Top 10 Pickleball Tournaments
Pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in the United States in 2022 in participation and viewership. Tournaments across the country attract thousands of professionals, amateurs, and spectators every year. There are 10 tournaments in particular that stand out from the rest of the crowd due to their popularity. Keep reading to learn about the 10 biggest pickleball competitions.
What Are the Biggest Pickleball Tournaments in the World?
- Minto US Open Pickleball Championships
- USA Pickleball National Championships
- Tournament of Champions
- PPA Hyundai Masters
- Baird Wealth Management Cincinnati Open (PPA)
- Indoor National Championships (PPA) PPA Hyundai Masters
- APP Daytona Beach Open
- PPA Championship
- Red Rock Open (PPA)
- Texas Open (PPA)
1. Minto US Open Pickleball Championships
The Minto US Open Pickleball Championships is the largest event in the sport and lasts for one week each April. Since its inception in 2016, The Open is the only major tournament not affiliated with one of the professional leagues. The Open is held at East Naples Community Park in Naples, FL, which is home to 64 pickleball courts.
Roughly 30,000 spectators attend the event to watch more than 3,000 professional and amateur competitors. Parts of the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships are televised on CBS Sports Network every year.
2. USA Pickleball National Championships
The USA Pickleball National Championships is a professional pickleball tournament that brings together the top players from the United States. The annual event is owned by USA Pickleball, the national governing body for pickleball in the US, but organized by the PPA Tour, a popular professional league.
As the oldest major tournament, it is considered one of the most prestigious events in the sport. 2023 is the first year it will be held at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, Texas, which is expected to increase attendance by almost 3,500.
3. Tournament of Champions
The Tournament of Champions is an annual pickleball event that features matches across various categories and age groups. It was the first tournament to offer prize money to the champions and the first event to be granted Tier 1 status, aside from Nationals.
The Tournament of Champions was first held in Brigham City, Utah, in 2013 and has remained there ever since. Due to its age and professionalism, it’s considered one of the most prestigious events in pickleball.
4. Indoor National Championships (PPA Tour) PPA Hyundai Masters
The PPA Hyundai Masters was chosen as the tour’s season-opening tournament in 2023, which was also the first since the PPA event since merging with rival Major League Pickleball. The unification helped draw over 1,000 to the competition.
The event was most recently held at Mission Hills Country Club out in Rancho Mirage, California. Much like Wimbledon in tennis, participants were only allowed to wear white while competing.
5. Baird Wealth Management Cincinnati Open (PPA Tour)
The Baird Wealth Management Cincinnati Open is one of the grand slam tournaments in the PPA Tour. In 2022, the city welcomed nearly 1,000 athletes and 8,000 spectators to come to watch the tournament.
It was the largest pickleball tournament ever played in the Midwest and one of the five biggest ever in organized pickleball at the time. Event planners used the Lindner Family Tennis Center as the host venue, which gets converted into 42 pickleball courts when the event rolls around each September.
6. Indoor National Championships (PPA Tour)
The PPA Tour Indoor National Championships brings together some of the best professional and amateur players in the world together. Each player is competing for a piece of a prize purse worth $230,000.
The PPA Tour Indoor National Championships occur annually, and the host city changes year-to-year. Life Time in Lakeville, Minnesota, the host of the event in 2023, accommodated nearly 1,000 pickleball players, making it one of the biggest indoor tournaments in the country.
7. APP Daytona Beach Open
The APP Tour, which USA Pickleball sanctions, challenges its rival PPA with its own grand tournaments and television deals. The Daytona Beach Open is one of eight tournaments on the 2023 schedule that will be broadcast across ESPN streaming platforms.
The event was held across two days at the Pictona at Holly Hill, a massive venue with a 1,500-seat championship stadium. The APP has deals with both ESPN and CBS Sports for the rest of the 2023 event calendar.
8. PPA Championship
The PPA Championship is one of the last events on the PPA Tour schedule and the last Grand Slam tournament of the season. The Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, Nevada has been the home of the PPA Championship since the league’s inaugural season.
Some memorable games have been played on these courts. Ben Johns, the top-ranked player in the world, achieved the tournament’s first-ever “triple crown” in 2020, which is when one player wins all three events.
9. Red Rock Open (PPA)
The Red Rock Open has been a PPA calendar mainstay for three consecutive years. The tournament is played at the Little Valley Sports Complex in Utah, almost 2,700 feet above sea level.
There’s usually a heavy turnout for the Red Rock Open since there aren’t that many other events in the region. It nearly reached 1,000 players in 2023, including a collective of Utah-based professionals and their supporters.
10. Texas Open (PPA)
The Texas Open attracts spectators from one of the pickleball hotbeds of the United States of America. The Oasis Pickleball Club, which has been named the host venue for three consecutive years, has 42 dedicated pickleball courts.
Oasis Pickleball Club says that it’s the largest pickleball facility in the state. On top of the 42 courts, Oasis also features two championship courts designated for professional competition.
Honorable Mentions
- Florida Open (PPA Tour)
- Atlanta Open (PPA Tour)
- PPA Takeya Showcase
- Carvana Arizona Grand Slam (PPA Tour)
- bubly™ Las Vegas Pickleball Championship
- Desert Ridge Open (PPA Tour)
- New York City Open (APP Tour)
- PPA Hertz National Championship
- PPA Select Medical Orange County Cup
- Austin Showdown (PPA Tour)
FAQ
What is the biggest pickleball tournament in the world?
The biggest pickleball tournament in the world is the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships. The Open draws the highest attendance out of all the other pickleball competitions across the three major leagues. Roughly 30,000 to 35,000 fans pour into East Naples Community Center to watch around 5,000 games of pickleball. As one of the three major tournaments in professional pickleball, parts of the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships can be watched on CBS Sports Network every year.