As we close in on the hottest days of summer, you may be hearing some buzz about the PPA Tour.

What is this amazing event, and who’s hosting it?

Whether you’re a new player or a returning champion, you’ll want to read this blog post! We’ll be looking at the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) as well as its Carvana-sponsored main event. Who are the players, where is it happening, and how can you watch some of the biggest games of professional pickleball?

Keep reading to learn more!

What Is the PPA?

Commonly abbreviated as PPA, the Professional Pickleball Association is one of the few organizations hosting professional pickleball games. In fact, it has only one competitor: the confusingly similar-sounding Association of Pickleball Players (APP).

Unlike the APP, the Professional Pickleball Association separates itself from the popular USA Pickleball group. Instead, it operates on its own terms. Its founder, Connor Pardoe, cites excitement and spectacle as the key cornerstones of the PPA. For Pardoe, the PPA begins pickleball’s journey to becoming a true professional sport.

Players are not required to register with USAP, and the PPA Tour (currently sponsored by Carvana) does not mandate USAP certification from its referees.

As of 2023, Pardoe remains PPA’s CEO. However, its ownership was transferred to Thomas Dundon in 2021.

The Popularity of the PPA Tournament (and Where to Watch)

By many metrics, Pardoe’s tactics are working.

As of 2023, the Professional Pickleball Association’s flagship tournament is broadcast by ABC, Amazon, CBS, ESPN, and Fox. Moreover, two of these broadcasting giants are newcomers to the pickleball scene.

Both Amazon and ESPN gained streaming rights this year, in 2023!

Spokespeople for the brands cited the sport’s growth as the deciding factor for their investment, and the numbers don’t lie. Estimates suggest that pickleball gained 36 million (as in 36,000,000 — with six zeros!) new players between August 2021 and 2022. While some of this is undoubtedly thanks to the PPA’s efforts, pickleball’s social setting has also helped the sport spread beyond its humble California beginnings.

Where Did the Professional Pickleball Association Come From?

Today, you’ll spot PPA athletes playing in countless venues — from the Lindner Family Tennis Center (Mason, Ohio) and Los Cab Sports Village (Fountain Valley, California) to the Branson Convention Center (Branson, Missouri) and Apex Center (Arvada, Colorado).

But it hasn’t always been this way…

Connor Pardoe founded the PPA in Draper, Utah, a relatively small city of around 51,000. At its inception, Pardoe’s dream to create an Olympic-level sport led to a yearlong exclusivity deal. Once a player registered as a paid athlete with the PPA, they were required to play exclusively for the PPA. This rule has since changed, and — as of 2021 — players are now bound to a 3-year plan with the PPA.

What is the PPA Tour?

The annual PPA Tour, currently sponsored by Carvana, is a yearlong event that spans 25 tournaments. The current 2023 season is being held across 14 states and has a whopping $ 298,640 payout for the top player. Outside of the professional brackets, the PPA Tour also offers games suitable “for all ages and skill levels,” per its website.

Anyone can register to play in the PPA Tour, but becoming a paid player is a different matter. (I’ll get to that in a minute.)

How Does the PPA Tour Work?

Whether you’re in San Clemente, California, or Boca Raton, Florida, the PPA Tour’s rules are always the same.

The PPA Tour is organized like an elite tennis bracket. Players play through rounds of pickleball and are awarded points for each win. Players with more points are ranked higher, advancing to subsequent matches. These scores are tallied with every game, but the total isn’t finalized until the end of a tournament.

The “52 Week” refers to a player’s score over the past 52 weeks, while “The Race” is a player’s total for an entire calendar year. While both scores are important, only the 52-week score is used to declare the de facto pickleball champions.

Now, points are not awarded equally.

The PPA Tour has three “types” of games, each based on skill level. These categories — the 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 — are named for the total points awarded for a win. Both singles and doubles games have these distinctions.

Every tournament event has three brackets (or “draws”):

1. Qualifiers (open to everyone)
2. Main draw
3. Points draw

Each draw is seeded by the last. In other words: The winners of the qualifiers play in the main draw, and the winners of the main draw play in the points draw.

Eventually, at the end of the PPA season, the 8 teams (for doubles) and players (for singles) with the highest 52 Week score advance to The Finals.

Does Everyone Get Paid in a PPA Tournament Event?

Unfortunately, the PPA can’t pay everyone. Countless eager players attend events, hoping to have a shot at pickleball glory. So, while anyone can register to be in a tournament’s qualifiers, few will ever get paid.

Those who are eligible to be paid by the PPA must register and sign a contract. Such players must be in the prestigious Round of 16 brackets, and their total pay is determined by their popularity.

Where Is the PPA Tournament?

Thanks to the PPA’s tireless efforts, you can probably find a PPA Tour event near you! All tournament events run for 1–3 (and sometimes more) days. Past PPA Tour events have been hosted in places such as:

• Brigham City Pickleball Courts in Brigham City, Utah (September 2022, “Meals on Wheels” event)
• Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, Nevada (July 2022, Junior PPA Championships)
• Life Time San Clemente in San Clemente, California (December 2022, RYVL Round Robin Winter Open)
• Lower Woodland Tennis Courts in Seattle, Washington (July 2023, Seattle “Golden Tickets” Qualifier)
• The Savannah Golf Club in Savannah, Georgia (March and April 2023, “Savannah Open” Pickleball Championship)
• Sun City Hilton Head in Hardeeville, South Carolina (March and April 2023, “Low Country Pickleball Classic”)

If you’re hoping to join the action, the PPA Tour website has a list of upcoming tournaments. As of August 2023, you’ll find games at countless venues, including:

• Los Cab Sports Village in Fountain Valley, California (August 3–6, PPA Tour)
• Greenaway Pickleball Courts in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (August 4–6, 2023, Canada Deaf Pickleball Tournament)
• South Surrey Athletic Park in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (August 4–6, “Super Senior Slam 2023”)
• Bush Tennis Center in Midland, Texas (September 16–17, Bush Tennis Center Pickleball Open)
• Gilbert Regional Park in Gilbert, Arizona (September 16–18, Gilbert Regional Park Fall Classic)
• Jokerset Park in Festus, Missouri (October 7–8, Festus Fall Open)
• Game On Sports Complex in Fort Worth, Texas (October 10–11, “Cowtown” Senior Open Series 4)
• Little Valley Pickleball Complex in Saint George, Utah (October 10–14, “Fall Brawl” 2023)
• Pictona at Holy Hill in Holy Hill, Florida (November 3–5, NP Daytona Beach Classic)
• Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Arizona (November 17–19, NP Arizona Amateur Open)
• St. Thomas Yacht Club in Saint Thomas, British Virgin Islands (November 17–18, STYC Pickleball Open)
• NW Sports Hub in Centralia, Washington (December 1–3. International Indoor Pickleball Championships)

Be sure to check the details for these events. Each tournament has different admission practices. Many of these tournaments are open to everyone, but some are more restrictive. You’ll also have to pay an admission fee — generally between $20–$80.

The Big Names in the PPA

Finally — and before we wrap up this blog post — let’s take a quick peek at some of the organization’s most famous athletes. Like any sport, pickleball has its hall of heroes. These players may belong to different organizations, but they all have impeccable pickleball skills. A quick search of such stars will bring up names like Pat Smith, but who’s on the PPA’s exclusive roster?

Anna Bright, 23

A former University of California Berkeley elite tennis player, Anna Bright was once the #13 player in America! Since then, she’s exchanged her racquet for a paddle and started dominating the world stage of pickleball.

But that doesn’t stop her from having fun. When she’s not playing as a Gold Card PPA touring pro, she’s probably playing pickleball with her parents.

Anna Leigh Waters, 16

Born in 2007, this pickleball phenom is the definition of excellent, winning her first championship at the age of 12!

Her mother, Leigh Waters, was an elite tennis player at the University of South Carolina, and her father, Stephen Waters, a pro golfer. In 2019, she and her mother became doubles champions. Since then, Anna Waters has forged her own path, becoming the world’s top female PPA player.

Tyler Loong, 31

Once a Brigham Young University elite tennis player, Tyler Loong gave up his collegiate sports management position in 2020. He cites his introduction to pickleball in 2014 as a major turning point in his life.

As a left-handed player, Loong is a rarity in pro pickleball!

Off-court, Loong enjoys watching television and spending time with his family.

Learn Even More About Pickleball

Whether you’re in Brigham City or Dallas, there’s probably a PPA tournament near you!

Don’t be afraid to give it a try. You’re sure to make new friends and forge wonderful memories. And, if you’re not ready for the big leagues, you can watch and learn from the pros! Pickleball players are notoriously friendly, and they’ll probably be more than happy to give you a few tips. You may even be able to check out some of the best pickleball paddles in the sport.

So, until next time, stay safe and play hard! Don’t forget to check out the rest of our blog, too! We have plenty more tips, tricks, and pickleball news to share.