March on the APP Tour did not revolve around one player, one rivalry, or one defining result.
Instead, it showed something different.
A tour building the game across multiple levels at once, from college to the senior ranks, from emerging internationals to established professionals.
A Tour Built on Depth
The clearest signal came early.
On March 3, the APP confirmed a series of multi-year player signings, locking in a mix of established names and emerging talent.
- Megan Fudge, the most decorated player in APP history
- Sofia Sewing, fresh off a 13-gold season
- Veterans and international names including Simone Jardim, Jack Munro, Quang Duong, Casey Diamond, and Bobbi Oshiro
This was not just about star power.
It was about continuity.
A tour that retains its players can build something more stable around them.
Quick Take
- Multi-year contracts
- Mix of experience and youth
- International representation
👉 This is a roster designed to last, not rotate.
The Collegiate Layer Is Growing Fast
If the pro signings show stability, the collegiate game shows scale.
At the APP Selkirk U.S. Collegiate Championships in Cape Coral, 40 university programmes competed for a $50,000 prize pool.
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) emerged as champions, defeating Utah Tech 3–1 in the final.
But the story was not just the result.
It was the depth within it.
- Alec LaMacchio claimed men’s singles and doubled up in men’s doubles
- Mary Monson (Utah Tech) took titles in women’s doubles and mixed
- Tate Keber (Florida State) secured women’s singles gold
This is no longer a novelty tier.
It is a pipeline.
Extending the Career Window
The most distinctive part of the APP structure continues to be its investment in older divisions.
The announcement of the 2026 Humana Cup reinforced that.
A season-long team competition for players aged 50+ and 60+, featuring:
- 12 teams across two divisions
- Over 150 players
- A schedule integrated across seven tour stops
The format is simple, round-robin team play across men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles, but the impact is not.
What Makes This Different
- Dedicated 50+ and 60+ competitions
- Full season structure, not one-off events
- Integration with the main tour calendar
👉 This is not an add-on.
👉 It is a second tier of the professional game.
Seattle: The Season Starts on Court
The APP’s 2026 season opened in Seattle with the AARP Open, bringing all of these layers together in one event.
Casey Diamond was the standout, taking two gold medals:
- Men’s doubles (with Aidan Schenk)
- Mixed doubles (with Vivian Glozman)
Elsewhere:
- Max Green claimed his first APP singles title
- Katerina Stewart controlled the women’s singles final
- Fudge / Sewing dominated women’s doubles in their first major outing as a partnership
But the event also reflected the broader structure of the tour.
Across the Divisions
- Lee Whitwell secured double gold in the 50+ Champions division
- Barry Mah did the same in the 65+ Masters division
The same event.
Different stages of the game.
All given equal space.
What the APP Is Becoming
March did not produce a single defining moment.
It clarified the role of the tour.
The APP is not trying to mirror the very top of the sport.
It is building everything around it.
- A collegiate pathway
- A stable pro roster
- A structured 50+ and 60+ competitive system
- Events that bring all of it together
Closing Thought
If the PPA is defining the highest level of play, the APP is shaping everything beneath it.
And over time, that may matter just as much.
Chris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at all levels of pickleball. Chris is also an avid player, currently struggling to make the breakthrough from 4.0 to 4.5.