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Competition · Pickleball · Naples, Florida

US Open Pickleball Championships

An open pickleball tournament for professionals and amateurs, held each spring in Naples, Florida, owned by Spirit Promotions LLC, a Pickle4 company; 3,750 players entered in 2026, the organiser reports.
✓ Last reviewed: September 2026
SportPickleball — professional and amateur divisions
OwnerSpirit Promotions LLC, a Pickle4 company; merged with Pickleball4America in March 2023
VenueUSOP National Pickleball Center at East Naples Community Park, Naples, Florida
First edition2016, as the owner states; founded in 2015, per the 2023 merger announcement
2026 field3,750 players from all 50 states and 53 countries, and more than 55,000 fans, as the organiser reports
2026 pro prize pool$187,500, per the organiser's published prize pool

What is the US Open Pickleball Championships?

The US Open Pickleball Championships is an annual open tournament in Naples, Florida, where professionals and amateurs play in the same week. Its 2026 title sponsor describes a week of competition across professional, senior professional, amateur, junior and wheelchair divisions, and calls it "the sport's signature destination event".[1] The professional events in 2026 were men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles, together with pro split-age events and Champions and Masters events.[2]

Who organizes the US Open Pickleball Championships?

The event is privately owned. Its site carries the name of Spirit Promotions LLC, a Pickle4 company.[4] The site names Terri Graham and Chris Evon as its founders.[8] On 21 March 2023 Pickleball4America, whose co-founder and chairman was Mike Dee, announced a merger with the US Open; Graham and Evon joined the company as part of the merger and continued to run the event.[5] The 2026 announcement naming Franklin Sports as title sponsor states that the event is owned by Spirit Promotions LLC, a Pickle4 company. In it, Franklin Sports says it has been the official ball since 2016 and describes itself as having been an ownership partner.[1] The 2023 announcement also says the tournament is held in partnership with Collier County.[5]

When and where is it held?

The tournament is held once a year in the spring at East Naples Community Park, which the 2023 merger announcement describes as a 65-court facility.[5] The 2026 title-sponsor announcement names the venue as the USOP National Pickleball Center at East Naples Community Park.[1] Its week usually falls in April. The 2025 edition was scheduled for 26 April to 3 May 2025, and the 2026 edition was held from 11 to 18 April 2026.[6][1] The 2027 edition is scheduled for 17 to 24 April 2027.[7] The organiser's results archive lists every year from 2016 to 2026 except 2020, for which no results are posted.[7]

SeasonPool / FormatHost cities
2027Awarded editionNaples, Florida — 17 to 24 April 2027 — upcoming
2026Pro, Champions, Masters, split-age, junior, wheelchairUSOP National Pickleball Center at East Naples Community Park, Naples, Florida — 11 to 18 April 2026
2025Pro, senior pro, split-age, junior, wheelchair, age/skillNaples, Florida — 26 April to 3 May 2025
2024Pro, senior pro, split-age, junior, wheelchair, age/skillNaples, Florida
2023Pro, senior pro, split-age, junior, wheelchair, age/skillEast Naples Community Park, Naples, Florida
2022Pro, senior pro, split-age, junior, para, age/skillNaples, Florida
2021Pro, senior pro, split-age, junior, para, age/skillNaples, Florida
2019Pro, senior pro, junior, wheelchair, age/skillNaples, Florida
2018Pro, senior pro, junior, age/skillEast Naples Community Center, Naples, Florida — 22 to 28 April 2018
2017Pro, senior pro, age/skillEast Naples Community Center, Naples, Florida — 23 to 29 April 2017
2016Pro, senior open, age/skillNaples, Florida

Editions from the organiser's results archive, newest first, with the awarded 2027 edition. Pool: the event groups in that year's medalist report, linked from the archive.[7] Hosts: the venue and dates where published; the 2017 and 2018 reports give the venue as East Naples Community Center.[11][12] No 2020 edition appears in the archive. No individual champions are listed.

Since when does it exist?

The first edition was played in 2016. The organiser's results archive begins with that year, and the 2026 title-sponsor announcement says the event was founded in 2016 and was celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026.[7][1] The 2023 merger announcement gives a different founding year: it says Graham and Evon founded the event in 2015.[5] No retrieved source reconciles the two years. The founders say on the event's site that they left their earlier jobs, in professional racquetball and at Wilson Sporting Goods, to start it.[8]

How do players enter?

Amateur places are allocated by lottery; the organiser says it "introduced the US Open Player Lottery in 2019 to create the fairest registration process". For 2026, the lottery ran from 14 to 20 January 2026.[10] In April 2024 the organiser said new registration software would let it accept a higher share of lottery registrants for 2025, which it put at about ten percent more.[3] In June 2024 the organiser adopted DUPR ratings; its announcement said the US Open would use DUPR "to provide transparency and help seed players" and that players registering for the 2025 Open would be required to have a DUPR account.[6] The 2026 Athlete's Guide lists the Pro, Champions Pro and Masters Pro events for players with a DUPR of 4.5 or higher and the Pro Split Age events for 4.0 or higher, and states that "Any athlete who enters a Pro, Champions or Masters event may not enter an amateur event."[9]

Why does it matter?

Its standing shows in field size, prize money and venue. The organiser reports 3,750 players from all 50 states and 53 countries in 2026, and more than 55,000 fans.[4] The published 2026 professional prize pool was $187,500, with a potential payout of $199,500 including a Triple Crown winner bonus.[2] The organiser's results archive describes the event as "the Biggest Pickleball Party in the World".[7] See also prize money and athlete pay.

Who competes?

The field mixes touring professionals and amateurs of every age. At the 2024 edition, about 3,200 athletes played, 460 of them professionals, according to the organiser.[3] Beyond the professional draws, the 2026 divisions included senior professional, amateur, junior and wheelchair events.[1] The professional events are open to men and women, in separate singles and doubles draws and in mixed doubles.[2] Medalists for each year are published in the organiser's results archive.[7]

References

  1. Franklin Sports via Business Wire — Franklin Sports announced as title sponsor of the US Open Pickleball Championships (26 February 2026). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  2. US Open Pickleball Championships — 2026 prize pool (PDF). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  3. Pickle4 — US Open Pickleball Championships switches to Pickleball Den software and expands athlete lottery (26 April 2024). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  4. US Open Pickleball Championships — official site. Accessed 2026-09-27.
  5. Pickleball4America via PR Newswire — Pickleball4America merges with US Open Pickleball Championships (21 March 2023). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  6. Pickle4 — DUPR announced as ratings partner of the US Open Pickleball Championships (27 June 2024). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  7. US Open Pickleball Championships — past results. Accessed 2026-09-27.
  8. US Open Pickleball Championships — founders. Accessed 2026-09-27.
  9. US Open Pickleball Championships — Athlete's Guide (2026). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  10. US Open Pickleball Championships — Registration (2026). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  11. US Open Pickleball Championships — 2017 medalist results (PDF). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  12. US Open Pickleball Championships — 2018 medalist results (PDF). Accessed 2026-09-27.