DUPR Rating Explained: What's a Good DUPR Rating in Pickleball?

If you play pickleball — or even just follow the sport — you've probably heard people talk about their DUPR rating. It's become the universal language of pickleball skill, used by tournament organizers, rec players, and professionals alike.

But what exactly is DUPR? How does it work? And most importantly — what's a good DUPR rating?

We analyzed hundreds of thousands of players with DUPR doubles ratings to answer these questions with real data. Whether you're brand new to the sport or grinding to break into the 4.0s, this guide will tell you exactly where you stand.

What is DUPR?

DUPR stands for Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating. It's the most widely used rating system in pickleball, created to give every player an accurate, objective measure of their skill level.

Unlike older self-rated systems where players picked their own skill level (and often overestimated), DUPR calculates your rating based on actual match results. Every game you play — whether it's a tournament final or a casual rec match — can count toward your DUPR.

DUPR has become the gold standard for pickleball ratings. Major organizations like the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), USA Pickleball, and thousands of local clubs and tournaments use DUPR to seed brackets, organize leagues, and match players of similar skill.

How DUPR Ratings Work

The beauty of DUPR is that it's results-based, not opinion-based. Here's how the system works:

The Algorithm

DUPR uses a proprietary algorithm that analyzes your match results to calculate a rating. The key factors include:

• Game scores — not just wins and losses, but the actual point margin. Winning 11–2 tells a different story than winning 11–9.
• Opponent and partner ratings — beating a 4.5-rated opponent is worth more than beating a 3.0-rated opponent. Likewise, winning with a lower-rated partner carries more weight.
• Match type — DUPR accepts results from tournaments, organized leagues, and recreational play. Tournament results from verified events carry more algorithmic weight.
• Recency — more recent matches have a greater impact on your rating than older ones, so your DUPR reflects your current playing level.

Separate Singles and Doubles Ratings

DUPR maintains separate ratings for singles and doubles, because they're genuinely different games. You might be a 4.2 in doubles but a 3.8 in singles — and that's perfectly normal. Most players focus on doubles (by far the more popular format), which is why this analysis focuses on doubles ratings.

The Rating Scale

DUPR ratings range from 2.000 to 8.000, expressed to three decimal places. Here's a general guide to the skill levels:

DUPR Range	Skill Level	Description
2.0 – 2.5	Beginner	New to the sport, learning fundamentals
2.5 – 3.0	Beginner+	Consistent rallies, developing strategy
3.0 – 3.5	Intermediate	Good fundamentals, working on placement and game IQ
3.5 – 4.0	Advanced Intermediate	Strong all-around game, competitive in local leagues
4.0 – 4.5	Advanced	Excellent skills, competitive in regional tournaments
4.5 – 5.0	Expert	High-level tournament player, near-elite skills
5.0 – 5.5	Elite	Elite amateur or semi-pro level
5.5+	Professional	Tour-caliber player

For reference, the two highest-rated players in the world are Ben Johns at a staggering 7.162 DUPR doubles rating and Anna Leigh Waters at 6.857. Only 190 players on Earth are rated 6.0 or above in doubles.

What's a Good DUPR Rating?

This is the question every pickleball player wants answered: "Is my DUPR rating good?"

The answer depends on context, but we can give you something better than subjective opinions — actual percentile data based on hundreds of thousands of players with DUPR doubles ratings.

Here's exactly where each rating level falls:

DUPR Rating	Percentile	What It Means
3.0+	Top 68%	The majority of rated players are at this level or above
3.5+	Top 37%	Above average — you can hold your own in most rec play
4.0+	Top 13.5%	You're better than 86.5% of all rated players — definitively "good"
4.5+	Top 3.6%	Elite territory — fewer than 1 in 25 players reach this level
5.0+	Top 0.7%	Exceptional — fewer than 1 in 100 players reach this level
6.0+	Top 0.02%	World-class — just 190 players in the world

What About "Average"?

The average DUPR doubles rating falls in the 2.5 to 3.5 range. The largest rating bracket is 3.0–3.5 (31% of players), followed by 3.5–4.0 (23%) and 2.5–3.0 (21%). The distribution follows a roughly normal curve centered around 3.0–3.5.

This makes sense: most players who commit to getting a DUPR rating have already progressed past the beginner stage. The distribution rises steadily from 2.0–2.5 (10.5%) through 2.5–3.0 (21%) to the peak at 3.0–3.5, then tapers off as skill levels get more competitive.

DUPR Rating Distribution: The Full Picture

Let's look at how rated players are distributed across the DUPR scale:

DUPR doubles rating distribution across hundreds of thousands of rated players (January 2026)

Rating Range	% of Players
2.0 – 2.5	10.5%
2.5 – 3.0	21%
3.0 – 3.5	31%
3.5 – 4.0	23%
4.0 – 4.5	10%
4.5 – 5.0	3%
5.0+	0.7%

Key Takeaways from the Distribution

• The biggest group is the 3.0–3.5 bracket (31%) — this represents the "committed intermediate" level, players who are past the basics and actively working on their game.
• Only about 10% of rated players are in the 2.0–2.5 range — the entry-level bracket is smaller than you might expect, suggesting most players with DUPR ratings have progressed beyond beginner level.
• A steep drop-off above 4.0 — only 13.5% of all rated players break the 4.0 barrier. This is where casual players separate from serious competitors.
• 5.0+ is the 1% club — or more precisely, the 0.7% club. It's a remarkably exclusive group.
• 6.0+ is almost mythical — just 190 players worldwide. These are the elite professionals competing on the PPA Tour and MLP circuits.

Percentage of players rated at or above each DUPR doubles level

How to Improve Your DUPR Rating

Now for the practical part — how do you actually get better and watch that number climb? Here are strategies that work:

1. Play Verified Matches

Your DUPR only changes when you log results. The more matches you record — especially in sanctioned tournaments and organized leagues — the more accurate and responsive your rating will be. Tournament results carry the most weight in the algorithm.

2. Play Up (Strategically)

Playing against opponents rated higher than you gives you the opportunity for bigger rating gains when you win. You don't need to win every game — even competitive losses (close scores against higher-rated opponents) can signal improvement to the algorithm.

3. Dominate When You Can

Remember, DUPR looks at game scores, not just outcomes. Winning 11–3 is worth more than winning 11–9, especially against lower-rated opponents. When you're the better player, don't let up.

4. Focus on Consistency

DUPR rewards players who perform consistently over time rather than occasional spikes. A steady stream of solid results will raise your rating more reliably than one lucky tournament run followed by mediocre play.

5. Improve Your Actual Game

This sounds obvious, but it's worth saying: the best way to improve your DUPR is to improve your skills. Take lessons, drill specific shots, watch video of your matches, and work on the areas that lose you the most points. Common focus areas that yield the biggest gains:

• Third shot drops — the single most important shot in competitive doubles
• Kitchen (NVZ) play — dinking patterns, resets, and soft game
• Serve and return consistency — free points from unforced errors add up fast
• Court positioning — moving together as a doubles team, controlling the kitchen line
• Shot selection — knowing when to speed up, when to reset, and when to be patient

6. Enter Tournaments

Tournament matches are the highest-quality data for your DUPR rating. They're verified, competitive, and carry more algorithmic weight than casual play. Plus, the pressure of tournament play forces you to level up. Search for tournaments near you on Tournament Pickle to find your next event.

How to Sign Up for DUPR

Getting your DUPR rating is free and easy:

1. Go to dupr.com/signup
2. Create your account with your name and email
3. Claim your profile — if you've played in any DUPR-affiliated tournaments, your match history may already be waiting for you
4. Start logging matches — record results from tournaments, leagues, and rec play

DUPR is completely free for players. You can view your rating, track your progress, find players near your skill level, and join clubs — all at no cost.

If you're serious about pickleball — whether you play once a week or every day — having a DUPR rating is essential. It's how the pickleball world measures skill, and it's the key to finding fair matches, entering the right tournament brackets, and tracking your improvement over time.

Look Up Any Player's DUPR Rating on Tournament Pickle

Want to look up your rating — or check out any player in the pickleball world? Tournament Pickle's player search lets you explore DUPR ratings for hundreds of thousands of players.

Here's what you can do:

• Search by name — find any player and see their DUPR doubles and singles ratings
• View tournament history — see which events a player has competed in
• Compare players — check how you stack up against your regular playing partners
• Explore the leaderboard — see the top-rated players in the game