Ivan Lendl and Old Rival Dominate Pictona Pickleball Challenge

Tennis legend Ivan Lendl isn’t just playing pickleball—he’s running clinics. Teaming up with his former ATP adversary Mikael Pernfors, Lendl made an unmistakable statement at the Pictona Challenge 2025 in Holly Hill, sweeping the men’s 60-69 doubles bracket with comical ease. Playing in the 4.5+ division, the Vero Beach-based pair gave up a grand total of 10 points across six matches. Not to be outdone, Lendl pulled double duty and returned to the court with Jean Halahan to claim the mixed doubles title—dropping just two points in eight games. That’s not a typo.

For those keeping score, Lendl and Pernfors weren’t just dominant—they were borderline disrespectful. Their early-round wins read like typographical errors: 15-0, 15-1, 15-2. It wasn’t until the finals that their opponents even reached five points. And those opponents? They were no slouches. Yet Lendl and Pernfors treated the finals like a casual Wednesday drill session. Meanwhile, in mixed doubles, the Lendl-Halahan juggernaut posted a near-shutout performance, culminating in an 11-0, 11-2 dismantling of their final foes.

What’s most remarkable isn’t just Lendl’s enduring physicality at 65—though, let’s be real, that’s impressive—but how easily top-tier tennis IQ has translated to pickleball dominance. Pernfors, a former world No. 10 and French Open finalist (you know, the one who lost to Lendl in ’86), looks perfectly comfortable on the smaller court. Apparently, old rivalries age like fine wine—and win gold medals along the way.