SM Active Hub Pickleball Trio Challenge Heads to Grand Finals as Network Keeps Growing
SM Supermalls is not just hosting pickleball. It is building the sport’s most expansive home in the Philippines—and the momentum is not slowing down.
The SM Active Hub Pickleball Trio Challenge, SM’s inaugural tournament series, is racing toward its Grand Finals in July 2026 at Four E-Com Center, where the top teams from each qualifying leg will converge for championship honours. The series has already energised courts at SM City Bicutan, SM City Sta. Mesa, and SM City Santa Rosa, with upcoming qualifying rounds still to come at SM City Marikina and SM City Muntinlupa. Teams of all skill levels have turned out in force—competitive players chasing the Grand Finals, casual players discovering they can compete, and communities finding a shared space to connect around a sport that rewards participation as much as precision.
The tournament series sits at the heart of something bigger. SM Active Hub’s network now stands at 86 pickleball courts across 29 malls nationwide—the largest mall-based pickleball destination in the country—and more courts are on the way as demand continues to surge beyond what existing venues can absorb.
Joseph Francis Silva, SM Sports and Leisure senior assistant vice president, framed the expansion in terms of purpose rather than just infrastructure.
“SM Supermalls and the SM Active Hub remain committed to providing pickleball fanatics the space they need to play and build new bonds with a community,” Silva said. “We will continue to champion the pickleball movement that brings people together through shared experiences and passions.”
That community dimension is not incidental to the SM Active Hub model—it is the point. Courts give people a place to play. Tournaments give them something to play for. But what keeps players coming back, what turns a single session into a lifestyle, is the network of people that forms around a shared court and a shared passion. SM is betting that pickleball, perhaps more than any other sport, builds that kind of community naturally—and that giving it the right physical infrastructure accelerates everything.
“Beyond organizing tournaments and expanding court access, SM Supermalls aims to cultivate spaces where people can enjoy maxed-out experiences, stay active, and build meaningful connections through sport,” Silva said. “Pickleball offers an enjoyable way for people to become part of a welcoming and supportive community.”
For players who have not yet joined the Trio Challenge, qualifying legs at SM City Marikina and SM City Muntinlupa still offer the chance to punch a ticket to July’s Grand Finals. Tournament schedules, court openings, and upcoming activities are available through SM Supermalls’ official social media channels.
The Grand Finals are coming. The courts are open. The community is waiting
