Steve Deakin

Team ONIX Professional Pickleball player Steve Deakin was a former high level tennis player. After suffering a bad shoulder injury, his Dad asked him to join him at their local recreation center to play a sport he had no idea existed – pickleball. Steve joined him reluctantly as he had no clue what he was signing up for. He then walked in with a borrowed wooden paddle and said he had the time of his life. From that moment, he was immediately addicted.

Steve is from a small city about 30 minutes outside of Vancouver, B.C. in Canada called Pitt Meadows. Steve grew up and went to school in Port Moody, B.C. He is currently a member of his local pickleball club, the Golden Ears Pickleball Club.

The decision to continue playing was easy for Steve. He enjoyed the extensive strategy and skill development required to compete and had accomplished what he could with tennis and wanted a fresh start. He saw that the sport of pickleball was going to erupt which helped him shift gears. “It was the best decision I made and have enjoyed years of fun and meeting new friends because of it. I’ve been playing and competing in pickleball since December 2016,” says Steve.  

Steve made the decision to leave his “day job” in December of 2019 after competing that full year on tour, and pickleball is now his full-time job. This was a tough decision for him, but he took a chance and committed. Steve has no regrets and has carved a great career for himself.

He currently plays with the ONIX Evoke Premier Raw Carbon paddle 12mm and he mentioned he is very excited to try the new ONIX Malice Raw Carbon Open Throat paddle 14mm. Steve likes the fact that the quality of ONIX equipment he plays with is second to none. More importantly, he has found that the paddle he uses performs the way he needs it to. “I require a good combination of power, grit, and feel and have found that with the ONIX brand. I am excited to see what ONIX has up their sleeve, as pickleball and the equipment and technology continues to evolve. I am looking forward to being a part of that evolution,” Steve explained.

Steve enjoys playing pickleball as it is a sport that always requires learning new things. Steve went on to say that it is a journey to learn new shots, strategies, and tactics. Just like paddle technology evolves, so does the way the sport is played. Pickleball players are constantly arriving on tour and trying to stamp their unique styles and personalities into the game. Steve has met countless new friends during his career which he said he is grateful for.

Steve Deakin career accolades:

Steve mentioned many incredible moments on the pickleball court and his visits to the professional podium that he has shared with many different partners over the course of his career. He mentioned that three stick out to him.

• Playing the Pro Men’s Doubles gold medal match at US Nationals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 2019 in front of a large capacity crowd. 
• Winning his first PPA title with Matt Wright in Florida February of 2021.
• Completing an undefeated season in his first year of Senior Pro play on the PPA Tour in 2024:
  • 57-0 match record
  • 18 titles
  • 2 World Championships - one of the World Championships earned with fellow Team ONIX member Altaf Merchant