Danni-Elle Townsend

Danni-Elle Townsend is a 21-year-old professional pickleball player from Currumbin Waters, Queensland, Australia, who has rocketed up the ranks after picking up the sport just over a year ago. With a background in table tennis, Townsend brought an aggressive, spin-heavy playing style to pickleball that has caught opponents off guard. She uses an eastern or semi-western grip to generate heavy topspin, a technique that's rare on tour and tough to defend against.

Townsend leads the Open Mixed Doubles women's rankings in Australia, where she partners with Joey Wild. She competes in the National Pickleball League for the Opals team and has been active in the Pacific Pickleball League. In 2025, she posted an impressive 64.9% win rate across 74 matches, with a remarkable 76.5% win rate in women's doubles. She's earned bronze medals in mixed and women's doubles at the PPA Tour Asia MB Vietnam Cup and reached the women's doubles final at the APP Newport Beach Open. At just 21, she's one of the youngest and fastest-rising players on the international circuit.