Pickleball Inc., Pickleball Workld Cup Announce Landmark Deal That PPA Pros Will Surely Love
Pickleball’s international ambitions just got a significant boost—and the sport’s best professionals are the biggest beneficiaries.
Pickleball Inc., the world’s largest professional and amateur pickleball ecosystem, and the Pickleball World Cup have announced a landmark strategic partnership that reshapes the relationship between professional tour competition and international flag-bearing play. The deal covers exclusive media rights, commercial sponsorship, broadcast distribution, international marketing, and fan engagement—but the headline buried inside the fine print is the one that players have been waiting for: Pickleball Inc. has lifted its previous restriction on PPA Tour player participation in the Pickleball World Cup, opening the door for eligible professionals to represent their home countries beginning at the 2027 edition.
That is the part that changes things.
Until now, PPA Tour professionals faced restrictions that prevented them from competing at the World Cup—a tournament founded by Peruvian siblings Hercilio and Miranda Cabieses that has grown rapidly into one of the sport’s most compelling international showcases. The Pickleball World Cup brings athletes together under their national flags, which is a different kind of competition entirely from anything a professional tour can offer. National pride. Country colours. Something that transcends prize money and ranking points.
Removing that barrier is the partnership’s most consequential move.
Hercilio Cabieses, founder and CEO of the Pickleball World Cup, did not understate what the deal represents.
“We started this journey with the goal to see pickleball in the Olympics, and with the expertise and resources of Pickleball Inc. we are a step closer,” Cabieses said. “Their experience and leadership in professional pickleball, media, and commercial partnerships will help elevate every aspect of the event, and will allow the world’s best players to join us in creating an unforgettable experience for athletes, fans, and federations alike.”
Connor Pardoe, chief executive of Pickleball Inc., framed the collaboration in terms of what international sport does at its best.
“The Pickleball World Cup embodies everything that makes international sports so compelling: national pride, elite competition, and the ability to unite people through sport,” Pardoe said. “Hercilio, Miranda and their team have built something truly special, and we are excited to help expand its global reach while creating new opportunities for players and fans around the world.”
The partnership sits within a broader Pickleball Inc. international strategy that has already produced PPA Asia, PPA Australia, PPA Canada, PPA Italy, and PPA Spain, with more markets on the horizon. Currently, PPA Tour athletes in the top 20 across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles represent 18 different countries—a diversity of nationalities that makes the World Cup collaboration a natural fit rather than a forced extension.
Chris Patrick, president of international at Pickleball Inc., made the player opportunity explicit.
“For our PPA professionals, this continues to open new ground—the chance to represent their country on an international stage, build their profile with new fan bases, and grow their earning potential beyond the domestic tour,” Patrick said. “It’s the kind of global opportunity our athletes have been asking for, and it’s a meaningful step as we continue building toward the future and pursuing our Olympic aspirations.”
The Olympic aspiration is the thread running through all of it. International competition under national flags, broadcast distribution reaching new markets, elite professionals finally allowed to participate—these are the building blocks of a sport that is making a deliberate, structured case for Olympic inclusion.
The Pickleball World Cup and the PPA Tour used to operate on parallel tracks. They are now, finally, pointing in the same direction.
