The short answer: DUPR is launching a dedicated rating system for wheelchair pickleball, debuting at the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida, in its tenth year. The system sits inside DUPR’s main platform rather than a separate database. US Open president Ben Weinberger backed the move, and DUPR chief executive Tito Machado called it a step forward for inclusion.
The Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating system has confirmed the development and launch of a dedicated evaluation framework specifically for wheelchair athletes. The system is scheduled to make its official debut at the Franklin United States Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida. This structural addition aims to standardise competition and ensure parity across adaptive brackets, aligning wheelchair pickleball with the rating infrastructure used by millions of non-disabled players globally.
The launch coincides with the tenth anniversary of the US Open, one of the most visible and heavily attended events on the international calendar. This prominent debut guarantees significant global exposure for the new system, establishing a baseline standard that international federations and regional tournament directors are expected to adopt for future adaptive competitions.
The initiative has received strong endorsement from tournament leadership. Ben Weinberger, President of Pickle4 and the US Open Pickleball Championships, confirmed that the rating system aligns directly with the event’s commitment to accessibility. The US Open already features a highly competitive, dedicated wheelchair division, and the implementation of accurate rating data is expected to refine the bracketing process, eliminating heavily mismatched early-round encounters and improving the overall quality of competition.
For the athletes, the implementation of a mathematical rating metric provides a legitimate pathway for measuring progression. Wheelchair pickleball advocate Ryan Anthony stated that the structure will grant adaptive athletes the confidence to compete, knowing their skill levels are officially recognised and accurately bracketed. The ability to verify one’s standing within a global database removes the ambiguity previously associated with entering adaptive tournaments across different regions.
The rating organisation’s chief executive, Tito Machado, framed the launch as a fundamental progression for the sport’s inclusive principles. He noted that the system reflects the true diversity of the game, ensuring that the competitive infrastructure supports athletes regardless of their physical requirements. The organisation has committed to releasing detailed technical specifications regarding the algorithm’s functionality and the broader rollout timeline in the lead-up to the Naples event.
The move follows recent updates to the broader platform, including the introduction of a reset feature allowing players to reassess their standing through active competition. The inclusion of wheelchair metrics indicates a strategic expansion by the organisation to provide comprehensive coverage across all permutations of the sport, solidifying its position as the standard metric for global pickleball proficiency.
What’s the score?
The creation of a dedicated wheelchair rating system provides the adaptive pickleball community with the vital structural infrastructure required for legitimate, balanced competition. By eliminating subjective skill assessments and replacing them with a standardised global metric, tournament directors can guarantee fairer draws, while athletes gain a measurable pathway to track their competitive development on an international scale.
Hit it deeper!
The World pickleball magazine verdict
The launch of a dedicated wheelchair rating system is a landmark moment in the professionalisation of adaptive pickleball. It replaces goodwill and guesswork with data-driven infrastructure, providing adaptive athletes with the professional respect and competitive parity they deserve.
This initiative proves that the sport is building an infrastructure capable of supporting its rapid global expansion across all demographics. Establishing this standard at the 2026 US Open guarantees that inclusive competition will remain central to the future identity of international pickleball.
Explore more global reporting in our pickleball news coverage, follow major events through the international pickleball tournaments calendar, and track competitive progression through the pickleball rankings and player profiles. Wider international development stories can also be found in our global pickleball regions hub.
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