AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new pickleball league is coming to Central Texas. Major League Pickleball will make its debut in November, and matches will be played in Dripping Springs.

Jessie Irvine is a professional pickleball player who is thrilled to compete and grow the sport.

“I think we’re all going to go out there and showcase what pickleball is and what it has the potential to be,” Irvine said.

The league will have its draft on Oct. 1 in Rockwall, Texas. However, matches will be played at Dreamland in Dripping Springs Nov. 5-8.

Pickleball is a sport that is a mixture of tennis, ping pong and badminton. The court is the same size as a badminton court that is played with doubles.

It can be played with singles (two players versus each other) or doubles (four players overall in teams of two).

Irvine was drawn to pickleball after suffering too many injuries while playing the first sport she fell in love with — tennis.

“I sacrificed my childhood, I was living that dream of, ‘I want to be a professional tennis player,’ and because of the injuries I had to change course,” Irvine explained. “It’s giving me that second chance to not only be active but to compete again, and for me, that’s an amazing feeling to be given that second chance with the sport of pickleball.”

As relaxing and easy going as pickleball can be, there will be none of that in Major League Pickleball.

“It’s very intense, but I think for any professional sport, which is exactly what pickleball is growing to, there is always going to be a level of intensity and I think we should expect that of ourselves and I think the fans should expect that of us,” Irvine added. “We want to bring the best of ourselves, and we want to showcase that pickleball is a real sport.”