PPA Tour Asia has named the seeds for the Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam, its first 1500-level event and the 2026 finale, played at Kai Tak Arena from October 19 to 25. Champions earn 1,500 ranking points from a purse of up to US$1.1 million.
World No. 1 Christopher Haworth leads the men's singles on his Asia debut, ahead of Federico Staksrud, and home favourite Hong Kit Wong is seeded seventh. Kaitlyn Christian heads the women's singles, while Ben Johns and Gabriel Tardio, Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright, and Waters with Johns top the doubles.
Coachino ਵਿਸ਼ਲੇਸ਼ਣ
A Hong Kong crowd will see Hong Kit Wong seeded among the world's best, a useful signal for Asian juniors that a local champion can earn a place at this level.
The WALKER Australia Pickleball Cup, a PPA1500 stop with a purse above US$500,000, starts its pro rounds at Brisbane's Queensland Tennis Centre this week, and every champion collects 1,500 ranking points.
Previewing the draw for The Dink, Erik Tice lists Federico Staksrud and Kaitlyn Christian as the singles favourites, Gabe Tardio and Hayden Patriquin atop the men's doubles and the Johnson siblings, Jorja and JW, leading mixed. Home hope Sahra Dennehy is the second seed in women's singles. Matches stream overnight for North America on the PPA Tour's YouTube channel.
Coachino ਵਿਸ਼ਲੇਸ਼ਣ
Australian coaches get a rare home look at tour-level doubles. The wet forecast is also a reminder to prepare players for delays and slick outdoor courts.
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns are both missing from this week's Mojo Energy Pouches Virginia Beach Open, which leaves the PPA Tour stop unusually open. Pickleball.com's Jim Kloss blames the upcoming MLP Nations Cup and the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships for the thinner top end.
Kate Fahey and Roscoe Bellamy are the top singles seeds. Kloss expects No. 20 men's doubles pair Luca Mack and Anouar Braham to beat their ranking and calls mixed doubles the hardest event to call. Each pro title is worth 1,000 ranking points.
Coachino ਵਿਸ਼ਲੇਸ਼ਣ
Weeks without the biggest names are when developing pros earn points and belief. Coaches should watch which double-digit seeds turn a kind section of the draw into a deep run.
Northern Crocs won the Brisbane Premier stop of Major League Pickleball Australia on October 11, beating Pacific Flame 3–1 in the final. World Pickleball Magazine reports that the Crocs reversed their earlier pool defeat to the same opponents.
Their route included a 21–19 DreamBreaker victory against The Coasters in the semifinal. Andie Dikosavljevic and Prycen Haas then secured the decisive mixed doubles game in the final, 11–7. The result completes the Brisbane event rather than deciding the season championship.
Coachino ਵਿਸ਼ਲੇਸ਼ਣ
Team coaches can use this sequence to discuss resetting after a pool loss and preparing every player for a deciding singles rotation.
