Christian “Tweener King” Alshon grew up in a high-achieving Florida tennis family, went 18–0 at the University of Chicago, and won a D3 national title before realizing the finance path wasn’t for him. Then he found pickleball — and everything flipped. He built a brand off trick shots, battled through two years before winning his first singles title, and transformed into one of the most aggressive, emotional players in the sport. But now he’s dropped the Tweener King nickname, leaned heavily into faith, and reordered his life: God, family, pickleball. In this episode, Christian sits down with Roscoe and Jared to talk about the rise, the maturity, why he shows so much emotion on court, how Lee Waters shaped his game, and what he actually wants in the next 2–5 years. Honest, real, and way deeper than people think. Delivered by @DoorDash 🚘 Pickleballers Hat: 🧢 https://shop.thekitchenpickle.com/products/pickleballer-snapback?variant=58191198781521 Instagram: 📲 @pickleballers 📲 @thekitchenpickleball 📲 @roscoebellamy 📲 @jpaulthechef 2:13 Why he killed the Tweener King brand and fan reaction 4:12 Beating Ben Johns in Atlanta and learning to work the crowd 7:07 Growing up in Florida, siblings, and how tennis started 11:22 Wanting a traditional future with wife and kids 13:00 Committing to UVA, relaxing after the offer, and college distractions 16:05 Balancing academics, social life, and tennis at Virginia 17:19 Transferring to University of Chicago and losing the pro dream for a bit 22:49 Going 18–0, winning a D3 national title, and that all-time celebration photo 25:22 The moment he told his coach, “I think I want to go pro in pickleball” 26:03 First pickleball sessions with James Ignatowich and realizing his level 27:39 The fake WWE beef text and real competitive tension 28:44 Building a brand: wall drills, thirst traps, and online hate 32:29 Junior tennis emotions, negative self-talk, and training hard 35:01 How he structures his weeks – discipline, calendar, and Jordan Peterson 37:21 Why losing used to feel like a knife to the heart 41:39 Reordering his life: God, family, pickleball 45:03 Playing for something bigger than winning and letting go of “I must be #1” 46:20 Touring 25+ weeks a year and trying to enjoy the grind 47:49 Is pickleball an individual sport or team sport? PPA vs MLP 48:44 Why MLP can feel “first or last” compared to PPA 51:01 Playing for the Ranchers and MLP 55:04 How serious some MLP teams are and why the Ranchers are good for the sport 58:02 Crafting his hyper-aggressive doubles style with Lee Waters 1:00:47 Who he loves to battle in singles and the parity at the top 1:02:00 Goals for the next 2–5 years: faith, family, financial security 1:03:17 His philosophy on money, big purchases, and wanting a Rolex 1:03:54 Faith first, pickleball second – and what he actually wants out of the sport 1:06:07 His Paddletech signature paddle, TKO name story, and why so many top singles guys use it #ChristianAlshon #Pickleballers #Pickleball #PPA #MLP #ProPickleball
