Istanbul Calling: Where East Meets West on the Pickleball Court
By Davut Güngör and Alex Nişan Kıllıoğlu, Turkiye correspondents
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Turkey’s inaugural EPIC World Championship Qualifier brought 39 teams to Istanbul for two days of fierce competition—and a shot at representing their nation on the world stage in Singapore.
The low murmur of Turkish and English were blending together in the corridors outside. On this February morning, with the grey waters of the Sea of Marmara visible through the campus windows, something unprecedented was unfolding inside.
For the first time in its history, Turkey was hosting an official EPIC World Championship Qualifier—a gateway event in the global network that feeds into the largest and most ambitious amateur pickleball championship ever staged. Thirty-nine teams, drawn from cities across the country, had converged on Istanbul’s European shore for a shot at glory and, more importantly, a ticket to Singapore.
There were teenagers with tournament bags slung over their shoulders and veterans with decades of racket-sport experience etched into their forehands. There were players who had driven through the night from the Aegean coast and others who had taken the ferry across the Bosphorus that morning. What united them was a conviction—shared, unspoken, almost palpable in the charged air of the sports hall—that this weekend could change everything.
The date was February 7, 2026. By the time the final paddle was raised in victory the following evening, Turkish pickleball would never look the same again.
THE STAGE
Istanbul has played host to Champions League finals, Formula 1 Grand Prix races, and World Athletics Championships. It is a city accustomed to the weight of international competition. But inside the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Istanbul Aydin University (IAU)—one of Turkey’s most respected private universities and the venue partner for this qualifier—the stakes felt unexpectedly personal. There were no 80,000-seat arenas here, no television helicopters circling overhead. What there was instead felt more intimate and, in its own way, more intense: a community of athletes who had spent months preparing for precisely this moment, packed into a state-of-the-art indoor facility with professional court setups, electronic scoreboards, and the unmistakable buzz of a sport on the rise.
The IAU campus in Florya—a leafy, well-heeled neighbourhood along Istanbul’s southern coastline—provided an elegant backdrop. Between matches, players wandered the tree-lined pathways, chatted over Turkish tea in the campus cafés, and took in the kind of scenery that only Istanbul can offer: minarets and modern skyline, ancient history and athletic ambition, coexisting as naturally as the two continents the city bridges.
THE ORGANISATIONS BEHIND THE MOVEMENT
To appreciate what this qualifier meant, one first needs to understand who built the stage.
The event was organised by URSD (Uluslararası Raket Sporları Derneği—the International Racket Sports Association), the organisation that has served as the operational backbone of competitive pickleball in Turkey. Co-organised by Türkiye Pickleball, the official Turkish representative of the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF), the qualifier carried the full institutional weight of Turkey’s pickleball infrastructure.
At the helm were two figures who have become synonymous with Turkish pickleball: Alex Kıllıoğlu, Founding President of URSD and Vice President of Türkiye Pickleball, who served as Event Director; and Davut Güngör, President of Türkiye Pickleball and Vice President of URSD, who coordinated the tournament’s day-to-day operations. Together, they have built Turkey’s pickleball ecosystem from scratch—developing coaching certification programs, establishing league systems, forging international partnerships, and, critically, nurturing the grassroots player base that filled the courts in Florya.
Sanctioned by the EPIC World Championship—the Singapore-based organisation co-founded by Victor Cui and Yui See Lau that has rapidly established itself as the premier destination for amateur pickleball competition worldwide—the Istanbul qualifier was officially integrated into EPIC’s global network. Results were recorded in both the DUPR rating system and the Türkiye Pickleball Portal, ensuring every rally carried international weight.
THE FORMAT: PRECISION MEETS PASSION
The tournament was structured around three doubles categories: Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. A total of 39 teams— 78 athletes representing cities from across Turkey—competed over two days of action. All participants were required to hold a valid DUPR profile, ensuring standardised and transparent competition from the opening serve to the final point.
The format was deliberately designed to balance opportunity with intensity. A round-robin group stage guaranteed every team multiple matches and meaningful court time, while a single-elimination playoff bracket introduced the high-stakes, win-or-go-home drama that defines championship pickleball. A 50,000 TL prize pool added tangible reward, but it was what lay beyond the bracket that truly electrified the field.
Category champions earned a Golden Ticket to the EPIC World Championship in Singapore—complete with free tournament entry and official URSD hospitality. Teams that advanced from the group stage secured their EPIC qualification along with an exclusive discounted entry fee of just $175, a fraction of the standard $888 rate. Dropick, Turkey’s homegrown pickleball equipment brand and the event’s official equipment sponsor, sweetened the pot further with 2,000 TL equipment vouchers for qualifying teams. And every single participant—win or lose—walked away with a 50% discount on entry to the upcoming WPC Malaga event, while category champions earned free WPC Malaga entry outright.
TWO DAYS, THIRTY-NINE TEAMS, ONE DREAM
From the moment the first serve dropped on Friday morning, the Istanbul qualifier delivered the kind of drama that no scriptwriter could fabricate. The group stages were a revelation—not for one or two dominant performances, but for the sheer depth of quality across the draw. Teams traded leads, saved match points, and produced rallies that drew gasps from the bleachers. Between matches, the corridors hummed with tactical discussions, nervous laughter, and the particular kind of camaraderie that only competition can forge.
By Saturday afternoon, the round-robin phase had given way to the single-elimination playoffs, and the atmosphere inside the IAU sports hall shifted. The casual chatter disappeared. Spectators leaned forward. Coaches paced the sidelines. This was knockout pickleball—where every point matters and there is nowhere to hide.
MEN’S DOUBLES: THE STANDARD-BEARERS
The Men’s Doubles field was loaded with ambition and talent, and the final lived up to every expectation. Çağkan Yılmaz and Hüseyin Özdem emerged as the class of the draw, combining aggressive net play with an almost telepathic understanding of each other’s positioning. Yılmaz, in particular, was a revelation—a player whose footwork and shot selection suggested a maturity well beyond his years. Özdem, already a name in Turkish pickleball circles, brought the kind of composed, big-point mentality that separates contenders from champions.
The silver medal went to İzzet Aydın and Muhammet Mustafa Can, who pushed the eventual champions hard and demonstrated a tenacious defensive style that neutralised opponent after opponent en route to the final. Gökhan Kuş and Kerem Çınar claimed the bronze, rounding out a podium that reflected the growing depth of men’s pickleball in Turkey.
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: GRACE AND GRIT
If the men’s draw was defined by power and pace, the women’s competition was a masterclass in tactical intelligence and resilience. Melike Gidirişlioğlu and Kader Yalçın captured the gold with a display of precision dinking, patient rally construction, and clinical finishing that left opponents scrambling. Yalçın, whose tournament would become one of the event’s great stories, played with a ferocious consistency that earned her admirers throughout the draw. Rumeysa Altıntaş and Damla Nadaroğlu earned a hard-fought silver medal, while the bronze went to Duru Bekaroğlu and Satı Gül Özen—the latter a name that would reappear in the Mixed Doubles draw with her partner Ekin Leyl Özen.
MIXED DOUBLES: THE CROWD FAVOURITE
Mixed Doubles is always the category that brings the galleries alive, and Istanbul was no exception. The gold medal match was a thriller from start to finish, with Ekin Leyl Özen and Polatkan Ayvaz ultimately prevailing through a combination of raw athleticism, strategic serving, and an ability to raise their level in the decisive moments.
The silver medal duo of Duru Bekaroğlu and Çağkan Yılmaz underlined the extraordinary versatility of both players—Bekaroğlu earning her second medal of the weekend having already taken bronze in Women’s Doubles, and Yılmaz adding a silver to his Men’s Doubles gold. Kerem Çınar and Kader Yalçın rounded out the podium with bronze, with Yalçın joining Yılmaz, Çınar, and Bekaroğlu in the exclusive club of athletes who medaled in multiple categories.
THE IRON FOUR: MULTI-MEDAL PERFORMERS
Every great tournament produces its heroes, and the Istanbul qualifier was defined by four athletes whose stamina, skill, and competitive appetite set them apart from the field.
Çağkan Yılmaz was the tournament’s breakout star. His gold medal in Men’s Doubles with Hüseyin Özdem was followed mere hours later by a run to the Mixed Doubles final alongside Duru Bekaroğlu. Playing at the highest intensity across two categories over two days is a test of physical and mental endurance that only the most complete athletes can survive. Yılmaz didn’t just survive—he thrived.
Kader Yalçın proved equally relentless. Having already pocketed Women’s Doubles gold with Melike Gidirişlioğlu, she turned around and fought her way to a Mixed Doubles bronze with Kerem Çınar. Her ability to maintain peak performance across back-to-back categories earned her the respect of every player and coach in the building.
Kerem Çınar was the quiet engine of consistency throughout the weekend. He earned bronze in Men’s Doubles alongside Gökhan Kuş, then returned to the court and claimed another bronze in Mixed Doubles with Kader Yalçın. While others grabbed the headlines, Çınar’s steady, composed performances across both categories marked him as one of the most dependable competitors in the draw—the kind of player every partner wants beside them when the pressure builds.
Duru Bekaroğlu completed the quartet, claiming Women’s Doubles bronze and Mixed Doubles silver in a weekend that showcased her remarkable adaptability—shifting seamlessly between partners and playing styles without missing a beat.
“What these athletes showed is that Turkish pickleball is producing multi-dimensional competitors. They’re not specialists in one format—they’re complete players who can compete at the highest level across categories.”
— Alex Kıllıoğlu, Event Director
THE ROAD TO SINGAPORE
The qualified athletes from Istanbul now set their sights on the EPIC World Championship, scheduled for April 30–May 3, 2026, at Singapore’s iconic Kallang Tennis Centre within the Singapore Sports Hub. Backed by a three-year partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board and co-founded by sports industry veterans Victor Cui and Yui See Lau, the inaugural EPIC World Championship is poised to be the defining event in amateur pickleball’s global calendar.
An estimated 1,500 players from around the world are expected to compete across men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, and team formats. The guaranteed prize purse starts at USD $50,000 and grows with every new registration, with champions also receiving a cruise voucher aboard Star Cruise Genting valued at over $1,800. Every registered athlete will receive a gift bag valued at several hundred dollars—a testament to EPIC’s commitment to treating amateur athletes like the professionals they aspire to be.
For Turkey’s qualified players, Singapore represents more than a championship—it is a chance to announce Turkish pickleball to the world. Having earned their spots through the intensity of the Istanbul qualifier, they will arrive at the Kallang Tennis Centre not as unknowns but as proven competitors with a story to tell.
“We’re not just sending athletes to Singapore. We’re sending ambassadors. These players carry with them the work of hundreds of coaches, thousands of players, and years of building something meaningful from the ground up.”
— Davut Güngör, Tournament Coordinator
WHAT’S NEXT: WPC ISTANBUL OPEN WITH PCL NATIONS LEAGUE EUROPE
The EPIC qualifier was just the opening act. Turkish pickleball’s international calendar is accelerating, and the next major event is already confirmed: the WPC Istanbul Open with PCL Nations League Europe, scheduled for April 16–19, 2026. And it comes with a twist that only Istanbul could deliver.
ONE TOURNAMENT. TWO CONTINENTS
Istanbul is the only city on earth that straddles two continents. The WPC Istanbul Open will leverage this unique geography with an extraordinary proposition: players competing at the tournament will earn ranking points on both the WPC European Tour and the WPC Asian Tour simultaneously. Play once, rank twice. There is simply no other place in the world where this is possible.
The stage moves to Inventist Academy & Hotel (inventist.com.tr), a premium multi-sport complex located in ÇekmeKöy on Istanbul’s Asian side. Inventist is far more than a conventional venue: it is a fully integrated sports campus featuring world-class indoor courts, a 60-room on-site hotel with 157 beds, multiple dining options including RedMoon Food+Bar, wellness and swimming facilities for athlete recovery, and the Gostar sports retail store. With 128 parking spaces, direct metro access via ÇekmeKöy and Dudullu stations, and proximity to both Sabiha Gökçen Airport (32 km) and Istanbul Airport (52 km), Inventist offers a true all-in-one destination where athletes can train, compete, recover, dine, and socialise without ever leaving the grounds.
THE BROADEST INTERNATIONAL PICKLEBALL EVENT IN TURKISH HISTORY
The WPC Istanbul Open will feature 16 competitive events spanning Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles across four age divisions: +19, +35, +50, and +60—making it the broadest-spectrum international pickleball competition ever held on Turkish soil.
Perhaps the most exciting addition is the introduction of Junior categories for the first time at an international pickleball event in Turkey. Athletes aged 9–11 and 12–14 will compete in dedicated divisions, marking a landmark moment for youth development in the region. With Turkey’s extensive school-based pickleball programs and coaching network already in place, the junior categories promise to showcase the next generation of Turkish talent on an international stage.
The four-day schedule is meticulously organized: Day 1 (April 16) features Doubles and Singles for the +50 and +60 categories; Day 2 (April 17) is dedicated to Mixed Doubles across all ages and the launch of the PCL Nations League Europe team event; Day 3 (April 18) showcases Singles for +35 and +19 alongside continued PCL team play; and Day 4 (April 19) culminates with Doubles for +35 and +19, the PCL finals, and the grand Awards Ceremony.
Organisers expect over 200 athletes from 15+ countries to participate. The dual branding—combining the World Pickleball Championship (WPC) circuit with the PCL Nations League Europe—positions Istanbul as a nexus for both individual excellence and national team competition. The PCL team format, running across multiple days, will see national delegations competing for European ranking and pride—adding a Ryder Cup-style layer of drama to the individual competition.
The official tournament page is live at wpc-istanbul.vercel.app, with further information via ursd.org and turkiyepickleball.com. With the EPIC qualifier’s success fresh in memory and a world-class venue secured, the WPC Istanbul Open is already generating significant buzz across both the European and Asian pickleball communities.
“Istanbul is becoming a hub for international pickleball. We have the venues, the infrastructure, and the player base. With the WPC Istanbul Open, we’re proving Turkey can host back-to-back world-class events—and our junior categories will give the world its first look at the next generation of Turkish players.”
— Alex Kıllıoğlu, President of URSD
THE BIGGER PICTURE: TURKEY’S PICKLEBALL AMBITION
The Istanbul qualifier and the upcoming WPC event are pieces of a much larger puzzle. URSD and Türkiye Pickleball have articulated an ambitious long-term vision: expanding EPIC qualifiers to multiple Turkish cities in the coming years, with Ankara, Antalya, and İzmir as leading candidates. Discussions are underway about hosting future EPIC regional championships, and the organisations have made no secret of their aspiration to one day bring the EPIC World Championship itself to Istanbul—a city uniquely positioned at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, with world-class sporting infrastructure and a hospitality tradition that few cities can rival.
The development pipeline extends beyond elite competition. Youth development remains a strategic priority, with coaching networks, school programs, and junior tournament pathways designed to ensure that the athletes who shone at the Istanbul qualifier are only the beginning. The introduction of adapted formats for players with disabilities further reflects a commitment to making pickleball truly universal. For the global pickleball community, Turkey’s emergence is significant. It represents the sport’s expansion beyond its traditional North American and Southeast Asian strongholds into a region that is hungry for new sporting narratives. With a young, sports-mad population, a strategic geographic location, and an organisational structure that has been deliberately built for international competition, Turkey is positioning itself not merely as a participant in the global pickleball story—but as one of its principal authors.
Back in Florya, as the last echoes of applause faded from the IAU sports hall and the courts were swept clean, the champions packed their bags with Singapore on their minds. The medals around their necks were earned on Turkish soil, but the journey they’ve embarked on reaches far beyond any border. In a sport that thrives on accessibility, community, and the joy of competition, Istanbul’s first EPIC qualifier was a reminder of what happens when passion meets opportunity—and when a nation decides that its athletes deserve a place on the world stage.
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.