Pickleball has become a fast-growing sport and has gained even more attention since the Covid-19 pandemic. Pickleball was created to ease boredom and now has big tournaments and leagues. Learning pickleball is easy, but mastering the pickleball shots takes time, skills, and patience. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, wearing the right pickleball apparel is important so you can move around freely. Invest in the right pickleball equipment for the best experience.
Check out 101 Pickleball’s Zen Control paddle.
Pickleball is a game for all and has a lot of benefits. It’s no wonder it has a big reputation now and has hosted many competitions in the past until now. Let’s learn about the most popular and major pickleball tournaments and leagues.
USA Pickleball
The USA Pickleball (USAP), also called USAPA Pickleball, is an organization that manages the sport of pickleball in the USA and gives the official rules, tournaments, rankings, and promotional materials. USA Pickleball has hosted many tournaments, big and small, in the past.
National Championships
The first national championship started in 2009 in Buckeye, AZ with only 400 participants. It has since grown and has been held in different places. The national championships have different divisions: from amateur to pro, junior, non-junior, and senior.
The latest national championship will be held in The Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, AZ from November 9-17, 2024.
Golden Ticket
The Golden Ticket tournaments are for amateur players. They only have the opportunity to join if they win a golden ticket from the previous year’s competition. To earn a golden ticket, you have to win a gold medal.
Select Series
The select series is an amateur pickleball competition for beginner players to test their skills. USA Pickleball “selects” five states to hold the competitions in. These competitions aim for amateur players to practice and improve their skills while competing with other players.
You can check out their calendar or events list if you're interested in their future events. They also post
Minto US Open Pickleball Championships
The Minto US Open Pickleball Championships envisioned to host the largest pickleball tournament combined with the biggest pickleball party in the world. They made this vision happen and started their first pickleball tournament party back in 2016 in Margaritaville Naples, Florida. Presently, they still host their events in Margaritaville.
They host different activities during their tournament including kids activities, free clinics, and competitions. The games are separated by categories: singles, doubles, wheelchair, skill, age, men and women division, and mixed. Anna Leigh Waters and her mother Leigh provided free clinics during the kids activities day. Simone Jardim also provided free clinics to pickleball players.
The latest US Open Pickleball Championships tournament ran from April 12-20, 2024, and was broadcast by CBS Sports Network. The next one will be on April 26 - May 3, 2024.
Major League Pickleball (MLP)
The Major League Pickleball (MLP) is one of the biggest leagues in the USA. Because they are so big, they usually divide their events into seasons in different states. This year, the events were divided into different seasons. The events will run from May to November 2024. You can check out their calendar for past and upcoming events.
Challenger Level
The challenger level is for pickleball players looking to become a pro.
Premier Level
The premier level is for pro pickleball players like Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters, Tyson McGuffin, and many more.
MLP streams their matches on their website so you can watch them anytime.
PPA Tour
The PPATour also hosts one of the biggest tournaments in the USA. They recently merged with the MLP, which many pro pickleball players signed for a multi-year contract. Their tournaments are divided into categories.
- Slam (2000)
- Cup (1500)
- Open (1000)
*The numbers represent the total number of PPA Points awarded to the 1st-place winners in men’s and women’s pro singles, men’s and women’s pro doubles, and mixed pro doubles.
They also have two professional brackets.
- Qualifier Draw - anyone can sign up and play at this stage.
- Main Draw - whoever wins in the Qualifier Draw will be seeded in the Main Draw.
The PPA Tour doesn’t only host the biggest tournaments for the pros, they also host the Junior PPA for young and aspiring pickleball players, and PPA Camps for those who want to learn pickleball.
Local Tournaments and Leagues
These big tournaments and leagues can be intimidating, especially if you’re still new. You can start small and join from your local communities if there are any. Just search for pickleball tournaments near me or pickleball leagues near me. This way, you can connect with other pickleball players around your area and be able to improve your skills through playing and clinics. You can also try websites like Pickleballtournaments.
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or pro pickleball player, you have many options to showcase your skills and play with others. You can join big leagues or small ones from your local communities. It’s ok if you feel afraid to join the major leagues, many professional players play there after all. Just remember that these pro players started as beginners too. Just keep practicing and invest in quality equipment so you’re ready for your next big pickleball tournament!
| Key Takeaways | Details |
|---|---|
| Popularity Growth | Pickleball has rapidly gained popularity, especially post-Covid-19, evolving from a casual game to a competitive sport with major tournaments. |
| USA Pickleball (USAP) | Manages pickleball in the USA, setting official rules and organizing tournaments and rankings. |
| National Championships | Began in 2009 in Buckeye, AZ. Now a major event with divisions for amateurs, pros, juniors, non-juniors, and seniors. The 2024 championship will be in Mesa, AZ, from November 9-17. |
| Golden Ticket Tournaments | Amateur players earn a spot by winning a gold medal in the previous year’s competition. |
| Select Series | Competitions in five selected states for amateur players to test and improve their skills. |
| Minto US Open Pickleball Championships | Combines the largest tournament with the biggest pickleball party, started in 2016 in Margaritaville Naples, Florida. The next event is from April 26 - May 3, 2024. |
| Activities at Minto US Open | Includes kids’ activities, free clinics by top players, and various competition categories (singles, doubles, wheelchair, skill, age, men’s, women’s, mixed). |
| Contact Us | For more information, email us at 101grouppb@gmail.com. |
