Not every development in pickleball lands in the headlines. But across Europe, Asia, and the professional game, smaller shifts continue to shape how the sport is building behind the scenes.
- Spain’s TOPSERIES continues to formalise another European competitive structure
- Singapore is investing in premium, urban-ready pickleball infrastructure
- MLP franchises are expanding into new demographic territory
Europe continues to add another structure
Spain will host the TOPSERIES EVOLVE tournament in Salamanca from May 1–3, part of a four-tier competitive system designed to bring consistency to the European calendar.
The structure — Ultimate, Elite, Evolve, and Challenge — introduces ranking points and a clearer progression model across the season. It is a step towards a more defined tour pathway, rather than a collection of standalone events.
Alongside that, development continues at club level. In the Netherlands, facilities such as TC ’t Goy are adding dedicated courts as part of a wider shift among tennis clubs looking to expand participation.
The country now has around 70 courts, with its national team recently competing at world championship level.
If you’re following how the global game is shifting week by week, the World Pickleball Report breaks this down every Wednesday.
Singapore builds for density
In Singapore, a different kind of development is taking shape.
The Sports Arina @ Jalan Kayu is set to open in late April, featuring a fully enclosed, soundproofed pickleball hall as part of a wider multi-sport complex.
Located next to the Thanggam LRT station, the facility is designed for a dense residential area where space and noise are both limiting factors. The inclusion of soundproofed courts directly addresses one of the sport’s most persistent challenges in urban settings.
Pickleball sits alongside futsal, padel, badminton, and table tennis, with programmes backed by Olympic athletes including Joseph Schooling and Feng Tian Wei.
MLP expands its reach
In the United States, expansion is moving in a different direction.
Major League Pickleball’s Palm Beach Royals are entering the 50+ Champions Series through the acquisition of the Boca Surge, creating a new team within a growing senior division.
The Champions Series, launched in 2022, now features 16 teams and runs alongside the main MLP calendar, with events scheduled in cities such as Chicago and Dallas.
The move extends franchise presence into a demographic that has long been central to pickleball’s participation base, but less visible within its professional structure.
A quieter layer of the sport
None of these are headline stories.
But they reflect how the sport continues to build in different ways at once — through structure, infrastructure, and expansion.
For a clearer view of where the sport is heading each week, you can join the World Pickleball Report here.
Further Reading
- Latest pickleball news from around the world
- Tournament coverage and results
- Rankings and player profiles
- Regional pickleball coverage
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.