Copyright timesnownews
The PPA Challenger Series announced its 2026 season schedule on Wednesday, unveiling more than 15 tour stops across the United States of America (USA). With a focus on developing emerging talent and encouraging participation, the PPA Challenger Series aims to strengthen the sport’s grassroots base and create a pathway for players aspiring to reach the professional level. With its continued emphasis on accessibility and community engagement, the series aims to build on its strong foundation and further expand pickleball’s reach nationwide in 2026. “After an exceptional first year of the PPA Challenger Series, we are thrilled to expand on the tremendous foundation we laid in 2025 with new series stops in exciting locations like Houston, Newport Beach, Grand Rapids, and of course Seattle, where pickleball was founded in 1965,” said Tanner Groff, Vice President of the PPA Challenger Series. “This series was created to provide more access for amateur and aspiring pro players across the United States, and after hosting over 4,000 players in our first season, we have achieved that goal and now intend to expand and solidify this series as a mainstay on the pro pickleball calendar,” he added. Here is the 2026 PPA Challenger Series Schedule (Location / Venue / Date) Raleigh, NC / Pin Point Indoor Pickleball and Golf / Dec. 12–14, 2025 Punta Gorda, FL / PicklePlex / Jan. 9–11, 2026 Tucson, AZ / South Kino Sports Complex / Jan. 23–25, 2026 Houston, TX / Life Time Fitness in Kingwood / Feb. 20–22, 2026 Harbour Island, FL / Life Time Harbor Island / Mar. 6–8, 2026 Newport Beach, CA / The Tennis & Pickleball Club at Newport Beach / Apr. 4–5, 2026 Auburn-Opelika, AL / Opelika Pickleball Club / Apr. 17–19, 2026 Wilson, NC / Burt Gillette Athletic Complex / May 22–24, 2026 Fort Collins, CO / Zero Zero Two / May 29–31, 2026 Boise, ID / The Flying Pickle / June 12–14, 2026 Portland, ME / The Picklr / June 26–28, 2026 Macon, GA / Rhythm & Rally Sports & Events / July 17–19, 2026 Eau Claire, WI / Lake Hallie Pickleball, Gower Park / July 31–Aug. 2, 2026 Seattle, WA / Sideout Tsunami Pickleball Center / Aug. 14–16, 2026 Grand Rapids, MI / Meijer Sports Complex / Sept. 18–20, 2026 Rochester, NY / Pickle City Social / Sept. 25–27, 2026 All dates are as per the US calendar and are subject to change. Powered by JOOLA, the PPA Challenger Series provides amateur players with a platform to test their skills against rising professionals looking to break into the sport’s top tier. The 2026 calendar will feature a mix of amateur and aspiring professional players competing nationwide. Registration for the events is open at ppachallenger.com, where players can visit the schedule page to sign up. Spectator tickets are priced at $15, with detailed ticketing information also available on the website.
