Austria is preparing for its biggest pickleball tournament yet, referees are still wrestling with the sport’s most unusual new fault, and MLP St Petersburg is already producing storylines ahead of Super Sunday.

Key Takeaways

  • Austria’s first international prize-money tournament is approaching with growing momentum.
  • The debate over pickleball’s newest “blowing” fault points to wider frustration around rule consistency.
  • Riley Newman returned unbeaten as St Petersburg’s group standings began to take shape.

Austria Makes Its Move

Austria’s ambitions within European pickleball are becoming increasingly visible ahead of next week’s Base X Pickleball Austrian Open.

The Pickleball Federation Austria has spent the past month doing more than promoting an event. Earlier this month, organisers built a showcase court in Vienna’s Rathausplatz as part of the Sport Austria Finals, introducing hundreds of people to the sport in one of the city’s most recognisable public spaces.

The Austrian Open itself, scheduled for 26-28 June in Oberpullendorf, will be the country’s first international prize-money tournament. European champion Stephen Preissler is expected to compete alongside Prycen Haas, while William Sobek and Jamie Haas bring American professional experience to the field.

Perhaps more interestingly, organisers say a dedicated centre court constructed for the event will remain in place afterwards, giving Austria something many European countries still lack: permanent infrastructure attached to a flagship tournament.

Not every country needs to copy the American model. Austria appears to be quietly trying to build its own.

Pickleball’s Strangest Fault Refuses To Go Away

Officials continue to enforce interpretations prohibiting players from blowing on the ball or deliberately creating airflow with their paddles to alter the ball’s movement over the net.

It remains an incredibly low-percentage tactic, more likely to appear in social media highlight clips than in a championship match. Yet the reaction from players has been telling.

The issue itself may matter less than what it represents.

Professional pickleball continues to operate with overlapping rulebooks and differing interpretations between governing bodies. For players and referees alike, introducing or emphasising niche calls midway through a season can feel less like clarification and more like another layer of uncertainty.

The argument is not really about blowing on the ball.

It is about consistency.

Newman Starts Strong In St Petersburg

Riley Newman’s return to Major League Pickleball could hardly have gone much better.

The Brooklyn player finished Day Two unbeaten after missing time through injury, providing an encouraging sign for a team hoping to improve its position heading into the second half of the season.

Elsewhere, Chicago Slice and St Louis Shock both emerged with 2-0 records to sit atop their respective groups heading towards Super Sunday, where valuable standings points remain available.

The bigger stories from St Petersburg are still likely to come, but Newman returning healthy is one worth monitoring.

Further Reading

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Chris Beaumont

Founder and Editor-in-Chief
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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…

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