What Is the IFP Bainbridge Cup in Pickleball?
The IFP Bainbridge Cup is the most prestigious tournament in international pickleball, featuring a unique format that pits competitors from different continents against each other. The tournament honors the birthplace of pickleball, Bainbridge Island, Washington, and the venue moves to different locations around the world every year.
- Location: Mumbai, India in 2022 (changes yearly)
- Venue: National Sports Club of India (changes yearly)
- First Tournament: 2017
- Tour: IFP (non-sanctioned)
- Guaranteed Prize Pool: $50,500
History
The inaugural IFP Bainbridge Cup took place in 2017 in Madrid, Spain, and was the first intercontinental pickleball team event in the history of the sport. The event was meant to honor Bainbridge Island, the location where pickleball’s founders first met in the summer of 1965 and created the first version of pickleball on record. This was also the first official event thrown by the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP), cementing the prestige of the sport’s international governing body.
Format
Originally structured as a contest between Europe and North America, the IFP Bainbridge Cup features a different international matchup for each edition. The most recent tournament, in 2022 included Team India (the host country) against Pickleball United, a team of players from around the world, including some Indians. The tournament is divided by skill level and age group, featuring men’s and women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles in intermediate and advanced skill levels. There are over 50 different events, with a win in each one earning that player’s team a point. The team with the most points wins the tournament, and medals are given to the top three competitors in each event.
Players
The Bainbridge Cup is open to players of all levels, both elite and amateur, and is divided into categories by age and skill. They can also compete individually in or in pairs with another player. Each event declares an individual competitor or doubles team a winner, and those winners earn points for their respective international teams. Each year of the tournament has had different formations, with each country placed on one of two international teams (e.g., Europe vs. North America, East vs. West, India vs. Pickleball United).
FAQ
What is the IFP Bainbridge Cup in pickleball?
The IFP Bainbridge Cup is the first intercontinental pickleball team event in the history of the sport. The event was created by the newly formed International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) to create friendly competition between the great players rising in both Europe and North America but has now grown into a global competition involving players from all over the world.
How does the IFP Bainbridge Cup work?
The IFP Bainbridge Cup is an international pickleball tournament in which two international teams compete in over 70 events, divided by age group and skill level. Men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles are included. The composition of the international teams change with every edition of the tournament. A win in each event earns a point for that player’s team, and the team with the most points at the end of the tournament is the champion.