🇪🇸 Spain's Pickle Pro Tour takes its Barcelona Open to Sant Fruitós, with a rain plan for the finals
Summary by Coachino Daily Digest · Original reporting by Ajuntament de Sant Fruitós de Bages
Published
The Pickle Pro Tour's Barcelona Open runs from Friday, October 16, to Sunday, October 18, at Shooter Club Pickleball & Life in Sant Fruitós de Bages, the town council announced. Spain's official circuit, run under the national tennis federation, has already visited Gran Canaria, Málaga, Madrid, A Coruña and Mijas-Costa del Sol this season.
The event is the final stop before December's Masters Final in Madrid and welcomes players of any nationality. If rain arrives, Sunday's finals will move into the town's own sports facilities.
Coachino Insight
Europe's national circuits are building real calendars. A season-ending Masters gives players a clear ranking goal, and an indoor backup shows organisers planning seriously for the weather.
Hunter Johnson beat Tama Shimabukuro in the PPA Tour Asia Hong Kong Slam men’s singles final, after defeating Federico Staksrud in the semifinals. Crowds packed Kai Tak Arena for an event offering $1.1 million in prize money and 1,500 World Pickleball Ranking points.
Staksrud’s quarterfinal comeback against Hong Kit Wong drew controversy: an extended equipment timeout and a 1-point penalty for inappropriate language preceded his 12-10 deciding-game win. Anna Leigh Waters won women’s doubles with Anna Bright and mixed doubles with Ben Johns.
Coachino Insight
For athletes and coaches, the Staksrud-Wong match puts equipment readiness and on-court conduct in focus: both became central issues during a closely contested deciding game.
Thailand and the Philippines will host PPA Tour Asia events for the first time in 2027. The opening schedule features PPA Asia 500 tournaments in Bangkok, Manila, Penang and Ho Chi Minh City.
Bangkok opens proceedings on 27–31 January 2027, followed by Manila on 24–28 February 2027. The circuit then returns to Malaysia and Vietnam in March. Ranking points from these events count toward qualification for the PPA Finals in California, with further calendar announcements still to come.
Coachino Insight
For players planning their Asian schedule, the newly announced stops offer ranking opportunities tied to Finals qualification, alongside access to new host markets.
The East Coast Regional in Fort Lauderdale awarded 200 players free entry to the Pickle Money Ball National Championship. Each division’s Top 4 qualified for the Las Vegas tournament, scheduled for July 26-31, 2027, with more than $1 million in amateur prize money.
Held at The Fort, the regional drew more than 550 competitors and offered a $625,000 prize pool. Division winners received $2,000 per player, with payouts extending through the Top 16. It was the final regional of 2026 and the tour’s biggest event to date.
Coachino Insight
For amateur players, the qualification pathway offers both prize money and waived entry fees: Luke Schmidt turned a $100 local qualifier entry into $1,625 and a national berth.
