Gabe Tardio Opens Three-Nation Asian Tour at Leapmotor Kuala Lumpur Cup 2026
The Hood has landed itself a proper headline act. Gabe Tardio, currently sitting at world No. 2, makes his Malaysia debut at the Leapmotor Kuala Lumpur Cup 2026, running 9 to 13 September—five days of professional pickleball with a genuine star at the centre of it.
Anyone who’s watched Tardio play knows exactly what Kuala Lumpur is in for. The Bolivian doesn’t just win points, he manufactures them from angles that shouldn’t logically exist, pulling off ATPs and speeding up balls most of the tour would rather leave alone. There’s real showmanship attached to the skill, too—watching him, you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s playing to the crowd as much as he’s playing the point itself. It’s a genuinely rare combination, and it tends to make for the kind of match nobody in the venue wants to step away from.
New Partnerships, Straight Off a New York Stage
Tardio isn’t arriving solo, either. Two fresh Asia partnerships debut alongside him in Kuala Lumpur. Noe Khlif makes his own first appearance on the Asia circuit as Tardio’s doubles partner, which makes for a rather neat storyline given the pair were on opposite ends of the court at the Major League Pickleball Finals in New York only a couple of weeks ago. In Mixed Doubles, Tardio teams up with Jessie Irvine, herself one of the more decorated and thoroughly entertaining players competing today.
He’s not walking into Malaysia untested, either. Tardio already has an Asian title to his name from his earlier stop at the MB Hanoi Cup this year, which makes Kuala Lumpur less of an introduction and rather more of a continuation — another shot at silverware, this time in front of a brand-new crowd.
More Than Just a Tournament Stop for Tardio
Kuala Lumpur is only the opening leg of a longer Asia swing for Tardio, one that stretches across three countries over two weeks. Once his competitive matches at The Hood wrap up, he stays on in Malaysia for clinics with local players, before heading to Singapore for community sessions, exhibition matches, and meet-and-greets, and finally wrapping the tour in the Philippines with more of the same.
That itinerary gives players across the region a genuinely rare chance to get close to someone playing at the very top of the sport. But Kuala Lumpur is where the stakes are real—this is Tardio in full competitive mode, chasing a title rather than simply putting on a show, and that distinction matters.
The tournament runs the full working week, from first serve on Wednesday through to the final point on Championship Sunday. Single-day tickets, including premium courtside and VIP packages, along with 5-Day GA Season Passes, are on sale now through Tixr for anyone planning to be there in person.
