World Pickleball Magazine Issue #20: September 2026

WPM

Global. Pickleball. Culture.

The September 2026 issue examines the systems, stories and structures shaping pickleball as it moves from improvisation towards something more lasting.

• Cover story: Can pickleball build stars? The sport has millions of players but struggles to turn elite athletes into lasting public figures
• Bruno Faletto on leaving a successful sales career to chase a second chance at professional sport
• University pickleball takes shape in Japan as students build the first collegiate network
• Inside the Asia Elite Pickleball Academy and its bet on Hainan, China
• The Pickleball World Cup arrives in Da Nang, Vietnam, with nearly 5,000 athletes from 81 countries
• Hall of Fame Class of 2026: Matt Wright, Lucy Kovalova, Dave Weinbach and more
• Tournament scheduling, the RPM Jade paddle, grip technology, and Lee Whitwell on player commitments