June 2024 will mark the 45th Annual Pickle Island Open, which is one of the four Grand Slams in pickleball. There’s a certain beauty and majesty to the Pickle Island Open. The elegance, the way the sun glimmers brightly on the ocean, and of course the magnificent talent of the competitors. This year two players are expected to meet in the championship match—Randy Relish and Dillon “Dink-Dink” Greenwald. The two pickleball pros approach their play in distinct fashions.
Dillon “Dink-Dink” Greenwald is the undisputed bad boy of pickleball, making headlines for his great paddle skills – and controversial behavior on court. Yet, his flashy shots and charismatic personality have endeared him to fans around the world. “Dink Dink” has won his fair share of tournaments, but so far, a Grand Slam is not among them. The closest he came was at the Pickle Island Open last year, winning the first set against Randy Relish, before losing the next three. Dink-Dink blamed a model and iconic surfer in the crowd, “Daisy Gherkin” who he said caused him to lose concentration. At their post-match press interviews, Randy Relish called the “Dink Dink” soft and a “bully” with an “evil side.” Since then, a rivalry has brewed.
Unlike “Dink-Dink” Randy Relish is a stoic and disciplined player who has quietly climbed the ranks with his strategic style of play. He criticizes “Dink Dink” in the media, asserting that he is infiltrating the culture of pickleball with his bad-boy style and bashful play. This June, their paths will finally cross at the Pickle Island Open, setting the stage for an epic showdown between Dink Dink’s flamboyant style and Randy Relish’s calculated approach to the game.
Dillon “Dink-Dink” Greenwald’s Whimsical Highlights
Dillon’s saying, if you tell the truth about how you’re feeling, it becomes funny has manifested in an epic record of penalties, fines, and blowing off steam for the silliest things.
At the Kitchen Cup in 2017, “Dink-Dink” complained about the music, “How You Remind Me” by Nickleback which he said he could hear from the crowd. He instead demanded that “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani play during the match. The song played and the thunderous excitement from the crowd culminated in a unified chant:
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl
In 2018, at the Gherkin Open, a fan yelled “Smile.” Dillon yelled back, “Hey, mind your own business, how about that?” “Dink-Dink” then went up to the fan, grabbed his jar of pickle juice out of his hand, and chugged it in front of him.
At the 2019 Kitchen Cup, “Dink-Dink” got upset over his tournament-branded towel and demanded to be given a towel branded with his sponsor’s name, Pickle People. “Dink-Dink” then refused to play for another 20 minutes – the time it took for the officials to fetch him the soft, stylish, and embroidered Pickle People towel.