The Report
Johnson v Shimabukuro: 1-1
Good morning, pickleballers.
Hong Kong gave men's singles something it has been short of: a rivalry with a shape. Hunter Johnson won Sunday's final in three games against Tama Shimabukuro, the 15-year-old who beat him in Atlanta in May. That is where we start.
It is also a busy week for the international game. The first MLP Nations Cup begins in Texas on Friday, PPA Tour Asia has named the first four stops of its 2027 season, and we look at an amateur tour that pays the same money at 3.5 as at 5.0+. There is also a coaching piece for anyone who has lost a first game 11-3 and not known what to change.
The Lead · Hong Kong Slam
Johnson v Shimabukuro is the rivalry men's singles needs
Hunter Johnson beat Tama Shimabukuro 11-4, 6-11, 11-7 in the Hong Kong Slam final, levelling their head-to-head at 1-1. Shimabukuro, seeded 22nd, had won their Atlanta semi-final in May, taking the third game 11-1.
Why it matters: an established champion against a teenager who has already beaten him is a story anyone can follow. The tour should treat it like one.
Preview · MLP Nations Cup
Eight teams, one favourite: our Nations Cup power rankings
The first MLP Nations Cup is played at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas, from 30 October to 1 November: eight regional teams of six, a $50,000 prize pool, and only two from each group reaching Sunday.
We expect USA to beat Europe–East in the final, but both European teams sit in our top four. In the UK, coverage starts at 3pm GMT on Friday and Saturday, with the final at 8pm GMT on Sunday on PickleballTV.
Analysis · PPA Tour Asia
Asia starts the year: Bangkok, Manila and a January start
PPA Tour Asia will open 2027 with four PPA Asia 500 events: Bangkok (27–31 January), Manila (24–28 February), Penang (16–20 March) and Ho Chi Minh City (31 March–4 April). Bangkok and Manila are the tour's first events in Thailand and the Philippines.
In 2026 the tour did not begin until 1 April. Now Asian points will be on the table before the PPA Finals in May, which gives players chasing a Finals place a reason to fly east in winter.
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Amateur game · Pickle Money Ball
Same money at every level: the genius and the weak spot
Pickle Money Ball's Fort Lauderdale regional offered about $625,000 to amateurs, paying 16 places in every DUPR division, with the same pool at 3.5 as at 5.0+. Entry was $400 per player, plus a $25 office fee.
Its rating rules protect the lower divisions. The 5.0+ division has no ceiling, and touring professionals were in the field.
Coaching
How to come back after losing the first game
Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson lost the first game of their Hong Kong semi-final 4-11, then won 11-9, 11-2. They didn't scramble back. They changed the shape of the match.
Our guide covers how to diagnose a heavy first game, who to target, how to change the pace, and why a timeout at 1-3 beats one at 2-9.
That's the Report
A rivalry level at one-all, a new team event and an Asian season that now starts in January: the professional game is spreading faster than its calendar. The Nations Cup starts on Friday.