TheUnited Pickleball Association (UPA) is expanding globally, as it will be taking its act to Canada, India, Europe, Asia and Australia in 2025.
“The United Pickleball Association—the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball—has set the standard for the professional game and is excited to bring the best players and events in the world to new corners of the globe in the first true international pro pickleball tour,” said Anne Worcester, UPA Strategic Advisor, former CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and former President of UTR Sports.
Worcester added: “We are extremely discerning in selecting partners for these joint ventures, and continue to have conversations with interested organisations. The expertise offered by our operational partners is unmatched in their regions and, combined with the proven business model and brand recognition the PPA Tour and MLP provide, will elevate this new series immediately.”
The series will launch in 2025 with four planned events, which will be held in Australia, India, Asia, and Europe, to be operated between the UPA and leading operational organisations in each country.
Regional participation will elevate these international events, which will also benefit immensely from the global clout and recognisability not only of the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, but also of the world’s top pickleball superstar.
Among the first partners to be announced for the UPA’s global expansion were Pacific Pickleball (now PPA/MLP Australia) in Australia and Global Sports in India. The next partners for this expansion will be introduced in the coming months.
The UPA International Championship Series underscores the sport’s continuing rise worldwide and serves as a notable platform for elite competition across continents. The series will culminate at the World Championships in Dallas in November, 2025. In this premier event, elite picklers from each region will join many of the top PPA Tour professionals and hundreds of local amateurs at each stop.
- The events lined up are as follows: Australia Pickleball Open – Melbourne, Australia – Jan. 29-Feb. 2: The inaugural international event kicks off the series in late January, hosted by PPA Tour Australia
- India Pickleball Open – Mumbai, India – Feb. 5-9: Following Melbourne, the series moves to Mumbai, India, hosted by PPA Tour India
- Canada Pickleball Open – Toronto, Canada in September: Pro pickleball heads to the Great White North.
- Asia Pickleball Open – TBA, Asia in October: The third event in October expands the series’ reach and participation within Asia, with exact location to be announced, hosted by PPA Tour Asia
- Europe Pickleball Open – TBA, Europe in October: The fourth event is scheduled for October at a European venue yet to be announced
- UPA World Championships – Dallas, TX, USA in November: The third consecutive year of record-breaking pickleball festivities will welcome athletes from all over the world and celebrate the best the sport has to offer.
