Two years ago, Bálint Bakó walked onto a tennis court in Sopron, Hungary, that someone had taped up for pickleball. He hasn’t really walked off since.

Today the Hungarian pickleball player coaches, competes on international tours, and has played singles in a stadium in India against one of the best in the world. Here’s how a former tennis player from a small city near the Austrian border became one of the faces of pickleball in Europe, and where he wants to go next.

From tennis to a taped court in Sopron

Bálint grew up on the tennis court. Then two local players, László Szeli and László Kiss, handed him a paddle and showed him a new game.

It clicked right away. “It’s easy to play, and you have to think better than your opponent, like in chess,” he says.

He didn’t need a second session to decide. “Right after the first try, I felt this is my sport, and it was time to switch from tennis.”

That tennis background still shows up in every match. Bálint credits it with sharpening both his technique and his tactics. These days he plays on that same taped court in Sopron or crosses the border to train at Racket Revolution in Austria. Off the court, he coaches both tennis and pickleball, and he fills the rest of his time with reading, the gym, and mental preparation.

Pickleball in Hungary feels like family

Ask Bálint about pickleball in Hungary and he keeps it simple: it’s growing. More clubs, more players, more tours, and a community that looks out for each other.

“Everyone is helpful and kind,” he says. “You feel safe, like a family.”

That’s the story across much of Europe right now. The fastest growing sport in the US is building its European base one converted tennis court at a time, with players regularly crossing borders to find good competition. Bálint living in Hungary and training in Austria is a perfect example.

That cross-border play is where a universal rating matters. A DUPR rating means the same thing in Sopron as it does in Vienna or anywhere else, so players can find the right level wherever they travel. For Bálint, that has made a real difference on tour. “It helped for tours,” he says. 

The hardest part of going pro from Europe

Every player chasing a pro career hits obstacles. For Bálint, the biggest one is sponsorship.

“Since I’m from Hungary, it’s hard to get an international contract to live as a professional player and, at the same time, practice with good players,” he explains.

His answer is to treat tournaments as his training ground. “The main practice for me is always tournaments. That’s why I always want to be the best on tour, to get opportunities and great practice.”

It’s a challenge many players outside the sport’s biggest markets will recognize. When high-level practice partners are hard to find at home, every event counts double.

The match in India he’ll never forget

Bálint’s career has already taken him a long way from Sopron. He’s played in the World Pickleball League, collected many singles gold medals on tour, and signed as an APP player. 

One match stands above the rest. In India, he faced Nahm Ly in a stadium setting.

“That was my best game so far,” he says. “Unbelievable feeling, playing in a stadium against the world’s best singles players.”

But when he lists his highlights, the people come first. He met his girlfriend on tour, and he counts her and Krisz Kászoni as the biggest influences on his game. He also points to the friendships the sport has given him along the way.

An aggressive singles game built on tennis 

Bálint doesn’t wait around. “I am an aggressive player. If I can, I will attack.”

His favorite shot is the forehand passing shot, and singles is his format of choice. Coming from tennis, he likes the challenge of being out there alone.

His training week is built for that style:

• Pickleball: 4 sessions, 2 hours each
• Gym: 4 sessions, 1 hour each
• Mental preparation: 1 to 2 hours
• Mobility and stretching: 1 to 2 sessions

The work shows in his numbers. As of October 26, 2026, Bálint holds a 5.915 singles DUPR rating and a 5.719 doubles rating, so his singles game still leads the way, just like his tennis roots would suggest.

Quick-fire with Bálint

• Paddle of choice: JOOLA Perseus 5, 16mm
• Pre-match ritual: 15 to 30 minutes of warm-up, mobility and stretching, plus some music
• Dream doubles partner: Jack Sock
• Dink rally or bangers? Bangers
• Hungarian word for the court: Gyerünk, which means “let’s go”

What’s next for Bálint Bakó

His goal for the next year or two is clear: become a full-time professional player at the highest level.

His advice for anyone picking up a paddle for the first time? “If you pick up a paddle, you will be addicted to this sport. Be ready and enjoy it!”

And he isn’t doing any of this alone. “Big shoutout to my club, to the Hungarian players, and all my supporters, because I would not be here now without them. I’m proud to be Hungarian.”

Bálint’s path from a taped court in Sopron to stadium singles shows how fast the game is growing in Europe, and how much a strong local community can carry a player. Want to see where your own game stands? Download the DUPR app, log your matches, and find a rated event near you. Gyerünk!