Fort Lauderdale, October 28 – November 2, 2025. Forty-three courts, 68 countries, 3,000 athletes, and one stadium that felt more like a Caribbean block party every time Puerto Rico stepped onto the championship court.
Andre Feliz, the driving force behind Pickleball PR and one of the island’s most respected coaches, led the national squad as coach. The team arrived as defending champions (after their epic win in Lima 2024), but this year the draw was brutal and the stakes were higher. Still, from the first whistle, Puerto Rico played with the kind of disciplined aggression Andre drills into every clinic back home: smart positioning, relentless third-shot drops, and zero fear of the big stage.
The Puerto Rican section in the stands was easily the loudest in the facility. Flags, musical instruments, and pots and pans everywhere coordinated chants that rattled the bleachers. When the team took the court, the noise dropped for exactly two seconds, just long enough for everyone to realize the match was starting, then exploded again.
They powered through group play and earned a quarterfinal clash with neighbors Dominican Republic. What followed was one of the matches of the tournament: seven games, multiple lead changes, scores like 11-9, 10-12, 13-11, and a deciding game that finished 15-13 after both sides had match point. In the end, the Dominican Republic edged it 4-3. Bitter? Sure, especially against the guys across the Mona Passage, but both teams walked off in good spirits. Island rivalry at its healthiest.
Andre’s post-match comment summed it up: “We left everything on the court. That’s all you can ask. Next year we’ll be louder, sharper, and ready for the rematch.”
Puerto Rico didn’t bring the trophy home this time, but they reminded the entire pickleball world that the smallest island in the draw can make the biggest noise. And with Andre Feliz still building the program back home, the next chapter is already being written.
