2 in both singles and mixed doubles, competed in four Master Finals and accumulated 47 medals across the circuit. His career numbers tell the story on their own: 102 professional tournaments, 649 matches played and a career win rate of 57.5%.
The 2026 US Open as a Turning Point
Before any signing rumors took shape, Devilliers delivered one of the finest tournaments of his career in April. At the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida — the most prestigious event on the calendar — Jay competed at an elite level across all three disciplines.
He won the mixed doubles title alongside Anna Leigh Waters, the world No. 1, defeating the pair of Casey Diamond and Sofia Sewing in the final. He reached the men's singles final and the semifinals in men's doubles. Three disciplines, three deep runs — the kind of performance that defines entire seasons, and one that, in hindsight, may have been the moment both sides fully aligned on what was coming next.
A Demanding Week Before the Official Announcement
The signing comes at the end of a week that wasn't easy for the player. At MLP Austin, during a mixed doubles match between the Atlanta Bouncers and the Texas Ranchers, a body shot directed at Nico Acevedo — the Ranchers' marquee trade acquisition that week — sparked a heated exchange with Lea Jansen that went viral. The clip, widely shared across pickleball social media, reignited the debate around the limits of aggressive play in the MLP and what sportsmanship should look like on the professional stage.
What the videos didn't show was the full context: Acevedo had executed similar shots on Devilliers in earlier rallies of the same match. And Jansen clarified afterward that her reaction went beyond the shot itself — a comment Devilliers had made on social media that those close to the inner workings of pro pickleball understood without needing an explanation.
The following day, Jay couldn't compete. A neck injury suffered during that same DreamBreaker pulled him from the Bouncers' lineup, with Donald Young stepping in to cover Friday's matches.
What This Move Means
For the APP, Devilliers isn't just another signing — he's a top-tier soldier joining the ranks with a full résumé: reigning US Open champion, four-time Master Final competitor, the circuit's own historical No. 1, and one of the most recognizable personalities in the sport. The kind of player who moves the needle on and off the court.
For Jay, returning to the circuit where he built his name means closing a cycle with everything he's accumulated — and reopening it with sharper tools, deeper experience and the same competitive drive that has defined him from day one. His hashtag says it better than any statement could: #letsfight.
The APP Tour is waiting for him in September. And so are we, the fans.
Dink Authority Magazine — Editorial Team
June 19, 2026. Jay Devilliers, one of the most recognizable players in professional pickleball, has confirmed his signing with the APP Tour starting September 2026. The announcement — published this week by the tour itself and confirmed by the player on social media — closes five uninterrupted years on the PPA Tour and opens a new chapter for the Frenchman known across the sport as "The Flying Frenchman."
The Announcement
The APP Tour presented it the way they always do — "SIGNED" in bold letters — introducing Devilliers as a former triple crown champion of the circuit. On his Instagram, Jay was direct and unambiguous:
"I'm so thankful for this new chapter. After five years competing on the PPA Tour, it felt like the right time for a change. I'm incredibly grateful for my time on the PPA and everything I learned along the way. The experiences, relationships, and memories will always mean a lot to me. Now it's time for a new challenge — back where it all started."
The hashtags he closed with say everything: #newchapter #apptour #letsfight.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Who Is Jay Devilliers
Born in France, Devilliers came to professional pickleball in 2019 after a tennis career that took him from his hometown to a training academy in Barcelona and eventually to Wichita State University, where he graduated with a triple major in International Business and Management — in a language he barely spoke when he arrived on campus. While a student, he served as a hitting partner at the tennis US Open in 2017 and 2018, sharing practice courts with the best players in the world. That experience, he has said, shaped his competitive mindset for everything that followed.
His transition to pickleball was immediate and his rise, sustained. On the APP Tour he reached world No. 1 in 2021, collecting 18 titles in the circuit. After moving to the PPA, he climbed to No. 2 in both singles and mixed doubles, competed in four Master Finals and accumulated 47 medals across the circuit. His career numbers tell the story on their own: 102 professional tournaments, 649 matches played and a career win rate of 57.5%.
The 2026 US Open as a Turning Point
Before any signing rumors took shape, Devilliers delivered one of the finest tournaments of his career in April. At the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida — the most prestigious event on the calendar — Jay competed at an elite level across all three disciplines.
He won the mixed doubles title alongside Anna Leigh Waters, the world No. 1, defeating the pair of Casey Diamond and Sofia Sewing in the final. He reached the men's singles final and the semifinals in men's doubles. Three disciplines, three deep runs — the kind of performance that defines entire seasons, and one that, in hindsight, may have been the moment both sides fully aligned on what was coming next.
A Demanding Week Before the Official Announcement
The signing comes at the end of a week that wasn't easy for the player. At MLP Austin, during a mixed doubles match between the Atlanta Bouncers and the Texas Ranchers, a body shot directed at Nico Acevedo — the Ranchers' marquee trade acquisition that week — sparked a heated exchange with Lea Jansen that went viral. The clip, widely shared across pickleball social media, reignited the debate around the limits of aggressive play in the MLP and what sportsmanship should look like on the professional stage.
What the videos didn't show was the full context: Acevedo had executed similar shots on Devilliers in earlier rallies of the same match. And Jansen clarified afterward that her reaction went beyond the shot itself — a comment Devilliers had made on social media that those close to the inner workings of pro pickleball understood without needing an explanation.
The following day, Jay couldn't compete. A neck injury suffered during that same DreamBreaker pulled him from the Bouncers' lineup, with Donald Young stepping in to cover Friday's matches.
What This Move Means
For the APP, Devilliers isn't just another signing — he's a top-tier soldier joining the ranks with a full résumé: reigning US Open champion, four-time Master Final competitor, the circuit's own historical No. 1, and one of the most recognizable personalities in the sport. The kind of player who moves the needle on and off the court.
For Jay, returning to the circuit where he built his name means closing a cycle with everything he's accumulated — and reopening it with sharper tools, deeper experience and the same competitive drive that has defined him from day one. His hashtag says it better than any statement could: #letsfight.
The APP Tour is waiting for him in September. And so are we, the fans.
Dink Authority Magazine — Editorial Team
