What’s the Score?
Bergamo, Italy – The Italian Pickleball Tour (IPT) has unveiled a 2026 season that promises to be as culturally enriching as it is competitive. Kicking off on February 7 in Bergamo, the tour has announced a massive 15-stop circuit that traverses the length of the Italian peninsula. From the northern city of Lodi to the southern coastal town of Marsala, the IPT is positioning itself as the premier “sport-cation” experience in Europe, combining high-level play with the allure of Italian travel.
Hit it deeper!
The 2026 handbook reveals a tour structure designed to maximise participation and flexibility. In a nod to accessibility, the team entry fee has been reduced to €120 per event. The competition format is distinctively social yet competitive: teams must be composed of two men and two women, but a new rule allows for rosters to carry up to three active players who can remain in competition, offering strategic depth.
Innovation is central to the tour’s operation. The IPT has introduced “interchangeable teams,” a system where tournament points follow the individual player rather than the franchise. This ensures that the leaderboard remains dynamic and that players can compete for the title even if their teammates change from city to city. On the court, the tour has adopted rally scoring to ensure fast-paced matches and has standardised the Franklin X-40 as the official ball. Furthermore, the tour is “Powered by DUPR,” ensuring that gender doubles scores are uploaded in real-time to the global rating system, allowing Italian players to build legitimate international rankings.
The schedule is a tour-de-force of Italian geography, hitting major cultural hubs including Bologna, Padova, and Versilia, before culminating in a “spectacular final in a mystery location” in October.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The Italian Pickleball Tour is pioneering a model that may prove more sustainable for Europe than the pure professional model seen in the United States. By explicitly linking the tour to “beautiful locations” and encouraging players to “combine the game with a fun trip,” Italy is leveraging its greatest asset—tourism—to fuel the sport’s growth.
This approach creates a lifestyle brand around pickleball, attracting not just hardcore athletes but travel-minded enthusiasts. However, the integration of DUPR and the use of the Franklin X-40 signals that this is not merely a vacation circuit; it is a serious competitive endeavour disguised as a holiday. If successful, the IPT could become the blueprint for how pickleball federations in culturally rich nations drive engagement and revenue.
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.