Roscoe Bellamy: The Former Top Junior Tennis Player Who Just Beat Haworth in Chicago
Roscoe Bellamy came to pickleball by a roundabout route. He was the top-ranked junior tennis player in the United States, lost years to injuries, and found pickleball on a family trip. In October 2026 he beat the top seed to win the PPA Tour's Veolia Chicago Cup in men's singles, his second career PPA Tour title. Here is who he is, how he got here, and what to watch next.
From junior tennis star to pickleball
Bellamy's parents are tied to tennis: his father founded the Tennis Channel and his mother was a professional player, according to The Kitchen's profile of him. He rose to No. 1 in the U.S. junior rankings, but a stress fracture at 15 cost him about two years and his place at the top. Two hip surgeries in college effectively ended his hopes of a pro tennis career.
Pickleball arrived on a trip to Hawaii with friends Hunter and Yates Johnson. Within two weeks he was playing in the Pickleball Slam alongside Matt Manassie. He joined the pro ranks a couple of years before 2025 and has said the move was not seamless: he worked with a coach, his Major League Pickleball teammates and friends on tour. Training with Hunter and Yates Johnson and Parris Todd helped shape his game early on.
How he plays
Bellamy leans on natural athleticism and a powerful serve. He has called himself a natural singles player, though he spent time focused on doubles first. In 2025 he said his return and volleying had improved the most, and that consistency was the area he kept working on. Those are the pieces that matter in pro singles, where one loose return gives away the point. If you want the tactical background on those shots, our guides to the return of serve and the value of serve and return cover the ideas.
Career timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Drafted by the Columbus Sliders in Major League Pickleball. Reached the men's singles final at the Veolia North Carolina Open, beating Hunter Johnson, Zane Ford and Max Freeman along the way |
| Nov 23, 2025 | Won his first PPA Tour title at the Veolia Lakeland Open as the No. 11 seed, beating No. 2 seed Hunter Johnson 11-9, 5-11, 11-3. It was his second final in three tournaments |
| April 2026 | Described by The Kitchen as the No. 6 men's singles player in the world, with a goal of finishing 2026 in the top three |
| Oct 11, 2026 | Won the Veolia Chicago Cup men's singles as the No. 4 seed, beating top seed Chris Haworth 11-4, 11-5 |
Rankings change often, so check the PPA's current standings. Sources differ on his exact rank and title count because they were written at different times.
The Lakeland breakthrough
Bellamy's first gold was not a straightforward win. He led 8-3 in the deciding game against Hunter Johnson when a serve clipped the net cord. It was first awarded to Bellamy, then reviewed after Johnson challenged, and the point stood. Johnson also received a technical warning for appealing to the head referee without timeouts available, which cost him a point and handed Bellamy match point at 10-3. He converted it on his first try.
Beating Haworth in Chicago
The Chicago Cup final was a first for Bellamy: it was his first head-to-head win over Chris Haworth and their first meeting since 2024. He took the match 11-4, 11-5 and called Haworth one of his best friends on tour. Along the way he faced Tama Shimabukuro in the quarterfinals. The win was his first singles gold since Lakeland. Bellamy said he was lucky that Haworth was off his best and that he found some clutch shots when he needed them. He is the top seed at the next event, the Virginia Beach Open.
Beyond the court
Bellamy co-hosts the Pickleballers show and has said he plans to launch an instructional platform called Pickleball Collective. He has also talked openly about how a mental shift helped him play his best pickleball. If you are picking your own equipment, the paddle finder matches paddles to your style, and the glossary explains the terms used in coverage like this.
What to watch next
- Virginia Beach: his first event as a top seed after the Chicago title.
- Consistency against the top group: his rise has come through upsets and finals, so repeating it as a favorite is the next test.
- The year-end goal: finishing 2026 in the top three in the world.
