Hanoi's 2026 Summer Sports Games opened July 1 with more than 8,000 youth athletes competing across 18 sports, and pickleball is included in the official program for the first time. Organizers said the addition reflects the sport's rapid growth and gives young athletes another route into organized competition.
The Carvana PPA Tour updated its 2026-27 calendar, adding the Veolia Arizona Open for Sept. 14-20 at Arizona Athletic Grounds and moving the Cincinnati stop to April 12-18, 2027. The Veolia Chicago Cup, scheduled for Oct. 5-11 at Life Time North Shore, has also been elevated to Cup status.
The Dink Minor League Pickleball Florida State Championship ran alongside the third All Florida Pro League stop in Sunrise, Florida, drawing 105 players across three DUPR divisions. South Florida teams swept the Dream Ticket spots, with Dink Floyd, Kitchen Nightmares, and Hold My Pickle earning automatic bids to the Dink MiLP Championships in early 2027.
Downers Grove Park District expects McCollum Park's playground renovations to finish around July 15, with new playground areas, synthetic turf, a picnic shelter, and native plantings. The broader park improvement plan includes renovations to basketball and pickleball courts beginning in August, with completion expected by late September.
ESPN's America 250 road trip feature uses a Florida pickleball party, a Charleston crawfish-eating contest, and other fan scenes to explore what makes a sport feel American. The piece frames pickleball as part of a broader story about community, participation, and local sports rituals.
Manny Pacquiao is drawing attention to pickleball in the Philippines while promoting the Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour, a new professional league he recently launched. The MPPT has been sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board and will feature eight regional franchises in men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
The Dink analyzed more than 4,000 USA Pickleball-approved paddles from 2021 through May 2026 and found that new certifications peaked at 1,293 in 2024 before falling sharply. The report also highlights a fragmented market, with 611 of 1,214 brands certifying exactly one paddle, and a major shift toward thicker and foam-core designs.
Major League Pickleball's mid-season tournament will bring all 20 franchises to Grand Rapids from July 8-12, with standings points, prize money, and playoff positioning at stake. The event also includes the One Point Challenge, a 128-team amateur doubles competition with a $25,000 prize.
More than 300 players from across the U.S., plus at least one competitor traveling from China, are headed to Henderson for the first UCA National Pickleball Championship. The United Chinese Americans-backed event runs June 28-29 and is being positioned as both a competitive tournament and a community-building gathering.
Selkirk rolled out a limited Canyon Court colorway across Boomstik and Omni paddles, shoes, bags, and apparel. The red-rock-inspired drop is a gear and merchandising play from one of pickleball's biggest brands, timed while the Omni launch is still fresh.
NewsChannel 9 featured Ace Pickleball Club, a new Chattanooga facility built around member play, guest access, and a no-booking atmosphere. The club is positioning itself as a community hub with capped access to reduce court waits during busy times.
Pittsburgh Magazine reports that new painted pickleball courts will debut at Arts Landing during Picklesburgh, with tournaments, clinics, demonstrations, and learn-to-play sessions planned during the July 16-19 festival. The courts will remain open to the public after the festival and include a commissioned ground mural called "Geometry of Play."
Life Time opened its North Shore location in Northbrook, Illinois, a 114,000-square-foot athletic club with 28 pickleball courts across indoor and outdoor spaces. The company says the venue includes stadium-style seating for tournaments and programming for beginners, juniors, active-aging members, and DUPR-level players.
Milwaukee Community Journal reports that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee will hold its first Paddles for Potential Pickleball Classic on June 28 at Pickleball Kingdom in Menomonee Falls. The event includes an open tournament, a pro exhibition with Gina Cilento, raffles, fundraising, and Bigs/Littles match play.
Lewiston officials are reconsidering the location for a proposed $750,000 pickleball court project after earlier plans included courts at Richard F. Soluri Park and the Lewiston No. 2 Fire Co. park. Supervisor Steve Broderick said the town is now looking at Pletcher Road Park, with Niagara River Greenway Commission review expected to continue in September.
Three Rivers Promise is hosting a Saturday pickleball fundraiser at Armstrong Park in Three Rivers, Michigan. The doubles round robin costs $60 per team, includes eight games, offers novice through advanced skill levels, and will award medals to the top three teams.
The Dink published a breakdown of MiLP v3, the three-player team format that uses gendered teams, three games to 21, DUPR-based divisions, and no DreamBreaker. The piece notes the format has gained traction since launch, including a sellout showing at the 2025 National Championship and a dedicated championship path.
Fourteen-year-old Kelly Goodnow helped the short-handed Carolina Hogs upset the Palm Beach Royals 3-1 in her Major League Pickleball debut at MLP New York. Goodnow and Michael Loyd won the clinching mixed doubles game 11-9 against Tina Pisnik and Tyson McGuffin, giving Carolina its first match win in more than a month.
The Business Journal reports that Dill Dinkers is converting a former American Pickleball Center project in Visalia into the chain's first California club. The opening gives the indoor pickleball brand a foothold in the Central Valley after a Fresno location fell through.
The Sun profiled 96-year-old Seattle native Joyce Jones, who was recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest female competitive pickleball player after competing at the Huntsman World Senior Games. Jones has played for more than 61 years and was introduced to the sport on Bainbridge Island by co-inventor Joel Pritchard.
FOX26 reports that Reedley opened two new pickleball courts at Reedley Sports Park after receiving a $100,000 grant from the Sierra Kings Health Care District. The city plans to build eight courts total, and officials framed the project as part of a broader push to encourage exercise in a region with high obesity and diabetes rates.
The City of Newton installed a donor recognition plaque at Aurora Park's pickleball courts on June 25, thanking the Grinnell Mutual Group Foundation and the Wellmark Foundation. The city said the courts have become a popular destination for players of different ages and skill levels.
Axios reports that Highlands Ranch, Colorado is bucking the broader cooldown in big-city pickleball court growth. A new 19-court Southpark complex has helped drive local participation, with youth camps up 162%, learn-to-play clinics up 35%, and leagues up 84% from last year.
The Sun highlighted Casey Diamond's breakout MLP debut for the Palm Beach Royals, where he filled in for injured players and produced two SportsCenter Top 10 plays on back-to-back days. The viral shots followed the St. Petersburg event and helped turn Diamond into one of the week's most talked-about pro pickleball stories.
KVUE reports that four new pickleball courts have opened in Hutto, Texas at Riverwalk Park. The short local update was published early June 25 and adds another Central Texas example of cities converting pickleball demand into park infrastructure.
North Penn Now reports that TruMark Cares Foundation's annual Pickleball with Purpose fundraiser brought 40 players and local business supporters to Dill Dinkers in Lansdale. The event raised $12,715 for community grants and assistance programs serving low-income and underserved residents across Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Reedley, California cut the ribbon on the first two pickleball courts at Reedley Sports Park on June 24. Mid Valley Times reports the project came together through city support, Sierra Kings Health Care District funding, and community advocacy, with a longer-term goal of eventually reaching eight courts.
The Village of Beulah, Michigan has signed a contract with Team Elmer's to reconstruct the pickleball courts at Beulah Village Park. Construction is scheduled for the second half of August through late September, with supporters reporting about $59,000 raised toward an estimated $140,000 project cost.
The Dink profiled FLiK's F3 paddle, focusing on its triple-core design and the company's low-hype, lower-price product strategy. Founder Fred Robinson framed the design around preserving response across the paddle face rather than chasing premium launch marketing.
The Dink previewed Major League Pickleball's return to Sportime Randall's Island, where the sixth event of the 2026 MLP season starts June 25. The field includes 11 teams across two pools, with recent trades and waiver moves expected to shape the opening matches.