The City of Stockton held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for newly built pickleball courts at Grupe Park on October 24, with city council members and public works officials on hand. Players turned out immediately to christen the new courts.
Pro player Zane Navratil argues pro pickleball needs a true villain figure to create compelling rivalries alongside established stars like Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters. He named Hayden Patriquin and Christian Alshon as current players with the personality to potentially grow into the role.
Top seeds Chris Haworth and Kaitlyn Christian were both eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Slam, the season-ending PPA Tour Asia event. Noe Khlif upset Haworth 13-11, 11-3 for his first career win over him, while Judit Castillo edged out Christian 11-9, 5-11, 12-10 after trailing 4-9 in the decider.
A breast cancer survivor and her husband hosted an inaugural charity pickleball tournament at The Sports Haus in Norwalk, Connecticut, to benefit the Bennett Cancer Center's 'Paint the Town Pink' campaign. All net proceeds go toward mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, and support services for women in Fairfield County.
Breast cancer survivor Bonnie Stallings and her husband Andrew hosted an inaugural charity pickleball tournament at The Sports Haus in Norwalk, Connecticut, to benefit the Bennett Cancer Center's "Paint the Town Pink" campaign at Stamford Health. Organizers say 100% of net proceeds will fund mammograms, breast ultrasounds, MRIs, and support services for women in need.
A group of pickleball players at Udall Park, including an off-duty paramedic and two retired nurses, performed CPR and used an AED to revive Charlie Corle after he collapsed without a pulse. Corle survived and has since returned to playing; the group reunited with him at a hospital honor ceremony, and Udall Park players will now have access to CPR/AED training.
World No. 1 Chris Haworth and top women's singles seed Kaitlyn Christian were both knocked out of the PPA Tour Asia season finale in Hong Kong. Noe Khlif beat Haworth 13-11, 11-3 for his first career win over him, while Judit Castillo topped Christian 11-9, 5-11, 12-10, saving two match points along the way.
Pickleball media company Beyond The Bounce announced pro player Zane Navratil is joining to develop original programming, alongside new ownership and advisory additions including Jason Aspes, JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson. The company simultaneously launched a dedicated social platform for players, fans and creators, with a mobile app coming soon.
Days after dedicating new courts at Ben Hawes Park, Owensboro's new Pickle Plex -- an 18-court outdoor complex built through a city partnership with River City Pickleball -- hosted its first tournament, drawing players from across the Tristate region.
The Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam, the season-ending PPA Tour Asia 1500 event at Kai Tak Arena, moved into singles quarterfinals on Oct. 23 featuring rematches from recent Asian swing stops. Grayson Goldin faces Tama Shimabukuro in a rematch of their Shenzhen Open semifinal, while Federico Staksrud meets Hong Kong's Jack Wong; Kaitlyn Christian and Judit Castillo also renew their Brisbane semifinal clash.
At the PPA Tour Asia 1500 Hong Kong Slam at Kai Tak Arena, No. 2 seeds Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin beat Vietnam's Truong Vinh Hien and Do Minh Quan 11-5, 11-2 to reach the men's doubles semifinals, eliminating Vietnam's last remaining pair from the event. The result closes out Vietnam's medal-less run at the season-ending Asia event after medaling at 8 of the tour's 10 2026 Asia stops.
Israeli professional pickleball player Dekel Bar, 33, will compete in the national Pickleball World Championships beginning November 2 in Dallas, where he made the finals two years ago and has won three career titles, including the 2025 PPA Tour Red Rock Open mixed doubles. The report notes pickleball is now the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for five straight years, with more than 24 million American players per a 2026 industry survey.
Pickleball media company Beyond The Bounce announced that pro player and content creator Zane Navratil is joining to develop original programming, part of a broader expansion of the company's ownership and advisory team. The move signals continued investment in pickleball-specific media beyond live tournament broadcasts.
VAIR announced that Calabasas Pickleball Club, a 600+ member facility in Southern California, has selected its rating system as the club's official standard. PPA Tour pro Gabe Joseph, the club's Director of Pickleball, is now a VAIR Pro certified rater.
The Chatham Borough Zoning Board voted 5-1 on Oct. 20 to approve converting two Har-Tru tennis courts into four pickleball courts at the Minisink Club, despite neighbor concerns over noise. Play will be allowed 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with required sound barriers, landscaping, and unannounced noise testing during the first several years.
The Belfast City Council unanimously voted Oct. 20 to remove pickleball nets at City Park for the winter starting Nov. 12, while a working group continues exploring a leased alternative site at PCHC to ease months of noise complaints from neighbors. The move buys time but doesn't resolve the underlying conflict over where to permanently site courts.
At the season-ending PPA Tour Asia 1500 event in Hong Kong, several top singles seeds were upset in the quarterfinals, with Noe Khlif notching his first career win over Chris Haworth. Rematches from recent Asia-swing events in Shenzhen, Hanoi, and Australia dominated the men's and women's singles draws.
Charlie Corle went into cardiac arrest while playing pickleball at Udall Park in Tucson; a retired ER doctor, an off-duty paramedic, and two retired nurses performed CPR and used an AED to revive him. Corle has since recovered and is back playing pickleball; the group reunited at a hospital honor ceremony and the park's players are set to receive CPR training.
The Top Pickleball Tour arrives in Almeria for its second event, running October 23-25 with around 100 competitors and €5,000 in prize money at the Tinglado del Puerto and Palacio de los Juegos Mediterraneos. It follows an opening stop in Gijon that drew more than 70 competitors and thousands of spectators.
Cobb County commissioners voted 4-0 to approve converting a closed Walmart Neighborhood Market on Roswell Road into an indoor recreation venue called The Pickle Pad, featuring 12 pickleball courts, four golf simulators, a bar and a partnering restaurant, Crave Social Eatery. The site, in the Olde Mill Shopping Center where the store closed in 2024, is expected to open this fall.
A new Dill Dinkers franchise indoor pickleball club with four dedicated courts is coming to 330 Gulf Breeze Parkway in Gulf Breeze, Florida. The location, developed by regional franchisees Beth Wilson and Amy Wallace, will offer coaching, leagues and open play; Dill Dinkers now has 32 locations across 15 states.
DUPR announced JOOLA as its new title sponsor, expanding on JOOLA's existing roles as Official Ball of DUPR and title sponsor of the DUPR College Pickleball Tour. DUPR+ members in eligible countries will receive a $30 JOOLA gift card, more than the $19.99 annual membership cost.
Truong Vinh Hien and Do Minh Quan beat Augustus Ge and Armaan Bhatia 2-0 (11-5, 13-11) to become Vietnam's lone representatives in the men's doubles quarterfinals at the PPA Tour Asia 1500 Hong Kong Slam 2026. They'll face No. 2 seeds Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin on October 23, while Hien was eliminated from men's singles by world No. 1 Christopher Haworth.
Owensboro, Kentucky cut the ribbon on the Pickle Plex, an 18-court pickleball complex built on a former softball field, through a partnership between the city and River City Pickleball Inc. The club contributed roughly a third of construction costs, and the venue kicks off its first tournament this Friday, drawing players from across the Tri-State area.
Owensboro, Kentucky cut the ribbon on The Pickle Plex at Ben Hawes Park, an 18-court outdoor facility (16 recreational, 2 championship) built on a former softball field through a city/River City Pickleball Club partnership. The club covered roughly a third of construction costs, and the venue hosts its first tournament, the River City Open, October 23-25.
Palm Springs celebrated the opening of a renovated 22-court pickleball complex at Demuth Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The $5.1 million upgrade adds shade structures, new sports lighting, seating, and drinking fountains, with courts open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The IPA-sanctioned PWR 400 Maharashtra State Selection Trials run October 23-25 in Mumbai, featuring 1,223 matches across 45 categories as players vie for spots on the state team for the IPA Nationals 2026. Pro Men's Singles champion Arjun Singh and mixed doubles champion Pearl Amalsadiwala headline the field.
The Pickle Yard Conference League (PYCL) begins its second season on October 24 at The Pickle Yard SOMO in Bacoor City, Cavite, with eight teams mixing Filipino and international players. The season runs through November 27, with commissioner John Regison Talusan saying the goal is to raise competition level by pairing local talent against international opponents.
Cobb County commissioners voted 4-0 to approve converting a closed Walmart Neighborhood Market on Roswell Road in East Cobb into The Pickle Pad, an entertainment venue with 12 pickleball courts, four golf simulators, a bar, and a kitchen. The venue, paired with the Crave Social Eatery restaurant, is expected to open this fall.
Truong Vinh Hien and Do Minh Quan beat Augustus Ge and Armaan Bhatia 11-5, 13-11 on October 22 to become the only Vietnamese representatives to reach the men's doubles quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Slam 2026, where they'll face second seeds Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin. Hien was eliminated from men's singles by world No. 1 Christopher Haworth, and Vietnam's three women's singles entrants all fell in the round of 16.