SM Supermalls was building sports courts before pickleball was a trend. Now that pickleball is everywhere, SM has the biggest network in the country to show for it.
SM Active Hub has expanded its footprint to 86 pickleball courts across 29 malls nationwide—the largest mall-based pickleball network in the Philippines—and the growth has not slowed. From Luzon to Mindanao, the courts are up, the tournaments are running, and the community is following. SM Active Hub now counts over 130,000 members across its network, with more joining as the sport’s reach extends further into the regions.
The infrastructure is only part of the story. SM has staged over 100 tournaments, open-plays, and clinics nationwide, making it one of the most active tournament organisers in the country. Headlining 2026 is the SM Pickleball Super Series Year 2 with Toby’s Sports, following successful legs at SM North EDSA and SM Mall of Asia. The ongoing SM Active Hub Pickleball Trio Challenge is running simultaneously across multiple SM malls, with qualifying legs at SM City Bicutan, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City Santa Rosa, SM City Marikina, and SM Center Muntinlupa—all building toward a finale at Four E-Com Center, SM Active Hub’s newest six-court venue.
The international talent pipeline has been a particular point of pride. Nine professional pickleball players from around the world have visited SM courts in 2026 alone. Leading the roster is 16-year-old Filipino-Canadian phenom McKonner Dy—a Canadian national champion and PPA Tour athlete—who toured multiple SM malls from April 9 to 12 for exhibition games, meet-and-greets, and activations including Night Glow at SM City Cabanatuan and SM Center Muntinlupa, and Neon Paddle at SM Center Antipolo Downtown. PPA Champion James Ignatowich—a former world No. 3 in Mixed Doubles and co-founder of RPM Pickleball—headlined the Toby’s Pickleball Super Series event at SM North EDSA, giving local fans a look at what elite-level pickleball looks like up close. In 2025, Filipino-American pro Lauren Mercado—ranked No. 1 in the U18 category in Nevada and No. 10 U18 in the United States—toured SM malls and worked directly with local players.
Beyond competition, SM Active Hub has been building something harder to quantify but easier to feel: a culture. The Pink Paddle Club at SM City East Ortigas, the Night Glow at SM City Cabanatuan, the Neon Paddle at SM Center Antipolo Downtown—these are not just tournaments. They are experiences that blur the line between sport, social life, and entertainment. When a lifestyle collective called The Friday Crew—six foreign pickleball players and content creators—turned Four E-Com Center into a social sports hub last May 17, it underscored exactly what SM has been building toward: pickleball not just as a game, but as a movement.
Joseph Francis V. Silva, SM Sports and Leisure Centers senior assistant vice president for operations, was direct about what the network represents.
“Through SM Active Hub, we continue to lead pickleball’s growth in the Philippines by making the sport more accessible, inclusive, and community-driven,” Silva said. “With the country’s largest network of courts, tournaments, and activations, SM Supermalls has become the biggest and most dominant advocate of pickleball and active lifestyles.”
Courts can be booked through the SM Malls Online App, which also lists clinics and upcoming events across the 29-mall network.
86 courts. 29 malls. Over 100 tournaments. And the number is still climbing.
