The Great Pickleball Carousel of 2026: Brand-Player Breakups, New Signings, and Rumours
Pro pickleball is fast becoming a good business both ways, with brands benefiting immensely from the sport’s biggest stars and the latter getting equally lucrative deals for being the face of said brands. So, it should come as no surprise that pickleball pros breaking up with sponsors or signing new deals have become water-cooler chatter among pickleball fans the world over.
At this point, here’s all we know:
Breakups
- Brandon French bids JOOLA goodbye.
- Gabe Tardio leaves PIKKL.
- Quang Duong and Sypik mutually part ways.
- Rachel Rohrabacher says farewell to Selkirk Sport.
- Vivienne David leaves CRBN.
- Thomas Wilson parts ways with CRBN.
New Beginnings
- Eric Oncins signs with Engage.
- Dekel Bar joins 11Six24.
Rumour Mill
- Quang Duong might be headed to Wika, another Vietnamese brand like Sypik.
- Anna Leigh Waters could be headed to Franklin after a now-deleted Instagram post shows her using a Franklin paddle while wearing Nike gear.
The New Name to Watch
Another thing to keep an eye on in this carousel of pros switching brands to start off the year is the entry of Chinese brand Li-Ning. One of China’s biggest sports brands, Li-Ning has formally announced its entry into the US market and could be a major player with its resources and innovation-driven approach to sports apparel and equipment.
