Simone Jardim was born on November 7, 1979 in Santa Maria, Brazil. A Brazilian‑American, she began her sporting life as a tennis player, becoming a two‑time All‑American in women’s doubles while studying mass communication at Fresno State University. After a successful coaching career in collegiate tennis, she switched to pickleball in 2015 and quickly established herself as a leading singles, doubles and mixed‑doubles competitor.

She won the women’s singles at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships four consecutive times from 2016 to 2019 and secured the triple crown in 2017 and 2018 by also taking the women’s doubles and mixed doubles titles. Additional victories include the 2019 singles and mixed doubles crowns, a mixed‑doubles win in 2021 and the women’s doubles title in 2023, when she earned Player of the Year for Female Pro Doubles. Her 32 PPA titles made her the most decorated female player until 2021, and she entered the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Simone Jardim: quick facts

  • Sport: Pickleball

Simone Jardim’s early life

Simone Jardim was born on November 7, 1979 in Santa Maria, Brazil. She spent her childhood in the city before relocating to the United States at the age of eighteen to pursue a tennis scholarship at Auburn University. After two seasons with the Auburn Tigers, she transferred to Fresno State University, where she excelled in women’s doubles and earned All‑American honours twice. Jardim completed her studies in 2003, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Journalism.

During her time at Fresno State, Jardim combined academic commitments with high‑level competition, contributing to the university’s strong tennis programme. Her performance on the court earned her national recognition and laid the foundation for a subsequent coaching career. The degree in mass communication also equipped her with skills that later proved valuable in media and promotional aspects of professional sport.

Simone Jardim’s before pickleball

After graduating, Jardim entered collegiate coaching, serving three years as an assistant tennis coach at Fresno State University. In that period the team amassed a 58–20 overall record, captured three Western Athletic Conference championships and concluded her third season ranked twentieth nationally among women’s programmes. Her responsibilities included player development, match strategy and recruiting, experiences that sharpened her leadership abilities on and off the court.

In 2008 Jardim moved to the College of William & Mary as an assistant coach and was appointed interim head coach at the end of the season. The following year she accepted the head‑coach position at Michigan State University, a role she held for eight seasons. Under her guidance the Spartans recorded notable successes, including a 17–9 campaign in 2014 and a 16–9 finish in 2015, two of the programme’s three best records. She stepped down in 2016 to relocate with her family to Florida, paving the way for her transition to pickleball.

Simone Jardim’s professional career

Jardim entered professional pickleball in 2015 and, after relocating to Florida in early 2016, committed to the sport full‑time. That year she captured her inaugural U.S. Open Pickleball Championships title in the women’s singles division, signalling the start of a dominant spell. She repeated the singles triumph in 2017 and 2018, and in both seasons added the women’s doubles and mixed doubles crowns to achieve the coveted triple crown. At the 2019 U.S. Open she defended the singles crown, defeating Irene Tereschenko, and partnered with Kyle Yates to win the mixed doubles event.

In 2021 Jardim finished as runner‑up in the women’s doubles at the U.S. Open while retaining the mixed doubles title. Up to that point she had amassed the most career Pro Pickleball Association (PPA) titles among women, a total of 32, and held the world No. 1 ranking in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The 2023 season added another milestone as she reclaimed the U.S. Open women’s doubles crown and was honoured as the Association of Pickleball Players’ Female Pro Doubles Player of the Year. Beyond competition, she co‑founded the Peak Performance Pickleball Academy in Bonita Springs, Florida, and in 2021 secured sponsorships with JOOLA, Jigsaw Health and Nike.

Simone Jardim’s titles and achievements

Jardim’s U.S. Open record includes four consecutive women’s singles championships from 2016 through 2019, a rare achievement in the sport. She completed the triple crown in both 2017 and 2018 by winning the singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles events in the same tournament. Additional U.S. Open victories comprise the 2019 singles and mixed doubles titles, the mixed doubles crown in 2021, and the women’s doubles title in 2023, when she also received the Female Pro Doubles Player of the Year award.

Across her career Jardim accumulated 32 Pro Pickleball Association titles, the highest total recorded for a female player until 2021. Her sustained excellence earned her the world No. 1 ranking in women’s singles from 2016 to 2020, and she also topped the doubles and mixed‑doubles rankings during that period. In recognition of her contributions, she was inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2024, cementing her legacy as one of the sport’s most influential figures.

Simone Jardim’s personal life

Jardim resides in Naples, Florida, where she lives with her husband, Chad Edwards, and their two children. From this base she oversees the operations of the Peak Performance Pickleball Academy, travelling for tournaments while maintaining a family‑centred routine. She also participates in local clinics and promotional events, contributing to the growth of pickleball in the region. Her presence has helped raise the profile of the sport among young athletes.

In 2021 Jardim secured sponsorship agreements with several health and sports brands, including JOOLA, Jigsaw Health and Nike, reflecting her marketability within the growing pickleball community. These partnerships support her competitive schedule and the academy’s outreach programmes, allowing her to promote equipment, wellness products and training methodologies to a wider audience. Through these collaborations she also engages in product development and provides feedback to improve performance gear for players at all levels.