Your DUPR Rating is a Metric. Not a Mirror.
Let me take you back to late summer in Austin, Texas …
The sun was high, the heat was brutal, and I (along with my doubles partner, Lauren) had spent weeks prepping for this one tournament. Drills on drills. Lessons on Lessons. Competitive rec matches. It was the kind of sweaty, gritty work that makes your third shot drop feel dialed in and your kitchen confidence sky-high.
It wasn’t just about competition. It was also a fun excuse to escape Dallas and take on some fresh blood in the state capital. The vibes were good. The playlist was solid. My bag was packed with hydration, snacks, and an unnecessary number of paddles, just the way I like it.
And we played our hearts out. I mean, we left it all out there!
If you’ve listened to Episode 27, you know it was the infamous “lights-out” night, mid-match, mid-momentum, all the electricity in the venue cut out like we were in the middle of a sports movie. It was surreal, wild, and honestly, kindof perfect.
Still, we rallied. We made the finals. We won second place. We got on the podium.
And I’ll be real with you: I felt proud.
But then, as we do, I checked DUPR. And that’s when the emotional whiplash hit. My rating had dropped
Wait…what? We podiumed. We played well. I’d been drilling and training and pushing myself. I expected the little number to validate all of that.
Instead, it dipped. A decimal. Just enough to make me spiral.
I bemoaned. I vented. I questioned if all the time, energy, effort, the travel, the training, the literal lights going out, even mattered.
Then Came the Epiphany (and the Margarita)
Later that night, we grabbed drinks, me, Lauren, and the rest of our tournament crew. We were clinking glasses, laughing about the power outage, recapping points, retelling stories, when somewhere between the chips and the second round, I said it out loud:
“I don’t get it. Why does my rating going down feel like I’m going down with it?
And then, out of my own exasperated mouth came the words:
“Wait. DUPR is a metric, not a mirror.”
I paused. Everyone else paused. And then Lauren, with the biggest grin and that coach-y sparkle in her eye, goes,
“YES. That’s it. That’s the work.”
She didn’t need to say more because I knew. In that moment, everything she’s ever coached me on brought me to it.
What DUPR Isn’t
It isn’t a personality test.
It isn’t a reflection of how much fun you are to play with.
It doesn’t know how far you’ve come or how hard you’ve worked.
It doesn’t track joy. Or resilience. Or heart.
It’s math. It’s data. It’s a tool…not a judgment. It’s a glimpse of your journey at any given moment (not your whole story).
And listen, I believe in DUPR. I really do. I think it's a brilliant system, and the more you play (especially in tournaments), the better it gets at accurately reflecting your level. But it’s still relatively new, and it's still working out its kinks. That’s why DUPR created the Reliability Score, a percentage that shows how confident the system is in your rating. It literally tells you when it doesn't fully trust itself yet. (Learn more here)
So why am I putting all my self-worth in a system that openly admits it's still learning me?
What I Know Now
I am not my DUPR.
I’m a person who plays pickleball, trains, and travels with her best people.
I podium under pressure.
I laugh when the lights go out.
I love the game the next day, rating drop or not.
The number is just part of the story. And the story? That’s mine. And I’m pretty proud of it.
So if your rating dips, here’s my advice:
Feel the feelings. Then pour a drink, phone a friend, and remember: your rating is a metric — not a mirror.
Go play. Go live. Go love this game loud.
Want more mental game moments and margarita-level epiphanies?
🎧 Listen to Episode 35 of Dinks on Tap where I interview Lauren, and we spill it all.