SM Pickleball opened six new courts at SM City East Ortigas in the Philippines, bringing its nationwide total to 108 courts across 33 malls. The new facility includes a dedicated private court and opened in late September with an open-play event featuring local celebrities.
Chicken N Pickle in Overland Park, Kansas partnered with the family of Warren, a 24-year-old living with a rare autoimmune liver disease, to host a pickleball tournament raising money and awareness for his search for a living liver donor. The event doubled as community education on living liver donation during Liver Disease Awareness Month.
New research coverage highlights findings that pickleball, tennis, racquetball and badminton may help preserve brain function and support longevity in older adults through hand-eye coordination and complex motor skill demands. A 2025 Saint Louis University study found players who hit the court three or more times a week scored notably higher on mental wellbeing measures than those playing once or twice weekly.
SM Pickleball, the Philippines' largest pickleball operator, opened six new courts at SM City East Ortigas in Pasig, bringing its nationwide total to 108 courts across 33 SM malls. The new facility includes a dedicated private court and officially opened with a celebrity-studded open play session in late September.
A proposal to build a large indoor pickleball facility on Whittemore Street in Gloucester, Massachusetts has been withdrawn by its developers following a recent Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. The withdrawal was filed without prejudice, meaning the developers could resubmit a revised proposal in the future.
Anna Leigh Waters swept women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at the Chicago Cup on October 11, completing her 45th career Triple Crown just days after her 200th PPA Tour title. Roscoe Bellamy upset top seed Chris Haworth 11-4, 11-5 in the men's singles final for his second career PPA title.
The Picklr, one of the largest indoor pickleball facility franchisors with nearly 200 clubs, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Northern District of Texas on October 9. The company says the filing covers only its parent entity, lease guarantees it made for roughly 40 early franchise locations are the cause, and an investor group has committed $4.5–4.8 million to fund the reorganization while existing clubs keep operating.
The City of Santa Clarita partnered with the William S. Hart Union High School District to open eight new overlay pickleball courts at Placerita Junior High School, available weekends from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The $84,000 project was co-funded by the city and school district, with players needing to bring their own paddles, balls, and portable nets.
The Rotary Club of Cadillac has selected outdoor pickleball courts as its major community project for 2026-2027, partnering with Baker College to build two courts on the Cadillac campus with room to expand. The courts would be open to residents, students, and visitors, and funding will come from the club's annual auction and other fundraising.
Pickleball participation in the Twin Cities has grown roughly fivefold since 2020, with women now making up close to half of players at facilities like Lucky Shots Pickleball in northeast Minneapolis. The facility's women's leagues fill up quickly, and a dedicated women's tournament, 'A Paddle of Their Own,' is planned for March.
The Delhi State Selection Trials at The Blue Court wrapped up junior singles competition, with Jasnoor Kaur winning the U16 Girls' title, Kiara Talwar taking U12 Girls', and Pushan Bhagat claiming U12 Boys'. The PWR 400-rated event is organized under the Indian Pickleball Association's national ranking system, which factors into school, district, state and national team selection.
Anna Leigh Waters reached all three finals at the Veolia Chicago Cup, beating Rachel Rohrabacher/Tina Pisnik in women's doubles and Kaitlyn Christian in the women's singles semifinal, while also advancing in mixed doubles with Ben Johns. In men's singles, Christopher Haworth demolished Emilien Burnel 11-1, 11-0 to set up a final against Roscoe Bellamy, who rallied past John Lucian Goins.
The Pickleball Thailand Grand Open 2026 ran October 9-11 at CentralWorld in Bangkok, drawing over 400 competitors from Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia for a prize pool exceeding 500,000 baht. Actress Mam Kattiya McIntosh and other Thai celebrities competed alongside amateurs across more than 646 matches, part of an organizers' push to get pickleball into future Asian Games and Olympic consideration.
Anna Leigh Waters hit career title No. 200 on Sunday, teaming with Ben Johns to win the mixed doubles gold at the Veolia Chicago Cup. Sixty-six of her titles have come alongside Johns, who has known her since she was 11 and called her rise 'remarkable.' Waters still had two more chances to pad the total later that day in women's doubles and singles.
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns won mixed doubles 11-4, 11-4 over Jorja and JW Johnson to give Waters her 200th career PPA Tour title and 45th triple crown. In the day's biggest upset, No. 4 seed Roscoe Bellamy beat top seed Christopher Haworth 11-4, 11-5 for the men's singles title, while Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin dominated men's doubles 11-1, 11-6.
Pickle Money Ball unveiled a 2027 National Championship prize pool exceeding $1 million, the largest payout in amateur pickleball history, set for July 26-31 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Players qualify via regional and Super Series events, with the top 40 on the points leaderboard earning free entry, and all divisions from 3.5 and under to 5.0+ eligible for cash payouts.
DUPR announced a partnership with Singapore-based tournament platform Sports Control Hub to integrate official DUPR ratings into events across Southeast Asia. The deal will let organizers pull player ratings during registration, use them to seed divisions, and auto-submit results to DUPR, expanding rated-play access for players in Singapore, the Philippines, and neighboring countries.
The first-ever Okanagan Open, running Oct. 15-18 at the Vernon Pickleball Association's Marshall Field complex, is virtually sold out with more than 400 registered players and a $10,000 total prize purse. The Open Division field includes four Team Canada players, including 17-year-old local phenom Chayton Hauberg, fresh off representing Canada at the World Cup in Vietnam.
The inaugural Okanagan Open runs October 15-18 at the Vernon Pickleball Association complex, drawing over 400 registered players and a $10,000 prize purse. The Open Division lineup includes four Team Canada national team members, including 17-year-old local phenom Chayton Hauberg.
The PPA Tour's Veolia Chicago Cup, running Oct. 5-11 at Life Time Northbrook, gives Anna Leigh Waters three more shots at her 200th career title after Hayden Patriquin and Anna Bright denied her in the Las Vegas mixed doubles final last week. Semifinals and Championship Sunday action across all five pro divisions wrap up this weekend.
Vineet Khosla beat Anuj Kapur 15-7 in the final to win the 60+ men's singles title at the Haryana State Selection Trials, a PWR 400-ranked event held at the Blue Court in Gurugram as part of India's Road to IPA Nationals. Khosla went undefeated through group play, including wins over Keshav Chander Jaini and Anil Nigam.
A new report traces how tennis legend James Blake and hedge-fund veteran Marc Lasry bought a Major League Pickleball team for $100,000 in 2021, with Lasry claiming by 2023 it was worth $10 million -- a figure that's his own estimate, not a completed sale. MLP has since merged with the PPA Tour into a $75 million-backed holding company, while LeBron James, Tom Brady, and other celebrities have since bought into the league.
The Lancaster Pickleball Association, a nonprofit formed last year, is fundraising to build dedicated pickleball courts at the city's Schacht Field in southwest Wisconsin. A rendering from engineering firm Vierbicher shows the planned layout as the group works to expand local playing options.
PickleRage held its grand opening Friday at 359 Miamisburg Centerville Road in Washington Township, near Dayton. The facility will operate daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., adding another dedicated indoor court option to the region's fast-growing pickleball scene.
French pro Emilien Burnel, seeded 55th, has rattled the PPA Tour's Veolia Chicago Cup by upsetting third seed Hunter Johnson and grinding through the bracket to reach Saturday's men's singles semifinal. He now faces top seed Chris Haworth, needing another upset to extend his breakout run.
Former tennis star James Blake and Avenue Capital's Marc Lasry bought what's now the Milwaukee Mashers for $100,000 before Major League Pickleball even launched in 2021. Lasry has since estimated the franchise's value at roughly $10 million, underscoring how fast pro pickleball's business side has grown.
Skechers has partnered with the Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour (MPPT) as official footwear sponsor for the league's inaugural season, which features 12 teams competing across five stops in different Philippine cities and provinces. The deal includes financial support for prize money and footwear for players, including General Santos' team led by Jinky Pacquiao.
Indoor pickleball facility franchisor The Picklr filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after agreeing to guarantee lease payments for roughly 40 early franchisee locations, a burden founder Jorge Barragan called untenable. An investor group led by franchisee Tom Neale has committed $4.8M in financing to sponsor the reorganization, and the company says no locations will close as a direct result of the filing.
The Picklr, one of the largest indoor pickleball franchise chains, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Oct. 9 after corporate guarantees on leases at roughly 40 early locations became an unsustainable burden. The parent company reported a $4.4M net loss on $10.3M revenue in 2025 and about $19M in total liabilities, but says all clubs remain open under franchisee control while it reorganizes with a $4.5M financing commitment.
Third Shot Pickleball in Evansville, Indiana kicked off a three-day tournament Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebrating its second anniversary while raising money for local cancer support group Chemo Buddies. Co-owner Gina Adams said the event reflects the sport's rapid local growth and the community support behind it.