BACKGROUND:
Youssef Bouzidi is originally from the beautiful North African country of Morocco. He
moved to the US in 1995 to play College Division 1 tennis at Radford University. Prior
to that, he competed in several ATP and Future Satellites Tournament tennis events
all around the globe. After graduating from college, Youssef made his home in
Roanoke, Virginia, and started working as a full-time accountant for Carilion
Wellness. He started playing Racquetball in mid-2000 and won several national
tournaments and reached the top 10 ranking nationally.
PICKLEBALL JOURNEY:
During the pandemic in 2020, Youssef decided to take pickleball seriously, since it
was an outdoor activity and easily accessible during COVID. In less than a year, he
mastered the sport with a minimum effort, due to his tennis and racquetball
backgrounds. He started winning open tournaments, especially in singles, where he
excels. His signature win to date at age 46 was against young Gabriel Tardio, who
was 16 years old then. Youssef relies on his athleticism, quickness and mental
toughness to break his opponents and take advantage of their weaknesses. He
never shows any emotions while playing. A spectator can never tell if he is winning
or losing from Youssef’s demeanor on the court. He is currently ranked #2 in singles
in the APP Senior Pro. He reached the top 6 in Mixed doubles and top 9 in men’s
doubles only after few tournaments this year.
ON-COURT PRESENCE:
Youssef is a dominant player in doubles, especially mixed. His ability to move fast
allows him to cover most of the court. He is always problem-solving. His one hand
backhand flick often surprises his opponents. Youssef defies the physics and gravity
of pickleball. He always manages to come up with passing shots in singles that NO
one expects, including himself sometimes. He is always positive and smiling on and
off the court. Youssef is liked and appreciated by most of his peers on the APP Tour.
ON & OFF-COURT QUICK HITS
Favorite Colors: Red and Blue.
Favorite Food: Moroccan Couscous
Favorite Car: BMW Z4.
Preferred Paddle: Pursuit Pro1 Innovation 15.2 mm.
Go-To Strategy: Patience, outsmart and outlast opponents
Favorite Drills: Cross Court Backhand Passing Shots
Nickname: Moroccan Magician
Good Luck Ritual: Minimum Warm up.
Downtime Activity: Watching Soccer and Cruising the high seas!
