Bermuda players went through a roller-coaster of emotions after exiting the Pickleball World Cup, courtesy of a 3-0 loss to the United States today.

When Emma Simmons, Vincent Chaves, Jose Barroso, Natalie Chaves and Edgar Griffith went to sleep in Da Nang, Vietnam yesterday, they believed that they were out of the competition.

Bermuda headed into the World Cup ranked 33rd and they finished in that same position at the end of the group stage. However, things changed for the better overnight.

Because they had better results than some of the teams, Bermuda made it to the single elimination round, where they got to play the No 1 seeds.

In the men’s doubles Barroso and Vincent Chaves were bested 21-10. The pairing of Simmons and Natalie Chaves lost 21-8 in the women’s event while in mixed pairs, Barroso and Simmons went down 21-12.

Simmons, who earlier in the week won a bronze in the women’s singles 3.5 50+ at her first appearance at the World Cup, was delighted to face the Americans.

“Other than winning a medal, playing the United States was the highlight for me at this World Cup,” Simmons told The Royal Gazette.

“I went to bed thinking we were out then woke up to the news that we were playing against the United States, the top team after the pool matches. I couldn’t believe it but quickly ‘pivoted’ and got back into game mode.

“We had nothing to lose and this gave us a freedom to just play. Surprisingly I had no nerves either and I came off the court very pleased with how I played.”

Captain Victor Chaves, who partnered with Barroso to win silver medals in the men’s doubles 4.0 50+, praised the team for a commendable display.

“I was pleased with the players as they battled for every point against higher-ranked opponents,” Chaves said.

“We exceeded our expectations by qualifying for the knockout round of 32. Bermuda was the last team to qualify for the knockout round and as a result we faced the No 1 seed USA and their senior pro players.

“This was the experience of a lifetime for Team Bermuda and although we lost 3-0, we played our best pickleball.

“We exceeded our expectations by moving on to the next round. It was a great experience for everyone and we return home with three individual medals, two silver in the men’s doubles and bronze in women's singles.

“Bermuda was proud to be represented at the Pickleball World Cup 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam, as it officially set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of countries and territories [65] for a single pickleball event in a host location.”