Coming fresh off a Major League Pickleball championship, Andrei joins Roscoe and Jared to discuss his MLP run, what life was like growing up in Romania, his love for inspirational tweets, and more.
From PPA battles to his approach to training and mindset, this one’s a clinic in grit, strategy, and focus. Behind the quiet focus is a competitor who never stops studying, never stops evolving, and—depending on who you ask—might just be the best in the world.
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1:22 – Life on the road and riding the MLP championship high
3:02 – Underdogs in MLP: pressure, playoffs, and mental toll
4:30 – Growing up in Bucharest and falling in love with tennis
6:58 – Junior tennis in Europe, school, and sacrifices
9:08 – Bucharest after communism and life in Romania
10:01 – From Bucharest to Oklahoma: becoming a Sooner
12:03 – College tennis vs pro tennis: futures, challengers, and the grind
16:21 – The shoulder injury that ended his tennis career
20:11 – Second chance: discovering pickleball in South Florida
22:59 – First money tournament and realizing how hard pickleball really is
24:52 – Early partners, injuries, and committing to full-time pickleball
27:14 – From teaching pro to touring pro and the money shift in the sport
31:11 – Roscoe’s first time seeing Andrei at MLP Newport
34:31 – Scouting Roscoe: big serve, no soft game (yet)
37:30 – Is Andrei the best player in the world? chasing Ben and the rising depth
39:09 – No secret shots: what improvement at the top really looks like
40:26 – Pre-point rituals, routines, and why he’s not superstitious
41:55 – Hunger, aging, and knowing this is his last competitive run
43:12 – A week at home: training, conditioning, and boring reps that matter
44:52 – Girl dad life: raising two daughters around sports
47:56 – Legacy: how Andrei wants to be remembered
49:54 – Hooking, bad calls, and why pickleball needs better tech
53:22 – Proton story: building a paddle brand from the ground up
56:08 – The origin of Andrei’s motivational tweets
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