Entertainment Sports Colton Underwood Says Pickleball Is 'Having a Moment Right Now': 'I'm Here for It' (Exclusive) The 'Bachelor' alum hosted his inaugural Pickle! for Purpose Celebrity Pickleball Tournament event over the weekend By Falen Hardge Falen Hardge Falen Hardge is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been writing about entertainment, celebrity relationships and everything in between since 2018. People Editorial Guidelines and Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 2, 2023 12:58PM EDT Close Colton Underwood photographed in 2023. Photo: Corine Solberg/Getty Pickleball is here to stay, according to Colton Underwood. The Bachelor alum, 31, chatted exclusively with PEOPLE at his inaugural Pickle! for Purpose Celebrity Pickleball Tournament event at Pepperdine University's Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center in Malibu, California, on Saturday evening, where he spoke about his love of the sport. "Pickleball is having a moment right now, and I'm here for it," Underwood said. "The barrier to entry is so low and everybody can play. Everybody could have a good time." Joking that playing pickleball is comparable to a meme that says no one can be sad on a jetski, the Coming Out Colton star added, "I challenge you to find somebody on a pickleball court that's not smiling." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Colton Underwood photographed in 2023. Emma McIntyre/Getty What Is Pickleball? Here's Everything to Know About the Fastest-Growing Sport in America Underwood's Pickle! for Purpose Celebrity Pickleball Tournament was led by The Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation to support mental health awareness for student-athletes, in an effort to clear the way for them to receive access to the mental health resources they need. The foundation also supports the Targeting Emotional and Mental Stability Act (TEAMS), which they are working with Congress to pass. Colton Underwood photographed in 2023. Emma McIntyre/Getty The event, which was emceed by professional tennis and pickleball player Kamryn Blackwood, saw Underwood and his game partner Jeff Call win their semifinal match against Erin Lim and Michelle Wie. They later were defeated in the championship match by Pepperdine University faculty member Cameron Gilliam and student tennis athlete Photos Photiades, however. "It's so special," Underwood told PEOPLE of seeing his event come to life. "I mean, I have so many people to thank, obviously for today, turning out how it has already. We have a long way to go as a foundation, and for our bill and to get it across the finish line, but having the support is so motivating and so inspiring." Colton Underwood (left) and Jordan C. Brown photographed in 2023. Emma McIntyre/Getty Colton Underwood Talks Lobbying Congress to 'Protect Student-Athlete' Mental Health Underwood was joined by his husband Jordan C. Brown during the competition, who he said is the better pickleball player of the two. "He was a tennis player," Underwood said of Brown, whom he wed in Napa Valley, California, in May. "I mean, you can throw my resume of football out the window when it comes to stepping on that court, because it's completely different mechanics." Continuing to speak of his pickleball skills, Underwood noted, "I'm definitely somewhere in the middle." "I will not call myself great. I don't think I'm terrible, but we'll see," the reality star added.