Piet Aldrich

Player Bio

I grew up in South Africa and somehow turned hitting a fuzzy yellow ball into a career. After playing college tennis at the University of Miami, I gave the pro tour a go and had a pretty fun run—cracked No. 64 in singles and managed to climb all the way to World No. 1 in doubles in 1990. That year was a blur in the best way: winning the US Open and Australian Open in doubles and finishing runner-up at Wimbledon. Not a bad year at the office.

Unfortunately, my tennis career got cut short thanks to a shoulder injury (still not over it, but we move on). Since then, I’ve spent the last 23 years working as a financial advisor and living in Solana Beach with my wife, Krista, and our two sons, Holden (22) and Ramsey (18), who now remind me regularly that I’m not as athletic as I think I am. I found pickleball in 2021 during COVID, when there wasn’t much else to do besides bake bread or try new hobbies. It started as a social thing, but I got hooked pretty quickly. If my body would cooperate, I’d happily play seven days a week… and sometimes I still try, although after the third day, I’m quickly reminded I’m in the senior division now.

I was part of the original Coachella Valley Scorpions team in 2024, missed out on the championship squad in 2025 (still stings a little), and I’m fired up to be back this season. I’m looking forward to competing, getting better, and most importantly, being part of a great team. At this point, it’s all about good competition, good laughs… and who knows, maybe I can help the team win another championship this year.