Pickleball Buzz
What the pickleball world is talking about (updated 2026-10-23T06:13-05:00). Items marked Unconfirmed are rumors or chatter with no official confirmation. Every item links to its sources; X posts are shown with X's official embeds.
PPA Hong Kong Slam quarterfinals: both top women's singles seeds fall, Ben Johns beats brother Collin, and Ben/ALW win 11-1, 11-0
Friday (Hong Kong time) was quarterfinal day at Kai Tak Arena. Women's singles lost its top two seeds: Judit Castillo beat No. 1 Kaitlyn Christian 11-9, 5-11, 12-10, and Andie Dikosavljevic beat No. 2 Chao Yi Wang 11-8, 11-6. Kiora Kunimoto beat Yufei Long 8-11, 11-6, 11-3 and Sahra Dennehy beat Rika Fujiwara 11-6, 8-11, 11-3. Men's singles: Federico Staksrud survived home favorite Hong Kit (Jack) Wong 8-11, 11-9, 12-10. Wong, the last Hong Kong player left, had match point at 10-9 in the decider (The Standard). Noe Khlif beat Christopher Haworth 13-11, 11-3, Hunter Johnson beat Connor Garnett 11-9, 11-4, and Tama Shimabukuro beat Grayson Goldin 11-9, 8-11, 11-6. Men's doubles: Ben Johns and Gabriel Tardio beat Collin Johns and Len Yang 11-3, 11-3. Also through: Staksrud/Patriquin, Garnett/Frazier and Shimabukuro/JW Johnson. Women's doubles: Bright/Waters, Sewing/Parenteau, Rohrabacher/Todd and Jorja Johnson/Tyra Hurricane Black. Mixed: Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters beat Jonathan Truong and Jessie Irvine 11-1, 11-0. Also through: Bright/Patriquin, Jorja/JW Johnson and Ting Chieh Wei/Hunter Johnson, who beat Christian/Frazier 5-11, 11-5, 11-9. Semifinals per the official feed: women's singles Dikosavljevic vs. Dennehy and Castillo vs. Kunimoto; men's singles Khlif vs. Shimabukuro and Staksrud vs. Hunter Johnson; men's doubles Ben Johns/Tardio vs. Shimabukuro/JW Johnson and Staksrud/Patriquin vs. Garnett/Frazier; women's doubles Bright/Waters vs. Sewing/Parenteau and Black/Jorja Johnson vs. Rohrabacher/Todd; mixed Bright/Patriquin vs. Jorja/JW Johnson.
Sources: @PPAtour: Castillo d. No. 1 Christian @PPAtour: Dikosavljevic d. No. 2 Wang @PPAtour: Staksrud d. Wong @PPAtour: Ben Johns/Tardio d. Collin Johns/Yang @PPAtour: ALW/Ben Johns 11-1, 11-0 @PPAtour: Wei/Hunter Johnson d. Christian/Frazier ThePickleHub (results mirror of official PPA feed) The Standard (HK): Jack Wong falls just short PPA Tour Asia event page
JOOLA becomes DUPR's title sponsor ('DUPR powered by JOOLA'), with a $30 JOOLA gift card for DUPR+ members
DUPR announced on Oct. 22 that JOOLA is its title sponsor, and the rating platform will be branded 'DUPR powered by JOOLA.' As part of the deal, DUPR+ members in eligible countries get a $30 JOOLA gift card. DUPR+ costs $19.99 a year, so the card is worth more than the membership. The deal adds to JOOLA's existing DUPR ties: the JOOLA HC-40 is already the Official Ball of DUPR for DUPR-operated and sanctioned play, including Minor League Pickleball and College Pickleball, and JOOLA is title sponsor of the DUPR College Pickleball Tour. The release quotes DUPR CEO Tito Machado and JOOLA President and CEO Richard Lee.
Noise rules: Sengkang names its 9 pickleball courts (from Nov. 1), and South Pasadena keeps courts open until 10 p.m.
Singapore: from Nov. 1, Sengkang Town Council will allow pickleball at only nine approved courts, from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Pickleball will be banned at other courts that are too close to homes or where enough residents voted for a ban. The approved sites are Anchorvale Vista (near Blocks 310B and 312A), Aspella (275B), Compassvale North Gate (262C), Rivervale Gardens (120D), Rivervale Bank (121B), Rivervale View (161), Rivervale Shores (175) and Rivervale Haven (197). The council's Oct. 8 survey of 2,092 residents found 55.1% negatively affected, mostly by ball-impact noise. The Straits Times added the court list on Oct. 23. California: after almost two hours of public comment on Oct. 21, the South Pasadena City Council voted 3-1 to keep the Orange Grove and Garfield Park courts open until 10 p.m., rejecting a 9 p.m. recommendation. Opening time moves from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. The council also approved, 4-0, one reservable court per park (up to 60 minutes) and permits for groups of 25+, leagues and other organized play. The rules are a six-month pilot that starts after the courts are resurfaced.
Sources: The Straits Times Sengkang Town Council release Mothership The South Pasadenan
New courts: a closed east Cobb Walmart becomes The Pickle Pad (12 courts), and Arlington, Tenn., adds 12 pickleball courts
Cobb County, Ga.: commissioners voted 4-0 this week to allow an indoor sports facility in the former Walmart Neighborhood Market at the Olde Mill Shopping Center (Roswell and Old Canton roads). It will become a franchise of The Pickle Pad and Crave Social Eatery, with 12 pickleball courts, four golf simulators, games and a bar. Owner Jay Mathis told East Cobb News he's aiming to open by January and plans three more metro Atlanta locations. This confirms the item we flagged as unverified on Oct. 22. Arlington, Tenn.: the town is adding 12 pickleball courts and two tennis courts to its tennis center, per Action News 5.
Worlds countdown: Opendoor Pickleball World Championships Oct. 30-Nov. 8 in Farmers Branch, and MLP says Bright and Ben Johns will represent the USA at the Nations Cup
The PPA is promoting the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, Oct. 30-Nov. 8 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas. MLP's '8 days out' post for the inaugural MLP Nations Cup (Oct. 30-Nov. 1, also at Brookhaven) features Anna Bright and Ben Johns representing the USA. A separate MLP post spotlights Sahra Dennehy on Australia's squad. Also from the PPA: Virginia Beach produced three first-time champions (Jaume Martinez Vich, Elliott Schupp and Sofia Sewing), and Hayden Patriquin is Rate's September Player of the Month.
Sources: @PPAtour on X @MajorLeaguePB on X @MajorLeaguePB: Dennehy, Team Australia @PPAtour: Virginia Beach first-time champions @PPAtour: Patriquin, Player of the Month
PPA Hong Kong Slam, Round of 16: Christian Alshon gives walkovers in all three events; Ben/Tardio and Bright/ALW roll; Haworth and Hunter Johnson lose in men's doubles
Thursday (Hong Kong time) was round-of-16 day at Kai Tak Arena. The biggest story: Christian Alshon won all three of his matches Wednesday, then gave walkovers in all three of his round-of-16 matches. The official bracket records them as walkovers and gives no reason (ThePickleBase). Grayson Goldin advances in men's singles, Zane Navratil and George Wall in men's doubles (over Yuta Funemizu/Alshon, the No. 3 seeds), and Ting Chieh Wei and Hunter Johnson in mixed (over Parris Todd/Alshon). Scores from ThePickleHub's mirror of the official feed, as of about 5 a.m. CT: Ben Johns and Gabriel Tardio beat Luc Pham and Will Mackinnon 11-2, 11-5. Eric Oncins and Noe Khlif beat Hunter Johnson and Christopher Haworth 11-5, 11-1. Tama Shimabukuro and JW Johnson beat Casey Diamond and Tyson McGuffin 11-1, 11-3. Collin Johns and Len Yang got past home pair Eunggwon Kim and Hong Kit Wong 11-3, 8-11, 11-5. Women's doubles: Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters beat Jamie Haas and Rika Fujiwara 11-0, 11-3. Sahra Dennehy and Danni-Elle Townsend upset Allyce Jones and Kaitlyn Christian 11-7, 4-11, 11-6. Singles: Haworth beat Hien Truong 11-4, 11-3, Hunter Johnson beat McGuffin 11-8, 11-7, Shimabukuro beat Luc Pham 11-2, 11-2, and Federico Staksrud came back to beat Oncins 2-11, 11-4, 11-6. Christian beat Ho Tam 11-0, 11-3. Friday's women's singles quarterfinals: Christian vs. Judit Castillo, Yufei Long vs. Kiora Kunimoto, Chao Yi Wang vs. Andie Dikosavljevic, and Dennehy vs. Fujiwara. Haworth plays Khlif in the men's singles quarterfinals. Women's doubles quarterfinals include Bright/Waters vs. Dennehy/Townsend. Ben Johns/Waters vs. Alix Truong/Haworth (mixed round of 16) was still live when we checked.
Sources: ThePickleHub (results mirror of official PPA feed) ThePickleBase (Alshon walkovers, R32/R16 report) PPA Tour YouTube (Round of 16 live, Championship Court) PPA Tour Asia (seeds) Pickleball News Asia (Day 2 recap)
The Picklr bankruptcy: judge signs interim DIP order (up to $4.365M); final hearing Nov. 10 in Dallas
The DIP loan was the item we said was still pending yesterday. The bankruptcy court in the Northern District of Texas signed the interim DIP financing order on Oct. 21 (Dkt. 43 on the Omni Agent Solutions docket). It authorizes up to $4,365,000: $3.51 million in new-money term loans, of which up to $900,000 can be borrowed in the interim period, plus a roll-up of $850,000 in pre-petition bridge loans. Dynamus Alliance, LLC is the pre-petition bridge-loan agent. The loans get first-priority liens and superpriority administrative status, subject to a carve-out. The final DIP hearing is set for Nov. 10, 2026 at 2 p.m. CT, at 1100 Commerce St., Dallas. Objections are due Nov. 3. The order says that if no objections are filed, a final order may be entered without a hearing. Nothing in the order addresses club closures.
Sources: Interim DIP Order, Dkt. 43 (Omni Agent Solutions PDF) Omni Agent Solutions (Picklr docket list) Bankruptcy Observer (Picklr explainer)
Life Time puts DUPR ratings in its app nationwide, with rating-gated leagues and open play
Life Time (NYSE: LTH) announced Oct. 21 that members can now link their DUPR account to their Life Time member ID in the Life Time app and see their rating alongside court booking. The company also announced nationwide DUPR-based programming, including rating-gated leagues and DUPR-gated open play, plus leveled and all-level open play for members without a rating. The release says the rollout started this summer at select clubs and is now complete across Life Time's pickleball network. Quotes in the release come from Ryan Brister, Life Time's VP of racquet sports, and Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR. The release describes DUPR as the official rating system of MLP and the PPA.
Screaming debate: Zane Navratil says players 'should be allowed to scream' and taunt
Times Now reports that Zane Navratil said on Instagram that players should be allowed to scream and to taunt 'if they want.' Quotes: 'Let players act how they want and then let public opinion sort it out,' and 'We aren't role models, we're entertainers.' He argues that fans' reaction is a better penalty than losing a timeout. He points to the NFL's taunting rule ('the fans hated it') and to the UFC's trash talk as an example of how drama drives attention. Times Now notes that Navratil was criticized for yelling at an opponent during the MLP playoffs and later regretted it. This is a direct counterpoint to Jim Kloss's UPA anti-taunting proposal (warning, then loss of a timeout or challenge, then a mark), which we covered Oct. 16-21.
Sources: Times Now (Navratil on screaming) pickleball.com (Kloss anti-taunting proposal)
Noise rules spread in Singapore: Sengkang bans pickleball on some courts and limits hours from Nov. 1; Chua Chu Kang runs a foam-ball-only trial
Mothership reports that Sengkang Town Council will ban pickleball from Nov. 1 on courts that are too close to residential blocks or that drew enough resident votes, citing MP Abdul Muhaimin's Oct. 21 Instagram post. Where pickleball is still allowed, play is limited to 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Banned courts will have their pickleball lines removed and signs posted. The council says residents voted these measures the most acceptable in a survey, and that it also considered distance to homes, sound frequency and site layout. Separately, Stomp reports that Chua Chu Kang Town Council is running a six-month 'use foam balls only' trial, started Oct. 1, at the court near Block 119A Plantation Crescent in Tengah. That court is open 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. A council spokesperson confirmed on Oct. 22 that the trial is at that one court only, and said it will be evaluated before the council decides whether to continue. Mothership notes earlier steps: Holland-Bukit Panjang's 2025 ban, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. limits in some Ang Mo Kio estates, and Mountbatten's foam-ball sessions.
Sources: Mothership (Sengkang) Stomp (Tengah foam-ball trial)
New courts: Palm Springs' Demuth complex opens to ~300 players; Greensboro opens 12 free courts; Owensboro's 18-court Pickle Plex debuts ahead of the River City Open
The Palm Springs Post says an estimated 300 people came to Wednesday's opening of the $5.1 million, 22-court Demuth Park complex. The project was partly funded by $2 million in Measure J revenue and replaces the park's old 12-court setup, and the opening included an exhibition by the NPL champion Coachella Valley Scorpions. Greensboro, N.C. opened 12 new free public courts at Bryan Park. They were converted from an underused tennis complex with funding from the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation (WXLV/ABC45). In Owensboro, Ky., the Owensboro Times reports that well over 100 people turned out Wednesday as the 18-court Pickle Plex at Ben Hawes Park opened: 16 recreational courts and two championship courts, built by the city and the nearly 500-member River City Pickleball Club. The city committed up to $1 million as a 2-for-1 match. The complex hosts the River City Open Oct. 23-25.
Sources: The Palm Springs Post (Demuth) WXLV/ABC45 (Greensboro Bryan Park) Owensboro Times (Pickle Plex)
Confirmed from our watch list: data-center protesters briefly stopped an APP Louisville mixed semifinal (Oct. 16)
On Oct. 21 we listed The Dink's PicklePod segment 'Protesters at APP Louisville' as unverified. WLKY (Louisville ABC affiliate) reported on Oct. 16 that protesters walked onto the court during a mixed-doubles semifinal at the Humana APP Louisville Open holding a sign that read 'STOP Steve Poe's Data Center.' WLKY says the protest organizers oppose the proposed Camp Ground Road data center. Play was suspended while players and officials left the court, then resumed after the protesters were removed. WLKY doesn't name the match or the players involved, and neither do we. The tournament results (Munro's double gold, Turkovic's singles win) were covered Oct. 18-19.
Sources: WLKY (protest interrupts match) APP Tour (Louisville recap) PicklePod episode (Pickleball Radio)
Pods: Pickleball Studio says 'USAP needs to enforce the rules better for the paddle market'; Lacy Schneemann on Pickleballers
Pickleball Studio Podcast ep. 180 (Chris and Aizec Olson, Oct. 21) is titled 'USAP Needs to Enforce The Rules Better for the Paddle Market.' The episode notes link the OWL-approval story and a UPA-A article on governing bodies, and chapters cover new approvals (Sens Atra, Hybrid Loco 2) and 'Should bad batches be a real excuse for companies anymore.' Context: USA Pickleball's new direct spin-rate test (max 2,100 RPM) applies to paddles submitted from Oct. 1, 2026. Pickleball.com reported that USAP's CTO said the OWL's surface-roughness test was waived and its 2024 approval was provisional. UPA-A's Jason Aspes called for one certification standard on Oct. 16. On Pickleballers (S5 E3), Lacy Schneemann talks about leaving an engineering career for the pro tour. In the episode notes, she says she and Jack Sock beat Jorja and JW Johnson 6 and 6 in Mesa, and that days later she lost 11-0, 11-0 to Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright.
Sources: Pickleball Studio Podcast ep. 180 (Buzzsprout) USA Pickleball (spin-rate test timeline) pickleball.com (OWL approval story) The Dink (Aspes: one certification standard) Pickleballers podcast
PPA Hong Kong Slam, Round of 32: Ben Johns/ALW and Johns/Tardio open with blowouts; Haworth knocks out Navratil; Francis Chi beats Dylan Frazier
The stars started play Wednesday local time (Tuesday night CT) at Kai Tak Arena. These results come from ThePickleHub's mirror of the official PPA scores feed as of about 5 a.m. CT, when 164 matches were final and four were live. Mixed: top seeds Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters beat Hannah Blatt and Grayson Goldin 11-3, 11-3. Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin beat Zane Navratil and Katie Morris 11-0, 11-1, and Alix Truong and Christopher Haworth got past Andie Dikosavljevic and Joey Wild 11-6, 2-11, 11-9. Men's doubles: Johns and Gabriel Tardio beat Le Xuan Duc and Nguyen Huy 11-1, 11-4. Luc Pham and Will Mackinnon came from a game down to beat Harrison Brown and Grayson Goldin 9-11, 11-5, 11-6. Men's singles: No. 1 Haworth beat Navratil 11-3, 12-10, and home favorite Hong Kit Wong beat Eunggwon Kim (his doubles partner) 11-5, 11-5. The feed lists Francis Chi over Dylan Frazier with no score. Women's singles: Kiora Kunimoto beat Danni-Elle Townsend 11-4, 11-4, and No. 1 Kaitlyn Christian beat Tayah Cross 11-0, 11-1. Coming up in the women's doubles round of 16: Bright and Waters vs. Jamie Haas and Rika Fujiwara, and Sofia Sewing and Catherine Parenteau vs. Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall and Aiko Yoshitomi. Off court, Wake Up Singapore (via Viory) reports that hundreds of fans packed Hong Kong's Olympian City mall Monday for a mixed exhibition with Johns and Bright.
Sources: ThePickleHub (results mirror of official PPA feed) Hong Kong Slam organizers (Round of 64 release) PPA Tour YouTube (Round of 32 live, Championship Court) PPA Tour Asia (event page) Wake Up Singapore (mall exhibition)
The Picklr bankruptcy, day 11: cash-management order entered, DIP loan still pending; Fair Lawn stays open, Denver club paused, Greenwood (Ind.) presale starts today
On Oct. 20 the court entered Dkt. 38, which lets the debtors keep using their existing cash-management system, bank accounts and business forms and continue intercompany transactions. As of Dkt. 38 on the Omni Agent Solutions document list, no interim DIP financing order had been entered. Local fallout: the Bergen Record reports that the franchised Picklr in Fair Lawn, N.J., expects to stay open, and cites the filing's count of about 90 clubs (9 company-operated, 81 franchised) in 32 states. The Denver Cherry Creek pause is a franchisee lease issue. The Denver Business Journal (paywalled; preview only) reports that franchisee Colorado Pickleball ADA is trying to get out of its lease for the planned Cherry Creek South club (7475 E. Iliff Ave.), and the franchisee says the pause is unrelated to the parent company's bankruptcy. The Picklr's own location page lists that club's opening as TBD. In Indiana, WTHR reports that local franchise group Pickle Indy plans a 12-court, 35,000-square-foot Picklr in Greenwood (8921 U.S. 31 S.) for late 2026. Founder-membership presales open today at noon local time, which is 11 a.m. CT. It would be the group's fourth Indy-area club, with a North Mass Ave. location targeted for 2027.
Sources: Omni Agent Solutions (Picklr docket list, Dkt. 38) Bergen Record / NorthJersey.com (Fair Lawn) Denver Business Journal (Cherry Creek pause) The Picklr Cherry Creek South page WTHR (Greenwood, Ind.)
MLP Nations Cup roster change: Tama Shimabukuro replaces Hien Truong on Asia International
Major League Pickleball posted Tuesday that Tama Shimabukuro joins the Asia International squad for the first MLP Nations Cup, replacing Hien Truong. The event starts Friday, Oct. 30, ahead of the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships. Times Now lists the updated six: Shimabukuro, Rika Fujiwara, Lingwei Kong, Jimmy Liong, Jack Wong and Macy Ybañez. It also says the team is in Group B with Australia, Europe-East and Latin America, at Brookhaven Country Club (Farmers Branch, Texas) from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. MLP gave no reason for the change, and Truong is still playing in Hong Kong this week (he won his round-of-32 singles and doubles matches). A separate MLP '10 days out' post says Australia and Asia Domestic play each other next weekend to open the event.
Sources: @MajorLeaguePB on X Times Now The Kitchen (Nations Cup rosters) @MajorLeaguePB on X MLP Nations Cup tickets (Tixr)
USA Pickleball Nationals (Oct. 31-Nov. 8, San Diego): free general admission, pro medal matches Nov. 7-8
USA Pickleball's release says the 2026 Oceanview USA Pickleball National Championships return to Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego from Oct. 31 to Nov. 8, with free general admission. Schedule: junior, collegiate and wheelchair play on the opening weekend (Oct. 31-Nov. 1); amateur divisions all nine days; Championship Court (presented by QVC) with premium seating Nov. 4-8; pro semifinals and medal matches Nov. 7-8. A 'Concert on the Court' with yacht-rock band Yachty Got Back on Nov. 3 benefits USA Pickleball Serves. The release says the 2025 event drew about 10,000 attendees, including more than 2,500 athletes from 47 states and 20 countries. Media credential applications are due Oct. 29. Note that Nationals overlaps the end of the MLP Nations Cup/Worlds week in Dallas.
Sources: USA Pickleball release (EIN Presswire) USA Pickleball (daily schedule)
Business of pickleball: RPM on pace for $31M in year one (Entrepreneur); JOOLA and RPO offer a $5,000 federation grant; Costa's 'quieter paddle'
Entrepreneur profiles RPM Pickleball, which four-time PPA champion James Ignatowich co-founded with childhood friend Marwan Abaza in September 2025 with no outside funding. The magazine says RPM is on pace for $31 million in annual sales, brought in $4.5 million last month and has sold '115,000+' paddles in 100 countries. (Some syndicated copies say 35,000; we use Entrepreneur's figure.) It also says RPM was backordered for about half its first year, and that Ignatowich is exploring a new training-tools company. At the Global Pickleball Summit in Hong Kong, JOOLA CEO Richard Lee announced a $5,000 'Growth Grant' from JOOLA and RPO for GPF and WPF member federations, for equipment, coach education and beginner clinics (Pickle361, Times Now). Eligibility details were to come at a federation session. Pickle361's account of the speech says divided governance (WPF vs. GPF, USA Pickleball vs. UPA-A paddle testing) is slowing the sport. MIT Technology Review profiles Costa Pickleball CEO Stanley Anderson, whose Las Vegas startup is developing a quieter paddle.
Sources: Entrepreneur (RPM Pickleball) Pickle361 (JOOLA/RPO grant) Times Now (JOOLA/RPO grant) MIT Technology Review (Costa Pickleball)
Pods: PicklePod asks 'Should Kate Fahey get a point penalty for screaming?'; Tony Roig's mailbag on stacking faults
In this week's PicklePod (The Dink), Zane Navratil and Nico cover overlapping tours in Australia and Hong Kong (Zane says players had to choose between a semifinal and making their next event), Sofia Sewing, Jaume Martinez Vich and Elliott Schupp, 'MLP needs a commissioner,' Jim Kloss's proposed yelling rule, AI line-call challenges and a segment titled 'Protesters at APP Louisville.' The episode notes give no details on that segment, so we haven't verified it. Kloss published his UPA anti-taunting proposal on pickleball.com Oct. 14: a warning first, then loss of a timeout or challenge, then a mark. We covered the screaming debate Oct. 16-17; this is the newest major podcast take. Pickleball Therapy's Mailbag #2 (Tony Roig) covers whether to keep blocking bangers, beating shake-and-bake, and whether serving or returning from the wrong side in a stack is a fault.
Sources: PicklePod episode (Pickleball Radio) pickleball.com (Kloss anti-taunting proposal) Pickleball Therapy Mailbag #2
Courts watch: Palm Springs' 22-court Demuth complex opens today; Calimesa keeps 6 a.m.-10 p.m. hours despite neighbor complaints
Palm Springs holds the grand opening of its $5.1 million, 22-court Demuth Park Pickleball Complex (4365 E. Mesquite Ave.) today at 4 p.m. PT, which is 6 p.m. CT. Patch and KESQ say the free event includes a ribbon-cutting, open play and demonstrations. In Calimesa, Calif., the city council voted unanimously Monday to make the Mountain View Park courts' 6 a.m.-10 p.m. hours permanent, with court lights going off at 9:30 p.m. A neighbor had complained about late-night noise and bottles thrown into her yard. The News Mirror reports staff had nine after-hours gate callouts, about 22.5 hours of overtime, under the old 9:45 p.m. light shutoff. Elsewhere: Thatcher, Ariz. is weighing courts vs. playground equipment, and Sinking Spring (Pa.) YMCA opens new tennis and pickleball courts Oct. 23.
Sources: Patch (Demuth opens Wednesday) KESQ (Demuth grand opening) News Mirror (Calimesa)
The Picklr bankruptcy: judge enters first-day orders on joint administration, wages and schedules; DIP loan order still pending
After Monday's first-day hearing before Judge Scott W. Everett (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Texas, Dallas), the court entered three orders on Oct. 19: joint administration of Picklr, Inc. and Picklr Clubs Inc., with Picklr, Inc. (No. 26-34687) as the lead case (Dkt. 35); authority to pay prepetition wages and keep employee benefit programs running (Dkt. 36); and more time, to Nov. 6, for Picklr, Inc. to file its schedules and statement of financial affairs (Dkt. 37). As of the latest public docket entry we saw this morning (Dkt. 37), no interim DIP financing or cash-management order had been entered. The amended proposed interim DIP order (Dkt. 20) asks for a $4.365 million facility: $3.51 million in new-money loans (up to $900,000 during the interim period) plus an $850,000 roll-up of prepetition bridge loans. Bankruptcy Observer's docket review (AI-written, citing docket numbers) adds more. The franchisor, Picklr Franchise, Inc., did not file. The debtors say landlords sought to enforce 'nearly 40' corporate lease guarantees. Franchised clubs are run by about 77 franchisee groups. Claims are due Dec. 18 (Picklr, Inc.) and Dec. 21 (Picklr Clubs), and the 341 creditors' meeting is Nov. 18 at 8:30 a.m. CT by phone. No club-closure list has been filed.
Sources: Order directing joint administration (Dkt. 35, Omni) Docket listing (BKAlerts, Dkt. 35-37) Amended interim DIP order (Dkt. 20, Omni) Bankruptcy Observer (docket explainer) KewCast 127 (Picklr segment at 2:49)
Club shakeout continues: PickleRage Mobile (Ala.) says it will close its 12-court indoor facility
PickleRage Mobile, a 12-court indoor club at 314 S. University Blvd. in the Regency Square Shopping Center that opened in May 2025, announced Monday on Facebook that it will close. AL.com quotes the ownership team: 'while we weren't able to make it work financially, we will never consider the friendships and community created here anything less than a success.' A final day has not been announced. AL.com calls it Alabama's second indoor-club closure announcement in under a month, after The Picklr Birmingham (Vestavia Hills) closed, and notes that a PickleRage franchise in Plainfield, N.J., stopped operating in September. The story points to a Men's Journal piece on warehouse-lease and payroll pressure at big indoor clubs.
Sources: AL.com PickleRage Mobile location page
PPA Tour Asia Hong Kong Slam: main draw underway; Haworth opens 11-0, 11-3; home hope Hong Kit Wong advances; Sewing out early in singles
The round of 64 at the Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam (PPA Asia 1500, Kai Tak Arena) started Tuesday at 9 a.m. HKT, which was Monday 8 p.m. CT. These results come from ThePickleHub's mirror of the official PPA scores feed, as of about 4 a.m. CT. Men's singles: No. 1 Christopher Haworth beat qualifier Xirui Liu 11-0, 11-3 in his PPA Tour Asia debut. Home favorite Hong Kit Wong (No. 7) beat China's Zida Li 11-9, 11-5. Hunter Johnson came from a game down to beat William Hsieh 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, and Zane Navratil beat Loh Shi Sheng 12-10, 11-2. Women's singles: Sofia Sewing, days after her first PPA title in Virginia Beach, lost her round-of-64 match to Zhe Chen (the feed lists no score), and Rika Fujiwara beat local qualifier Athena Leung 11-1, 11-9. Men's doubles: Collin Johns and Len Yang beat Hong Kong qualifiers Andy Lee and Angus Lee 11-0, 11-2. The Standard (Hong Kong) reports 895 players aged 9 to 71 from 22 countries and regions, and a purse of up to US$1.1 million. Ben Johns posted from Hong Kong that he plays 'tomorrow.' He and Anna Leigh Waters are the top seeds in mixed, and each is also the top seed in their gender's doubles draw. BayerRank's model narrowly favors No. 3 Hunter Johnson over Haworth in men's singles.
Sources: PPA Tour Asia (qualifying recap) ThePickleHub (results mirror of official feed) The Standard (Hong Kong) PPA Tour Asia (seeds) Ben Johns on Instagram (Hong Kong) @BayerRank on X
Post-Virginia Beach storylines: Schupp's 'emergency pod,' Parenteau's title streak, Martinez Vich's statement QF
Friday Pickleball released an 'emergency pod' with 19-year-old Elliott Schupp after his first PPA title (men's doubles with Jaume Martinez Vich). According to the episode description, he talks about going from a homeschooled kid in Arkansas to training in Phoenix, his two-handed backhand speed-up and his 'fridge' drilling sessions. The episode closes with a segment titled 'The Contract Negotiation: Friday's Lifetime Offer.' The Kitchen points out that Catherine Parenteau's women's doubles win with Sofia Sewing keeps her streak alive: at least one PPA title every year since 2021. Only Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns can say the same. Parenteau posted that it was the first PPA title for her and Sewing as a team. The PPA also highlighted Martinez Vich's 11-2, 11-7 quarterfinal win over No. 1 seed Roscoe Bellamy and named a John Lucian Goins rally its Play of the Tournament.
Sources: Friday Pickleball (YouTube, Elliott Schupp) The Kitchen (VB recap) @TheKitchenPB on X @CP_Pickleball on X @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X
Gear: Selkirk S2 Pro ball goes on sale today; KewCast 127 rates Loco 2 and RPM Jade 'Tier 1 (Provisional)'
Selkirk's Instagram teased that the S2 Pro ball 'drops 10.20.' Its product page now lists 3-, 12- and 100-ball packs from $14.99, says orders ship in 7-10 days and notes limited inventory at retailers. The ball carries a 1-year no-crack, out-of-round warranty (launch covered Oct. 17). Shea Underwood's sponsored 'pickleball graveyard vs the S2 Pro' had about 5K YouTube views and about 4.9K TikTok plays overnight. John Kew's KewCast 127 (about 21K views) says the Bread & Butter Loco 2 and RPM Jade both posted Tier 1 (Provisional) ball-cannon results. It also compares the Spartus Spitfire and Luzz Cannon XPP, covers the Picklr bankruptcy, and takes a viewer question on why 11SIX24's HexGrit is still UPA-only while other gritty paddles get USAP approval. Pickleball Effect says Gearbox's Pressure X series pairs a forgiving sweet spot with low twist weight.
Sources: Selkirk S2 Pro product page Selkirk on Instagram ('drops 10.20') Shea Underwood (YouTube) Shea Underwood on TikTok John Kew (KewCast 127) Pickleball Effect (Gearbox Pressure X)
Courts watch: Oxford, Miss. OKs a 24-court Stone Park plan; San Antonio opens covered senior-center courts; Paso Robles starts free youth play
The Oxford Eagle (Oct. 19) reports that Oxford, Miss.'s Planning Commission approved the site plan for a 24-court facility at Stone Park (423 Washington Ave.): 18 courts under a pavilion and six outdoor courts, with restrooms, an elevated spectator platform and 59 more parking spaces. Retaining-wall and build-to-line variances were also approved because of the site's roughly 28.5-foot elevation change. One resident spoke against the estimated $5 million investment. In San Antonio, the city held a ribbon-cutting Monday for two new covered, lighted courts at the Northeast Senior Center (4135 Thousand Oaks). The $850,000 project used District 10 infrastructure funds (News 4 San Antonio). KSBY reports that Paso Robles, Calif., launched a free drop-in youth pickleball program. Still pending: Brentwood, Calif.'s council held a special meeting Monday on closing Creekside Park's courts once temporary courts at Sunset Park are ready (a city transition had been announced for Oct. 26). No outcome had been reported in this sweep. Reminder: Palm Springs' Demuth Park grand opening is Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. local (6 p.m. CT).
Sources: Oxford Eagle News 4 San Antonio KSBY (Paso Robles) Contra Costa News (Brentwood meeting preview)
Asia grassroots: Parañaque Titans repeat in the Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour; ALW thanks Malaysia after her Franklin showcase
ABS-CBN reports that the Parañaque Titans beat the Tacloban Aces 3-1 to win the second leg of the Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour (MPPT) Invitational at the Tagaytay Velodrome. That makes them back-to-back champions of Legs 1 and 2. They lost the men's match 9-11, then won women's doubles 11-4 (SJ Lim/Fatima Amirul), Mixed 1 11-1 (Ruben Gonzales/Jess Agra) and Mixed 2 11-5 (Leander Lazaro/SJ Lim). Separately, Anna Leigh Waters posted 'Thanks Malaysia for being so kind and sweet' after the Franklin Asia showcase stop (about 11.5K Instagram likes overnight), with a matching X post. That follows Franklin Malaysia's apology over an oversold Kuala Lumpur event, which we covered Oct. 18. Philippine outlets (GMA, Interaksyon, LionhearTV) are again running stories on ALW's tour and her Dec. 9 Manila return, which we covered Oct. 16.
Sources: ABS-CBN Pickleball News Asia (MPPT) Anna Leigh Waters on Instagram @AnnaLeighWaters on X GMA (ALW Asia tour)
PPA Virginia Beach: Fahey takes double gold a day before she turns 30; 18-year-old Goins wins men's singles
Championship Sunday at the Mojo Energy Pouches Virginia Beach Open delivered first career titles for Sofia Sewing, Elliott Schupp and Jaume Martinez Vich after Saturday's rain delay. Kate Fahey, a day before her 30th birthday, became the only player to leave with two golds: mixed with Eric Oncins (11-13, 11-4, 11-9 over Catherine Parenteau/Riley Newman after trailing 2-8 in the decider) then women's singles 11-1, 11-9 over No. 21 Helena Jansen Fink. Top seeds Sofia Sewing and Parenteau won women's doubles 11-8, 11-6 over Alix Truong/Layne Sleeth after saving three match points in their early-morning semifinal; Sewing's first PPA title. Jaume Martinez Vich and Elliott Schupp (19) took men's doubles 11-4, 4-11, 11-4 over Noe Khlif/Newman for each player's first career PPA title. No. 5 John Lucian Goins (18, Bradenton, Fla.) closed the show 11-5, 11-3 over Martinez Vich in men's singles without dropping a game all week, his third career PPA singles title, not a first-time championship, and his first since 2025. Scores corroborated by Daily Press, pickleball.com, Dinks & Volleys, and PPA social.
Sources: Daily Press pickleball.com (Championship Sunday recap) Dinks & Volleys (event scores) @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X PickleballTV (YouTube, Goins vs. Martinez Vich) PPA Tour on Instagram (Goins title)
APP Louisville: Munro doubles up again; Turkovic wins women's singles; Camron takes men's singles
At the inaugural Humana APP Louisville Open, Jack Munro won two doubles golds for the third time this season: mixed with Roos Van Reek 11-3, 11-5 over Domenika Turkovic/Jay Devilliers (their first APP U.S. gold as a pair), and men's doubles with Richard Livornese Jr. 12-10, 11-2 over Zack Marceau/Aidan Schenk for a seventh straight men's pro doubles title (APP recap). Bobbi Oshiro and Kat Stewart won their first women's doubles gold as a duo, 11-2, 11-9 over Glauka Carvajal Lane/Turkovic. Ronan Camron beat Dusty Boyer 11-9, 5-11, 11-8 for men's singles gold (his second of the year). Turkovic beat Stewart 9-11, 11-4, 11-7 for back-to-back women's singles golds and finished with one gold and two silvers. Bronzes included Devilliers/Tanner Tomassi (MD), Shelby Bates/Christine Maddox (WD), Stewart/Livornese Jr. (XD), Eduardo Irizarry (MS), and Oshiro (WS). APP says highlights will air later on ESPN2 and CBS Sports Network; next stop is the APP Arizona Open Nov. 12-15.
Sources: APP Tour (Louisville recap) @OfficialAPPTour on X @OfficialAPPTour on X @OfficialAPPTour on X @OfficialAPPTour on X APPTV (YouTube, Munro/Van Reek) APPTV (YouTube, women's singles final)
The Picklr bankruptcy: first-day hearing is today at 1:30 p.m. CT (Webex)
The emergency first-day hearing in The Picklr's Chapter 11 (Subchapter V) cases remains set for Monday, Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. CT by Webex before Judge Scott W. Everett (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas, Dallas). On the docket: joint administration of Picklr, Inc. and Picklr Clubs Inc.; interim DIP financing; cash-management relief; authority to pay prepetition wages/benefits; and more time to file schedules. As of this morning's newsroom sweep (about 6:10 a.m. CT), no public order from today's hearing was yet on the Omni case site. Virginia Gazette recirculated the bankruptcy filing Sunday. Stick to filings until orders post.
Sources: Court notice of hearing (Omni) Picklr case calendar (Omni) Picklr case page (Omni) @vagazette on X Sports Business Journal
UPA-A's Aspes pushes one paddle certification with USA Pickleball; Times Now amplifies the essay
Times Now on Oct. 18 amplified UPA-A president Jason Aspes's Oct. 16 essay arguing that separate USA Pickleball and UPA-A paddle lists 'cost everyone.' Aspes proposes one approved list combining USA Pickleball's amateur/international reach with UPA-A's direct performance measurement, post-break-in testing, and independent labs, overseen by an independent technical committee with published methods/results/exceptions and no brand sponsorship ties. He criticizes aspects of OWL's USA Pickleball certification path and argues new-only testing can miss how paddles play after use. He also acknowledges UPA-A's own commercial ties to the pro leagues and says each side would have to give up control. Reddit's r/Pickleball had an 'USAP or UPA-A' thread Sunday. This is advocacy from UPA-A, not a deal between the two bodies.
Sources: Times Now The Dink UPA-A essay r/Pickleball (USAP or UPA-A) @PickleballActu on X
PPA Tour Asia Hong Kong Slam opens (Oct. 19-25): welcome on site as the dragon chase begins
The Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam (PPA Asia 1500) at Kai Tak Arena starts today and runs through Oct. 25, closing the 2026 PPA Tour Asia season. Hong Kong Tennis Association chair Michael Cheng posted a welcome to arriving players Sunday. As covered yesterday, seven players can complete the 'dragon' medal set by reaching a final (head awarded only in Hong Kong), including Tama Shimabukuro and Alix Truong chasing an all-gold set. Local English-language coverage (e.g. DotDotNews) framed the event as a US$1.1 million gathering of top players; treat prize-money figures as outlet-reported unless PPA Asia restates them.
Sources: PPA Tour Asia (dragon explainer) @MichaelHKCTA on X @Pickleballnowin on X Times Now (dragon)
Viral watch: Kitchen clips Jeremy Lin's pickleball game; Dink's Alshon-vs-Ben PicklePod clip leads TikTok
The Kitchen posted a clip captioned that the player 'played with Kobe AND is this good at pickleball,' mirrored on X, TikTok, and YouTube; The Kitchen's YouTube title names Jeremy Lin. Apify's morning TikTok snapshot showed roughly 1.9K plays on that Kitchen upload within hours (still early). Separately, The Dink's PicklePod clip in which Zane Navratil says Christian Alshon could eventually replace Ben Johns if he becomes the best player—and floats an ALW/Alshon pairing—had about 17.7K TikTok plays in the same snapshot, with a matching X post. Label the Alshon/Johns framing as podcast opinion, not a roster move.
Sources: The Kitchen (YouTube, Jeremy Lin) @TheKitchenPB on X The Kitchen on TikTok The Dink on TikTok (Alshon/Ben) @Pickleball on X The Dink (YouTube Short)
Courts watch: Monticello (Bertram) outdoor complex opens; Palm Springs Demuth ribbon-cutting Oct. 21; Painesville plans Rec Park courts
Monticello Times (published Oct. 19) reports Monticello, Minn.'s first dedicated outdoor pickleball complex—eight courts at Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Athletic Park—opened Oct. 6 after years of local advocacy; first-come, first-served at 10224 Briarwood Ave. NE, with lighting/signage still to come. Palm Springs' $5.1M Demuth Park expansion to 22 courts holds a grand opening celebration Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. local (6 p.m. CT) at 4365 E. Mesquite Ave., per Hoodline/KESQ/city materials. Separately, the News-Herald reports Painesville, Ohio, officials plan four pickleball courts at Kiwanis Recreation Park (old skate-park site), with an $80K Ohio LWCF grant application authorized Oct. 5 and a required city match; construction targeted for spring if funded.
Sources: Monticello Times / hometownsource Hoodline (Palm Springs Demuth) News-Herald (Painesville)
PPA Virginia Beach: rain pushes semis past 8 p.m.; 18-year-old Goins meets Martinez Vich in today's final
Rain held up Saturday's play at the Mojo Energy Pouches Virginia Beach Open for about eight hours, per The Virginian-Pilot, so the singles and mixed doubles semifinals didn't start until after 8 p.m. ET. In men's singles, No. 5 John Lucian Goins (18, of Bradenton, Fla.) beat No. 2 Noe Khlif 13-11, 11-1 and will face No. 6 Jaume Martinez Vich, who beat No. 7 Adam Harvey 11-4, 11-6. In women's singles, top seed Kate Fahey reached the final on a walkover over No. 4 Chao Yi Wang. Her opponent is No. 21 Helena Jansen, who came back to beat No. 19 Sofia Sewing 12-14, 11-2, 11-9 for her first career semifinal win, per the PPA. The mixed final is Fahey/Eric Oncins (11-4, 11-6 over Daescu/Dizon) against Catherine Parenteau/Riley Newman (11-9, 4-11, 11-8 over Sleeth/Acevedo). Per the PPA, it's Parenteau/Newman's first mixed final together since 2024. The men's and women's doubles semifinals moved to 7 a.m. CT today. Finals start at 9 a.m. CT on PickleballTV, and Tennis Channel airs 9 a.m.-1 p.m. CT. All times depend on the weather.
Sources: The Virginian-Pilot Dinks & Volleys (event scores) @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X PPA Tour (YouTube, Khlif vs. Goins) The Kitchen (YouTube, upsets recap)
PPA Australia Pickleball Cup: Tardio and Black win two titles each; Alshon runner-up twice
Gabe Tardio and Tyra Black each won two titles on Championship Sunday in Brisbane. Black/Tardio beat Parris Todd/Christian Alshon 7-11, 11-6, 11-7 in mixed. Tardio/Hayden Patriquin beat Tama Shimabukuro/JW Johnson 3-11, 11-6, 11-7 in men's doubles. Black/Jorja Johnson beat Todd/Danni-Elle Townsend 11-5, 11-6 in women's doubles. Hunter Johnson came back to beat Alshon 8-11, 11-5, 11-8 for the men's singles title, Alshon's second runner-up finish of the day. Australia's Andie Dikosavljevic, the No. 7 seed, beat Judit Castillo 11-6, 11-6 for the women's singles title. BayerRank's prediction model had given her a 4% title chance.
Sources: Dinks & Volleys (event scores) Times Now PPA Tour (YouTube, finals stream) PPA Tour Australia on Instagram @BayerRank on X @Pickleballnowin on X
Franklin Malaysia apologizes after fans say ALW's Kuala Lumpur showcase was oversold
Per the New Straits Times, Franklin Malaysia apologized to fans who went to the Anna Leigh Waters Asia Pro Showcase at 91 Pickleball, Hextar World @ Empire City in Kuala Lumpur. Fans had complained about overcrowding, long entry lines and too little seating, and some VIP package holders said they missed the merchandise and meet-and-greet they paid for, with some asking for full refunds. Franklin said: 'We acknowledge where we fell short, and we take responsibility for making things right.' It promised a dedicated channel for affected attendees but did not say when that channel would open or what the remedies would be. Meanwhile, a 'mother and daughter firefight' clip of Waters from the showcase is one of the top pickleball posts on Instagram today.
Sources: New Straits Times @NST_Online on X @asiapickleballtv on Instagram The Pickle Parlour (event listing)
APP Louisville: Livornese Jr./Munro win again; Stewart/Oshiro take their first gold as a pair
At the Humana APP Louisville Open, Richard Livornese Jr. and Jack Munro beat Zack Marceau/Aidan Schenk 12-10, 11-2 for the men's pro doubles gold. The APP's preview said they came in with six straight men's pro doubles titles this season, which makes this seven. An APP social post put the streak at eight, so we are using the preview's count. Kat Stewart and Bobbi Oshiro won their first gold as a team, 11-2, 11-9 over Glauka Carvajal Lane/Domenika Turkovic. The bronzes went to Shelby Bates/Christine Maddox and Tanner Tomassi/Jay Devilliers. Earlier, No. 31 seeds Shay Hugo/Kevin Caufield upset the No. 2 seeds in the first round. Munro goes for another gold today in the mixed final with Roos Van Reek against Turkovic/Devilliers. The remaining bronze matches start at 10 a.m. CT. Also today: CBS Sports re-airs the APP Columbus Open at 3 p.m. CT.
Sources: @OfficialAPPTour on X @OfficialAPPTour on X APP Louisville preview @OfficialAPPTour on X @OfficialAPPTour on X @OfficialAPPTour on X APPTV (YouTube, Van Reek/Munro to the final)
The Picklr bankruptcy: first-day court hearing set for Monday at 1:30 p.m. CT
A notice filed Oct. 16 in The Picklr's Chapter 11 (Subchapter V) case sets an emergency first-day hearing for Monday, Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. CT. It will be held by Webex before Judge Scott W. Everett of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas. The court will take up five requests: jointly administering the Picklr, Inc. and Picklr Clubs Inc. cases, interim postpetition (DIP) financing, keeping the current cash-management system, paying prepetition wages and benefits, and getting more time to file schedules and financial statements. Business Journals coverage continued Saturday, repeating the roughly $19M in total liabilities first reported by SBJ.
Sources: Court notice of hearing (Omni) Picklr case page (Omni) @StLouis_Inno on X Sports Business Journal
Next up: PPA Tour Asia's Hong Kong Slam (Oct. 19-25), where seven players can complete the 'dragon' medal set
The Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam (PPA Asia 1500) at Kai Tak Arena closes out the 2026 PPA Tour Asia season. This year, each medal is a piece of a 'dragon' set, and the head is only awarded in Hong Kong. Seven players arrive with the other two pieces and can complete the set by reaching a final: Tama Shimabukuro, Alix Truong, Sahra Dennehy, Danni-Elle Townsend, Hien Truong, Len Yang and Joey Wild. Shimabukuro (15) and Alix Truong could win an all-gold 'golden dragon' with a title. Christopher Haworth makes his Asia debut in mixed with Alix Truong, and Federico Staksrud teams with Townsend in mixed.
Sources: PPA Tour Asia Times Now @Pickleballnowin on X JOOLA on Instagram
PicklePod clips: compassion vs. competition, 'guess the DUPR,' and why only about 1% of rated players are 5.0+
The Dink is pushing clips from its latest PicklePod, in which Zane Navratil and Nico (@NicoTheLefty) debate whether compassion has a place in pro pickleball, play 'guess the DUPR' from highlights, and compare 5.0 ratings across cities. The '1% are 5.0' line comes from DUPR data The Dink published Oct. 7. About 1% of global DUPR doubles players with a result in the past 12 months are rated 5.0 or higher, about 5% are 4.5+, about 16% are 4.0+, and the most common range is 3.0-3.499 (29%). The snapshot is as of Sept. 22.
Sources: @Pickleball on X @Pickleball on X The Dink (YouTube, 'Only 1% of Pickleball Players Are 5.0') The Dink (DUPR percentiles)
Viral watch: The Kitchen's 'Brazilian youngens' clip takes off; ATEEZ members play pickleball
The Kitchen's clip of 'two Brazilian youngens masterfully controlling the hard court' had about 193K TikTok plays within hours of posting (Apify snapshot around 6:15 a.m. CT). It is also on X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Shorts. The Kitchen doesn't name the players, so we are not identifying them. Separately, X News reports that ATEEZ's Hongjoong posted photos from an indoor pickleball session with bandmates Yeosang and Yunho, and fans have been sharing them widely.
Sources: The Kitchen on TikTok @TheKitchenPB on X The Kitchen (YouTube Short) X News story (ATEEZ)
Courts watch: Fresno opens new pickleball courts at Roeding Park
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and Councilmember Miguel Arias cut the ribbon Friday on new pickleball and multi-use courts at Roeding Park in West Central Fresno. The project turned existing tennis courts into spaces for pickleball, basketball and futsal, per FOX26/KMPH. Local outlets also covered a weekend of charity tournaments and other court openings.
Sources: KMPH FOX26 ABC30 Fresno
PPA Virginia Beach Open: No. 1 seeds fall on the way to Semifinal Saturday
Jaume Martinez Vich beat No. 1 seed Roscoe Bellamy 11-2, 11-7 to reach his first singles semifinal since 2025. No. 8 Max Freeman and Jonathan Truong took out No. 1 Klinger/Oncins 2-11, 11-6, 11-6, Layne Sleeth and Nico Acevedo upset No. 1 Pisnik/Khlif in mixed, and Sofia Sewing is into her first career PPA women's singles semifinal. Earlier in the week, Estee Widdershoven beat Genie Bouchard 11-5, 13-11 and Chao Yi Wang ended Maria Ford's run in the quarterfinals. The women's singles semifinalists are Kate Fahey, Chao Yi Wang, Sofia Sewing and Helena Jansen. In men's singles, PickleFitter lists Martinez Vich vs. Adam Harvey and Noe Khlif vs. John Lucian Goins. Semis air today on PickleballTV (11 a.m.-7 p.m. CT) and Tennis Channel (11 a.m.-2 p.m. CT), weather permitting.
Sources: @PPAtour on X Dinks & Volleys (Vich d. Bellamy) @PPAtour on X @PPAtour on X Pickleball Surge (R16 recap) PickleFitter (semifinal matchups) Times Now (semis preview) @PPAtour on X
Lea Jansen is playing on a broken patella; out about 3 months and has withdrawn from all remaining 2026 events
Pickleball.com reports that Jansen withdrew from singles and mixed at Virginia Beach because of a broken patella in her left leg, but kept playing women's doubles with Kate Fahey. According to The Dink's Erik Tice, she had played on the injured leg since May during the MLP season. She expects to miss about three months and has pulled out of every event for the rest of 2026. Fahey/Jansen then lost 11-7, 11-6 to Alix Truong/Layne Sleeth (per Dinks & Volleys). Jansen said 'there are a lot of things unknown in my career right now' and 'if this is the last time I go out, I'd like to do it with Kate.' She has not announced a retirement.
Sources: Pickleball.com Times Now Dinks & Volleys (event scores) PickleballTV (YouTube match)
The Picklr bankruptcy: local fallout and new filing details
Business Journals in Houston, Orlando, Seattle and Philadelphia, plus AL.com, the Daily Press and MONTCO.Today, ran local angles in the past day. Houston's angle is that the chain filed halfway through its expansion plans there. Per IAPPF, the parent entity's Aug. 31 balance sheet in the petition shows about $915K in assets, $2.39M in liabilities and seven disputed, contingent guaranty claims of about $783K. SBJ separately reported about $19M in total liabilities as of March, taken from the franchise disclosure document. A debtors' motion asks the court to push the deadline for filing schedules to Nov. 6. The Dink's PicklePod says courts are 'becoming commoditized' and the facility boom could face a 'reality check.' UNCONFIRMED: IAPPF cites unnamed sources who say the lease guarantees total in the millions.
Sources: IAPPF Sports Business Journal Fox Business Court filing (Omni) @HOUBizJournal on X @TheKitchenPB on X The Dink on Instagram r/Pickleball thread
PPA Australia Pickleball Cup: Alshon reaches two finals as his social media manager's run ends
In Brisbane, Christian Alshon beat Tama Shimabukuro 11-4, 11-2 to reach the men's singles final, where he meets Hunter Johnson (11-9, 11-3 over Grayson Goldin). Alshon and Parris Todd also reached the mixed final with an 11-8, 11-9 win over Irvine/Patriquin. Gabe Tardio is in two finals: men's doubles with Hayden Patriquin and mixed with Black. Shimabukuro/JW Johnson made the men's doubles final, and Judit Castillo meets Andie Dikosavljevic for the women's singles title. Earlier, Benjamin Bramblett, Alshon's hitting partner and social media manager, filled in after Federico Staksrud's visa issues and reached the men's doubles quarterfinals with him; they lost there to Wall/Wild 11-6, 11-7.
Sources: Dinks & Volleys (event scores) Times Now (Bramblett) PPA Tour Australia on Instagram @BayerRank on X PPA Tour (YouTube semis stream)
Worlds countdown: MLP Nations Cup promo push; Mark Wahlberg to headline celebrity showdown
MLP is pushing the inaugural MLP Nations Cup (Oct. 30-Nov. 1, Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch, TX): eight regional teams play round robin, then a Sunday single-elimination bracket, to kick off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships. The PPA says Mark Wahlberg will headline the MUNICIPAL Celebrity Pickleball Showdown on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. CT, live on Tennis Channel, with more participants to be announced. In the same window, USA Pickleball is promoting tickets and merch for its Oceanview National Championships (Oct. 31-Nov. 8, Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego).
Sources: @MajorLeaguePB on X MLP (YouTube) MLP Nations Cup schedule PPA Tour (Wahlberg) USA Pickleball (Nationals dates) USA Pickleball on Instagram
APP Louisville Open + free PickleY'all festival (Shaggy plays today)
The Humana APP Louisville Open runs through Sunday at the Kentucky International Convention Center. General admission is free, but you need to reserve a ticket. The mixed pro doubles gold medal match is Domenika Turkovic/Jay Devilliers vs. Roos Van Reek/Jack Munro. Saturday features pro women's and men's doubles (ESPN+ and YouTube). WLKY says the free PickleY'all festival wraps today with a free Shaggy concert at 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET) on Market Street.
Sources: @OfficialAPPTour on X APP event page WLKY APPTV (YouTube, Munro/Van Reek)
Selkirk launches the S2 Pro ball with a 1-year no-crack warranty
Selkirk published its S2 Pro introduction on Oct. 16. The ball has a patented 38-hole geodesic design with three hole sizes and a textured surface, plus what Selkirk calls an industry-first 1-Year No-Crack, Out-of-Round Warranty. It is the official ball of the APP Asia Tour. Selkirk's post also lays out the pro ball landscape: Life Time's LT Pro 48 is the official ball of the PPA and MLP, and the Franklin X-40 is the official ball of the APP U.S. Tour. Selkirk is running an Instagram giveaway (entries close 10/19).
Sources: Selkirk blog Selkirk on Instagram Selkirk on TikTok (teaser)
Paddle talk: foam paddles 'taking over,' plus RPM Jade and Gearbox Pressure X reviews
The Kitchen says full-foam paddles have taken a huge share of the market over the past two years and posted a top-10 foam list. It called the RPM Jade one of its favorites after 20-30 hours of play and named the 11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2 its No. 1 all-court paddle. JohnKew's new 'Gearbox Pressure X Review: These Paddles Feel Backwards' is also drawing views.
Sources: @TheKitchenPB on X @TheKitchenPB on X @TheKitchenPB on X JohnKew Pickleball (YouTube) The Kitchen on TikTok
Screaming debate, day 3: a Fahey 'academy' joke while Maria Ford's run ends
The celebration and screaming debate is still going. An Instagram post from @lethercook.pb tagging Kate Fahey jokingly invited fans to join a 'Strong Fierce Woman Academy' and nodded to the 'social media discourse.' Commentators are still weighing in, for example: 'is the celebration aimed at your partner or at your opponent?' On court, Maria Ford's Virginia Beach run ended in the women's singles quarterfinals against Chao Yi Wang. The PPA still has not announced any rule change.
Sources: @lethercook.pb on Instagram @donniccolo on X PPA Tour (YouTube, Wang vs. Ford)
Staksrud on the $400K Fives trade (Pickleballers podcast)
On The Kitchen's Pickleballers podcast (S5 E2, Oct. 15) with Roscoe Bellamy and Jared Paul, Federico Staksrud discusses his late-deadline MLP trade from the Orlando Squeeze to the New Jersey 5s and the pressure of its $400K price tag. He also covers reuniting with Hayden Patriquin and why he calls Anna Leigh Waters the most competitive person he has ever met. He missed Brisbane this week because of visa issues, per Alshon.
Sources: Pickleballers (YouTube episode) Times Now (visa note)
Pickleball's Philippine moment continues: ALW's thank-you post; about 800 players at Bacolod's Benitez Million Cup
Anna Leigh Waters' 'The Philippines has my heart' Instagram post was the most-liked post in DTP's Instagram sweep (about 9K likes). The Daily Guardian reports that around 800 players converged on Bacolod City for the inaugural Benitez Million Pickleball Cup, a three-day event that combined competition, wellness and charity during the MassKara Festival.
Sources: Anna Leigh Waters on Instagram @dailyguardianph on X Daily Guardian
Screaming & taunting debate erupts after Maria Ford vs. Genie Bouchard (PPA Chicago Cup)
Maria Ford's near-constant screams in her Chicago Cup women's singles win over Genie Bouchard went viral (~500K views per Total Pro Sports), and Bouchard declined to tap paddles afterward. No penalty was issued; commentator Jim Kloss posted a draft anti-taunting/anti-screaming rule and Anna Bright, Kate Fahey and others weighed in, but there is NO official PPA rule change.
Sources: The Kitchen Total Pro Sports @TheKitchenPB on X @pickleball_jim on X @Pickleball on X
Anna Leigh Waters hits 200, then 202 PPA titles; 45th Triple Crown
Waters won her 200th career PPA title and a record 45th Triple Crown at the Veolia Chicago Cup (Oct 5-11); PPA says the sweep took her to 202 titles, most in tour history. Roscoe Bellamy upset top seed Chris Haworth 11-4, 11-5 for men's singles, and Staksrud/Patriquin took men's doubles.
Sources: @PPAtour on X The Dink PPA Tour news
ALW's Manila tour draws big crowds; return set for Dec. 9
Waters headlined the Franklin Asia Pickleball Showcase at SM Mall of Asia, and Filipino outlets covered big crowds and fan meet-and-greets. NewsWatch Plus PH reports she returns Dec. 9 for the IAM Worldwide Pickleball Showdown at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Sources: @ABSCBNNews on X @DYANCASTILLEJO on X @newswatchplusph on X
The Picklr files Chapter 11
Indoor franchisor The Picklr filed for Chapter 11 late Oct. 9 to renegotiate lease guarantees on about 40 franchise locations, with $4.8M in DIP financing from Tom Neale's Dynamus Alliance. The CEO says no clubs close as a direct result, but he expects the company to shrink.
Sources: Sports Business Journal @stlouisbiz on X
Club boom meets shakeout: 6 chains grew 145 -> 199 locations
The Dink, using Business of Pickleball data, reports six franchise chains grew from 145 to 199 locations between January and September, but September added only 70 net indoor courts (418 were added in June). Ace, Pickleball Kingdom and PickleRage all grew sharply.
Sources: The Dink
UPA-A president calls for one paddle certification standard
UPA-A President Jason Aspes is calling for USA Pickleball and UPA-A to merge their paddle approval into one list run by an independent technical committee. He also criticizes USA Pickleball's certification of OWL paddles, and those allegations have not been independently verified.
Sources: The Dink @Pickleball on X
PPA Virginia Beach Open live: Sofia Sewing upsets No. 2 Buckner; Lea Jansen playing hurt
Sofia Sewing reached the women's singles quarterfinals with a three-game win over No. 2 seed Brooke Buckner. Pickleball.com reports Lea Jansen is still competing through a serious lower-body injury.
Sources: PPA Tour news @crackedsportss on X
PPA heads Down Under: Australia Pickleball Cup + MLP Australia midseason
The PPA's Walker Australia Pickleball Cup in Brisbane is a 1,500-point event with a star-studded field. MLP Australia is at its halfway mark, with the Northern Crocs and The Coasters out in front. A clip of Christian Alshon's roar in front of a near-empty crowd is also going viral.
New PPA late start times divide fans
The PPA's later, night-session start times have frustrated some fans. Pickleball.com ran an Oct. 15 piece defending the change, and podcasts are debating it too.
Sources: PPA Tour news Spot Sports (video)
Life Time LT Classic amateur series kicks off today (Oct 16-18, San Clemente)
Life Time expanded the LT Classic into a quarterly amateur series with more than $20K in total prizes. Stops run in San Clemente, Peachtree Corners (GA), Chicago and Minneapolis through Oct-Nov.
Sources: Life Time newsroom