Camron’s First APP Gold & Megan Fudge Shines at Mesa Open
Good morning, pickleballers!
Have you picked up your free copy of the November magazine yet? If not, why not? It's 150 pages of absolute pickleball goodness.
Here's the latest pickleball news from the last 24 hours or so.
Camron Clinches First Gold as Megan Fudge Continues Dominance at APP Mesa Open in Arizona Desert 🌵
Mesa, USA – The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) Tour delivered exhilarating competition during Championship Sunday at the 2025 APP Mesa Open, hosted at the Arizona Athletic Grounds. The tournament saw a mix of elite professional action, AARP Masters and Champions divisions, and a large amateur field.
The Men’s Pro Singles bracket crowned a new champion, as 2025 APP U.S. National Team member Ronan Camron defeated Will Howells (15-9, 15-13) to claim his first career APP Tour gold medal. Camron, who previously held two silver medals in singles, expressed relief, stating he "wanted the big trophy".
Meanwhile, Megan Fudge, the APP Tour’s all-time career medals leader, added two more gold medals to her collection. Fudge and Jill Braverman secured their sixth Women’s Pro Doubles title of the season as a duo, defeating Amanda Hendry and Sofia Sewing (11-3, 12-10). Fudge completed her double gold effort by winning the Mixed Pro Doubles title alongside Jack Munro, defeating Bobbi Oshiro and Will Howells (11-9, 11-7) for their fifth title together in 2025.
In Women’s Pro Singles, Sofia Sewing continued her dominance, clinching her fourth consecutive gold medal and eighth of the 2025 APP Tour season by beating Katerina Stewart (15-7, 15-12). The Men’s Pro Doubles title went to the Pacific Northwest duo of Erik Lange and Max Manthou, who secured their first gold of 2025 by sweeping Robert Slutsky and Zack Taylor (11-5, 11-2).
In the 50+ AARP Champions Division, Jennifer Dawson earned a Triple Crown, winning Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles (with Lee Whitwell), and Mixed Doubles (with Youssef Bouzidi).
Amateur medalists at the Mesa Open earned an APP Passport, guaranteeing registration for the season-ending 2025 APP Tour Championships scheduled for December 9-14 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Global Draft Blitz: WPBL Season 2 Squads Finalized in Mumbai, Set for Record-Breaking 2026 Season ⚡
Mumbai, India – The World Pickleball League (WPBL) officially took a major leap forward on November 10, 2025, as the Season 2 Player Draft successfully united global talent. Held at Jio World Garden, the thrilling selection event saw seven franchises finalize their eight-member squads, locking in 56 athletes representing 18 different nationalities from across five continents.
The pool of registered players for the draft was formidable, featuring 114 athletes from 25 nations. This year, franchises employed sharper scouting strategies and tactical planning to construct balanced, high-performance teams, indicating a more competitive landscape for the 2026 season.
WPBL Founder and CEO Gaurav Natekar highlighted the significance of the event, calling it reflective of the league's future. Natekar noted that the energy was "more strategic, more ambitious" than the inaugural season, emphasizing the encouraging surge of young talent and increased participation from Indian athletes. The league is committed to developing Indian players and offering a platform to showcase their abilities at the highest level.
The 2026 WPBL season, which promises high-octane sporting action mixed with entertainment, will run from January 24 to February 8, 2026, back at the Jio World Garden. The league is marketed as a premium sportainment property, featuring live music, curated fan zones, and premium hospitality designed to make pickleball a lifestyle spectacle.
Notable players drafted include Vanshik Kapadia (Pune United), Max Manthou (Dilli Dillwale), and the legendary Simone Jardim, who will represent the Chennai Super Champs. Other franchises fielding eight-member squads include Bengaluru Jawans, Mumbai Pickle Power, Hyderabad Superstars, and Team Jaipur.
India Ascends: Prabhoo Elected President of Asian Pickleball Federation in Continental Power Shift 🌍
New Delhi, India – In a monumental development for the sport, Arvind Prabhoo, President of the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA), has been unanimously elected as the President of the Asian Federation of Pickleball (AFP). This election underscores India's rapidly expanding influence on the continental pickleball stage.
The restructuring of the AFP leadership team sees four key members of AIPA stepping into major roles. Joining Prabhoo is Rajath Kankar, elected as Vice President (Second); Chetan Sanil, who secured the role of Secretary with seven out of eight votes; and Hemant Phalphar, nominated as the AFP Representative to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Nikhil Arun Mathure, Treasurer of AIPA and Country Representative for India in the AFP, participated by casting India's vote in the elections.
The AFP, established in 2016, serves as the governing body dedicated to the coordination, promotion, and development of pickleball across Asia. India, a permanent member through AIPA, has been pivotal in pioneering grassroots initiatives, raising competitive standards, and hosting international tournaments, positioning Asia as one of the world's fastest-growing pickleball regions.
Prabhoo views this moment as a "proud day for Indian pickleball". He stated that the trust from Asian counterparts reflects the progress achieved together. Looking forward, the focus for the newly elected leadership will be on "deepening partnerships across countries, enhancing competition structures, and creating more opportunities for young athletes to shine on the global stage". This transformative phase for the AFP is expected to be defined by collaboration, innovation, and a unified vision to elevate the sport's profile across Asia and beyond.
Northeast India Dreams Big: Assam Plans Centre of Excellence to Cultivate Regional Pickleball Talent 💡
Guwahati, India – The Assam Pickleball Association (APA), one of the most proactive sporting organizations established in the Northeast region since September 2023, is setting ambitious goals for the sport’s future. The organization's secretary, Nazneen Rahman, confirmed that the APA is planning to develop a North East Centre of Excellence for Pickleball with government assistance. This proposed center would enable Assam to host future leagues and major tournaments.
Rahman shared that when the association was first formed, pickleball was "unheard of in Assam and the Northeast". To foster interest, the APA began conducting extensive grassroots efforts, including awareness camps, workshops, and clinics in community centers, clubs, and schools. These initiatives successfully led to the creation of dedicated courts across Guwahati and surrounding areas, helping to generate substantial interest, particularly among young people.
The progress is already visible in Assam's rising participation rates at national events. Twenty-five athletes from Assam across eight categories are slated to compete in the upcoming IPA Nationals in Bengaluru, a significant leap from the 16 members who attended the previous year's event. Key players to watch include Aditya Bikram Kaman, the men’s open winner at the Assam trials, and consistent women’s players Anangsha Alomyan and Manaswinee Hazarika.
Despite managing training camps and tournaments entirely through member contributions due to a current lack of government funding, the association's influence has spread beyond its borders. The APA has supported pickleball growth in Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Tripura, with plans to expand into Manipur and Mizoram soon, reflecting phenomenal regional growth over the last six months. Rahman encouraged players to "be committed to your goals and dream big," while stressing the need for more structured programs to support player commitment to training.
America's Finest City Welcomes Pickleball Elite: USA Nationals Headed to San Diego's Barnes Tennis Center 🌴
San Diego, USA – Pickleball enthusiasts mark your calendars: the 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships are set to take place at the prestigious Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma from November 15-23. This highly anticipated event will feature elite-level competition, drawing the nation’s most skilled players who qualify for the prestigious tournament.
The choice of San Diego as the host city is viewed as a major boon for the region. USA Pickleball chief executive director Mike Nealy noted that Barnes Tennis Center will offer an "exceptional backdrop, offering a dynamic atmosphere for both participants and spectators alike," celebrating the passion and talent of the pickleball community.
Sports San Diego CEO Mark Neville expressed excitement, stating the event will bring players from across the country, filling hotel rooms and making an economic impact on the city. Last year’s tournament, held in Mesa, Arizona, generated an estimated $3.6 million in economic impact.
The 2025 Championships aim to expand on the success of the 2024 event, which saw massive participation, attracting over 2,600 athletes from 47 U.S. states and 13 countries, alongside more than 10,000 spectators. Barnes Tennis Center’s chief operating officer, Jesse Steinberg, highlighted that hosting the nationals is an "incredible opportunity for San Diego to shine as a premier destination for the sport".
Fans who cannot attend in person will be able to stream all the action on QVC+ and HSN+, the official streaming destinations for the nationals. Beyond the competition, the event will also incorporate community initiatives through USA Pickleball’s charitable division, USA Pickleball Serves.
Counterfeit Chaos: Fake Paddles Flood Market, Threatening Pickleball Innovation and Quality Control 🚨
Southern California, USA – A black market of counterfeit pickleball paddles is booming, causing major economic damage to legitimate brands and undermining the quality and integrity of the sport. Driven by pickleball's explosive popularity, knockoffs, clones, and counterfeits are proliferating rapidly across online platforms like Alibaba, Temu, and eBay.
The problem often begins within weeks of a new product launch. For instance, after CRBN introduced its technical breakthrough, the TruFoam core paddle, lookalikes immediately appeared online for as little as $17, despite being low-quality imitations. CRBN Co-Founder Kyle Goguen acknowledged the frustration, stating that while imitation is flattering, it costs brands significant time and money.
Major brands like CRBN, Selkirk, and JOOLA are common targets due to their brand recognition. The fake paddles are largely produced by faceless, nameless entities operating overseas, and they are incredibly fast to market. Some copies mimic designs, while others brazenly copy logos, trademarks, and product names, making them nearly indistinguishable to casual buyers. Consumers are often tricked by fake advertising, believing they are getting a "deal" on a high-end paddle like the Selkirk Boomstik, which retails for $333 but has fakes selling for $30 or less.
Beyond the cost to brands—which can run into tens of thousands of dollars just for legal action and IP protection—the counterfeit market hurts consumers who receive disappointing, cheaply made products lacking quality control or warranty. One review of a $25 counterfeit found it was made of cardboard, with a flimsy handle, peeling edge guard, and an absence of grit, making ball control nearly impossible.
The prevalence of these unvetted paddles also poses a threat to competitive fairness, as their performance attributes are unknown and unchecked in regulatory testing. Industry leaders are now looking to the governing bodies, including USA Pickleball and the United Pickleball Association of America, to take active measures to combat this "massive problem" and protect the future of innovation.
Waters Makes History as PPA World Championships Sets New Standard for Pickleball Spectacle 🏆
Farmers Branch, USA – The Jenius Bank Pickleball World Championships, held at Brookhaven Country Club, concluded as the "marquee pickleball event of the year," showcasing elite talent and setting a new standard for tournament grandeur. The tournament was also notable as the 100th event in PPA Tour history.
Eighteen-year-old superstar Anna Leigh Waters dominated the proceedings, achieving a historic milestone by becoming the winningest player in PPA Tour history with her 168th career gold medal, surpassing Ben Johns. Waters secured the Women’s Singles final by defeating Kate Fahey, capping her latest Worlds experience with a successful Triple Crown opportunity. She has now successfully completed 38 of 43 career Triple Crown chances at PPA Tour events, boasting an 88% success rate. Additionally, Waters and Anna Bright, the top seeds, cruised to victory in the Women’s Doubles title, capturing their third consecutive title as a duo.
In Men's action, Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin secured their first title of 2025 at the biggest tournament of the year, outdueling Johnson and Klinger.
The World Championships was celebrated not just for its competition but also for its atmosphere. Officials praised the event’s professional execution, organization, and palpable excitement. The venue featured the vibrant Pickleball Boulevard, along with live entertainment including a performance by recording artist Mat Kearney and the Celebrity Pickleball Showdown headlined by Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. As Roscoe Bellamy noted, the event brought "the whole world together," highlighting the massive growth of pickleball.
The T-20 of Racquet Sports: Ashish Khanna Reflects on Pickleball's Transformation into a National Movement 🇮🇳
New Delhi, India – Ashish Khanna, co-founder of Pickleball World Ranking (PWR) and former India tennis player, is reflecting on the incredible growth of pickleball in India, which he calls a nationwide movement. The spark for this revolution ignited in 2018 following a conversation about the future of racquet sports, culminating in Khanna playing his first game on a tennis court in Delhi. He immediately recognized pickleball's potential due to its blend of high skill, accessibility, and social nature.
Khanna, who holds a Masters in Computer Sciences, has remained resilient despite the early hurdles, driven by a shared vision with his friend Mr. Suryaveer Singh Bhullar and the inspiration from India's junior players. He aims to transition India's existing talent in tennis, squash, and badminton to make the country a pickleball superpower, generating a large number of medals.
PWR and the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) work in close partnership, sharing a common end goal: the success and growth of pickleball in India. Their shared focus includes development of infrastructure, structured tournament circuits, and achieving inclusion in the Great Khelo India Movement. Khanna boldly predicts that pickleball will become the second most played sport in India, after cricket, within the next few years.
Infrastructure challenges are mitigated by pickleball's unique adaptability; one tennis or basketball court can be converted into four pickleball courts overnight, allowing the sport to reach nearly every corner of the country. This flexibility, paired with the sport's community appeal, has led to numbers that are "exponentially rising" and defying all logic.
Khanna highlighted the success of players with tennis backgrounds, such as Amrita Mukherjee and Nitten Kirrtane—both Gold medalists at the Pickleball World Cup. India’s performance on the global stage has already impressed, securing a 7th position out of 68 participating countries at the Pickleball World Cup, establishing India as the Number 1 Asian Nation. Looking ahead, the team is pragmatic, aiming to get pickleball included in the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and ultimately the Olympics.
Paramount Cup Delivers Thrills in Malaysia: International and Homegrown Stars Shine at New Pickleball Hub 🥇
Subang, Malaysia – The inaugural Paramount Cup 2025 concluded a spectacular four-day pickleball festival at PLAYA Racquet Club @ PARC Subang, drawing over 700 players and featuring an impressive record prize pool of RM112,500. The event also marked the grand opening of Malaysia’s first purpose-built pickleball hub, blending world-class facilities with vibrant "beach-club vibes".
The tournament saw intense competition across 17 categories, with international stars vying against Malaysia’s rising talent. The international lineup included India's Vanshik Kapadia and Tejas Mahajan, along with players from Australia, Taiwan, and Korea.
Malaysian players made a strong statement on their home turf. In the Open 19+ Men’s Singles, India’s Tejas Mahajan secured the title, but Malaysia’s Syabil Shaharudin finished a notable runner-up, just ahead of India’s Kuldip Ravindra. The local duo of Khoo Er Yang and Syabil Shaharudin narrowly missed the gold in Men's Doubles against the Indian pair of Kapadia and Mahajan. National squash icon turned pickleballer, Delia Arnold, earned third place in the Open 19+ Women's Doubles alongside Sieu Ee Toi.
The event's highlight was the Open 19+ Mixed Doubles final, where Taiwan’s Hsieh Yu-Chieh and India’s Vanshik Kapadia delivered a thrilling performance to claim the title.
Paramount Property CEO Chee Siew Pin celebrated the event's success, noting it surpassed expectations by providing a platform where Malaysian players could rise against top international talent. PLAYA Racquet Club Director Brian Choo added that the tournament proved local players "belong on that stage," confirming that pickleball in Malaysia is "surging to new heights".