Good morning, pickleballers.
All of us here at WPM HQ hope you are enjoying a good start to 2026, that new paddle you got for Christmas has utterly transformed your game and that you have been given the gift of patience.
Before we get cracking with today’s pickleball news, the January issue of World Pickleball Magazine is now live and free to read. Explore global stories from Türkiye, Poland, Italy, Japan, India, Pakistan, and more, alongside wider coverage of governance, refereeing, and how the sport is developing worldwide.
If you enjoy it, please share it with your pickleball friends and communities. You can also follow @worldpickleballmagazine on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the World Pickleball Podcast on Spotify, iTunes, and many other major podcast platforms.
Cultural Smash: Luzhou Hosts National Champions Invitational to Close 2025 Season
Luzhou, China – The 2025 pickleball calendar in China concluded with a flourish of athleticism and civic pride this past weekend, as the Li-Ning & Luzhou Bank Cup National Champions Invitational took centre stage at Olympic Park.
Held in Sichuan Province, the tournament served as more than just a competition; it was a strategic demonstration of the sport’s role in modern Chinese urban development. Organised by a coalition including the Tennis Administration Centre and the Chinese Tennis Association, the event highlighted the government’s increasing reliance on pickleball as a tool for “community-building” and public health.
Xu Li, Head of the Publicity Department for the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee, emphasized the sport’s unique capacity to foster social cohesion. “Pickleball is gradually becoming an important platform for bringing communities together,” Li stated, noting that the event also bolstered local tourism and the sports industry. The tournament featured high-caliber matches that drew strong crowds, signaling the sport’s rapid integration into the region’s cultural landscape.
Looking ahead, officials have ambitious plans for the Invitational. Sun Wenbing, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Tennis Association, hinted that this event is poised to become an annual fixture. He outlined a vision for a “socialised, standardised, and systematic” development path for pickleball, aiming to create a branded tournament that is both high-quality and widely participatory. As the players left the courts in Luzhou, the message was clear: pickleball in China is moving from a novelty to a structured pillar of national fitness and urban vitality.
Doctors on the Court: Medical Professionals Headline India’s 2026 Season Opener
Vadodara, India – The 2026 Indian pickleball season has officially launched in Gujarat, with the “Clinics to Courts” tournament bringing a unique twist to the competitive circuit. Sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) as a PWR 50 event, the tournament kicked off on January 3 at the Dink It Pickleball Club.
While the event features a respectable prize pool of Rs 75,000 and has attracted 60 registered players, the composition of the field has drawn the most attention. In a testament to the sport’s growing appeal among working professionals, more than 50 doctors have traded their stethoscopes for paddles to compete. This heavy participation from the medical community underscores the sport’s reputation for promoting health and active lifestyles.
The competition spans multiple categories, including men’s and women’s doubles, singles, and a 35+ division. The field includes notable talent such as national-level player Nilesh Desai and Harsh Chaudhari, who holds a formidable DUPR rating of 4.4. As an IPA-sanctioned event, players are vying for valuable PWR points to establish their rankings early in the year.
By combining serious competition with a distinct participant demographic, the “Clinics to Courts” event offers an intriguing glimpse into the depth of India’s grassroots pickleball movement. As the first serves fly in Vadodara, the tournament sets a community-focused tone for what promises to be a busy year for Indian pickleball.
Unstoppable Force: Waters Tops Final 2025 Women’s Rankings Amidst Tight Race for Second
Salt Lake City, USA – As the 2026 season looms, the PPA Tour has released its final assessment of the women’s field for 2025, confirming what fans have known all year: Anna Leigh Waters is in a league of her own.
Topping the year-end list, Waters is described as “simply unstoppable” and the clear world number one by a wide margin. However, the analysis reveals a fierce and fluid battle for the second spot. The year concluded with a three-way statistical tie between Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson, and Tyra Black. While Bright has traditionally held the number two position, analysts noted a slight slip in her dominance, attributed partly to mixed doubles partnerships. continually, Tyra Black’s performance on the left side and Jorja Johnson’s surge in mixed doubles have levelled the playing field.
Further down the rankings, the list highlights players in transition. Catherine Parenteau sits at number five, with analysts suggesting her ranking is hindered by a struggle to find a complementary left-side partner. Meanwhile, rising talents like Jade Kawamoto are closing the gap, ending the year tied with her sister Jackie at number eight, thanks to a strong showing in Major League Pickleball.
The rankings also serve as a barometer for generational shifts. Veteran Tina Pisnik, ranked 11th, is predicted to face challenges in 2026 as younger, more powerful players enter the scene. Conversely, players like Kate Fahey (18th) and Kaitlyn Christian (19th) are flagged as athletes with immense potential who are expected to make significant leaps in the coming season once they master the nuances of the doubles game.
Courtroom Drama: Tennis Legend David Lloyd Sued Over £60m Pickleball Venture Branding
London, United Kingdom – A bitter legal dispute has erupted in the British leisure industry, pitting tennis icon David Lloyd against the very company he founded. At the heart of the conflict is a new £60 million pickleball and leisure venture Lloyd plans to launch under the name “David Lloyd’s Sports Gardens”.
David Lloyd Leisure, the upscale health club chain Lloyd sold in 1995 for £200 million, is seeking an injunction to block the use of his name. The company, which now operates 137 clubs across the UK and Europe, argues that Lloyd’s new project infringes on their trademark and risks “misleading the public” into believing the new centres are connected to the existing chain.
The proposed “Sports Gardens” are ambitious, with plans for six large-scale complexes in cities including Glasgow, Cardiff, and Guildford. These centres are designed to focus on family entertainment and emerging racquet sports like pickleball and padel. Lloyd, 78, vehemently denies the claims of brand confusion. “What they are saying is that I am pretending to be them,” Lloyd stated. He argues that his new concept is fundamentally different, operating without the membership model that defines the David Lloyd Leisure clubs.
The dispute hinges on the expiration of a 1993 name deed, which previously restricted Lloyd from promoting tennis-related activities. Lloyd contends that since the agreement expired in 2018, he is free to use his name, but the leisure giant insists it must defend its brand identity, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle over the commercial future of UK pickleball.
Standoff Cemented: UPA Denies Appeal for Banned Players Following Japan Trip Controversy
Dallas, USA – The fracture between the United Pickleball Association (UPA) and a group of professional players has deepened, with the governing body officially denying a collective appeal regarding contract terminations.
Ryan Fu, one of the affected players, revealed on social media that the UPA rejected the appeal filed by him, James Ignatowich, and Vivian Glozman. The trio saw their PPA Tour contracts terminated in December 2025 after travelling to Japan for an event organised by the Pickleball Japan Federation. The UPA maintains that this trip constituted a “black-and-white violation” of their exclusive agreements, citing participation in competitor events.
The players have fiercely contested this interpretation. In their statement, they argued that they did not compete in any organized league or promote a rival tour during their visit. “Nothing in our contracts prohibited this activity,” the group asserted, claiming the trip had been approved in advance.
The controversy is compounded by allegations of double standards regarding disciplinary consistency. Parris Todd, a high-profile player who accompanied the group on the same trip, avoided contract termination. Instead, she was issued a $50,000 fine and a two-event suspension. With the appeal now denied, the UPA has signaled it will not back down, leaving the three players barred from the tour and raising questions about the enforcement of exclusivity clauses in professional pickleball.
Baltic Ambitions: Lithuania Targets Record Numbers for 2026 Open
Dateline: Vilnius, Lithuania – The Lithuanian Pickleball Federation has issued a call to action for players across Europe, aiming to shatter participation records at the upcoming Lithuanian Open 2026.
Following a successful 2025 campaign that saw 193 participants and over 260 entries, organisers have set a new target of 300 players for this year’s edition. The tournament is scheduled to take place at the SEB Arena, a premier facility that will host over 20 courts for the event.
Promising “flawless tournament organisation,” the Federation is positioning the Open as a major stop on the European circuit, inviting the best players from the Baltics and beyond to compete. With registration now open, the event seeks to solidify Lithuania’s status as a growing hub for the sport in Northern Europe.
Digital Launch: Portugal Pickleball Association Debuts on LinkedIn
Lisbon, Portugal – As the 2026 season begins, the Associação Pickleball de Portugal (PTPICKLE) is expanding its digital footprint to foster professional growth within the sport.
The association officially launched its presence on LinkedIn this week, framing the move as a strategic step to consolidate pickleball’s status in the country. PTPICKLE intends to use the platform to share updates on training, competitions, and “structuring projects” that contribute to the sustainable growth of the modality. By connecting with partners, institutions, and the community on a professional network, the association aims to bring renewed energy and organisation to Portuguese pickleball in the new year.
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.