2022 Pickleball Tournament Calendar – Which Pickleball Tournaments Will You Be Playing In?

Pickleball tournaments are popping up all across the United States and the world, which is no surprise given that the sport of pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country. There are many things pickleball players could look for in a pickleball tournament. One thing that may be important to pickleball players is the size of the pickleball tournament (which could also tend to correlate with quality). Some of the largest pickleball tournaments across the world include, among others:

1. USA Pickleball National Championships
2. US Open Pickleball Championships
3. IFP Bainbridge Cup
4. Pro Pickleball Tour Events 

USA Pickleball National Championships and Other Pickleball Tournaments

USA Pickleball, the governing body for the sport of pickleball in the United States, organizes the premiere pickleball tournament in the world, which is the USA Pickleball National Championships. The USA Pickleball National Championships are held in Indian Wells, California at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. This event is surely the crown jewel of pickleball tournaments.

To play in the 2022 USA Pickleball National Championships, which will be held from November 5th, 2022 through November 13th, 2022, you must either earn “pre-registration” through your success at another pickleball tournament or enter into and win a lottery draw. 

• Pre-Registration – Guaranteed Entry: To guarantee your place at the 2022 USA Pickleball National Championships, you must win a gold medal at any of the following events:
• 2021 Newport Beach Championships (National Championship Series (NCS) Tournament)
• 2021 USAP Mid-Atlantic Regional
• 2021 USAP West Regional
• 2021 Tournament of Champions (NCS)
• 2021 APP Atlanta Metro Open (NCS)
• 2021 APP Hilton Head Open (NCS)
• 2021 USAP National Championships (Indian Wells)
• 2022 APP Masters (NCS)
• 2022 APP Phoenix (NCS)
• 2022 APP New York, NY (NCS)
• 2022 USAP National Indoor Championships
• 2022 USAP Newport Beach Championships (NCS)
• 2022 APP Beer City Open (NCS)
• 2022 APP Atlanta Open (NCS)
• *To note, there is no pre-registration for medalists at any 2022 USA Pickleball Regional tournament.

• Lottery – Random Draw: To be placed into the lottery for the 2022 USA Pickleball National Championships, you must either:
• Win a gold, silver, or bronze medal at any 2022 USA Pickleball Regional tournament; or
• Win a silver or bronze medal at any of the pickleball tournaments listed above.

Looking to the 2023 USA Pickleball National Championships, the USA Pickleball Regional tournaments will be important to earn a spot at the new Diamond Amateur Championship. Gold and silver medalists at each USA Pickleball Regional tournament will earn pre-registration to the Diamond Amateur Championship. All other participants at a USA Pickleball Regional tournament will be placed in a lottery for the Diamond Amateur Championships. Then, all gold medalists from the Diamond Amateur Championships will earn pre-registration to the USA Pickleball National Championships in the following calendar year, and all silver and bronze medalists will be placed into the lottery.

For a complete list of the USA Pickleball Regional tournaments and the USA Pickleball National Championship Series for the 2022 calendar year, see below:

• January 18th-23rd: APP Masters in Boca Raton, Florida (NCS)
• March 22nd-27th: USA Pickleball Southwest Regional in Mesa, Arizona
• March 28th-April 3rd: USA Pickleball Mountain Regional in Las Vegas, Nevada
• March 30th- April 3rd: APP Phoenix Open (JW Marriott) in Phoenix, Arizona (NCS)
• April 28th-May 1st: USA Pickleball Mid-South Regional in McKinney, Texas
• May 25th-29th: APP New York City Open in New York City, New York (NCS)
• May 26th-29th: USA Pickleball Middle States Regional in St. Louis, Missouri
• June 3rd-5th: USA Pickleball North Mid-Atlantic Regional in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
• June 6th-12th: USA Pickleball Great Plains Regional in Colorado Springs, Colorado
• June 7th-12th: USA Pickleball National Indoor Championships in Hoover, Alabama
• June 16th-19th: USA Pickleball Great Lakes Regional in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
• June 21st-26th: USA Pickleball Atlantic South Regional in Opelika, Alabama
• June 24th-26th: USA Pickleball Atlantic Regional in Portland, Maine
• Dates TBD: USA Pickleball Pacific Northwest Regional in Washington
• June 28th-July 3rd: USA Pickleball Newport Beach Championship in Newport Beach, California (NCS)
• July 20th-July 24th: APP Beer City Open in Grand Rapids, Michigan (NCS)
• September 7th-11th: APP Atlanta Metro Open in Atlanta, Georgia (NCS)
• September 21st-25th: USA Pickleball Mid-Atlantic Regional in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Dates TBD: USA Pickleball West Regional in Location TBD
• November 5th-13th: USA Pickleball National Championships in Indian Wells, California
• December 5th-11th: Diamond Amateur Championship in Holly Hill, Florida

Pro Pickleball Tours

The 2020 calendar year marked the inaugural year for both of the premiere pro pickleball tours – the Professional Pickleball Association (also known as the PPA) and the Association of Pickleball Professionals (also known as the APP). The PPA markets itself as the pro tour where the pros play, while the APP positions itself as the pro tour where everyone plays (and is the official pickleball tour of USA Pickleball). While both tours draw great pro pickleball players, the PPA has put up larger cash prizes for pro pickleball players to date, as well as signed many of the top pickleball players to semi-exclusive contracts to lock them in to PPA events across the country. Both pro pickleball tours plan to continue their growth within the sport of pickleball during the 2022 calendar year. In fact, there will be over 50 pro pickleball tournaments in the 2022 calendar year!

For a complete rundown of all pro pickleball tournaments in the 2022 calendar year, see the chronological list below, or check out the calendars above in this pickleball blog.

• January 13^th-16^th: APP Mesa Open in Mesa, Arizona
• January 18^th-23^rd: APP Masters in Boca Raton, Florida
• January 25^th-30^th: PPA Marriott Desert Ridge Open in Phoenix, Arizona
• February 3^rd-6^th: APP Guadalajara Open in Guadalajara, Mexico
• February 4^th-6^th: APP Next Gen Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• February 16^th-20^th: PPA Arizona Grand Slam in Mesa, Arizona
• February 24^th-27^th: PPA Indoor National Championships in Lakeville, Minnesota
• February 23^th-27^th: APP Punta Gorda Open in Punta Gorda, Florida
• March 2^nd-6^th: APP Plantation Open in Plantation, Florida
• March 10^th-13^th: APP Orlando Open in Orlando, Florida
• March 10^th-13^th: PPA Simone Jardim’s Florida Grand Slam in Port St. Lucie, Florida
• March 15^th-20^th: APP Delray Beach Open in Delray Beach, Florida
• March 18^th-20^th: APP Next Gen Series in Wichita, Kansas
• March 23^rd-27^th: PPA Austin Open in Austin, Texas
• March 30^th– April 4^th: APP Legacy Open in Phoenix, Arizona
• April 6^th-10^th: PPA Red Rock Open in St. George, Utah
• April 6^th-10^th: APP Prescott Open in Prescott, Arizona
• April 14^th-17^th: APP South Carolina Open (Location TBD)
• April 23^rd-30^th: US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida
• May 5^th– 8^th: PPA North Carolina Open in Cary, North Carolina
• May 4^th-8^th: APP St. Louis Open in St. Louis, Missouri
• May 12^th-15^th: APP Cincinnati Open in Cincinnati, Ohio
• May 18^th-22^nd: PPA Atlanta Open in Peachtree Corners, Georgia
• May 25^th-29^th: APP New York City Open in New York City, New York
• June 3^rd-5^th: APP Indianapolis Open in Indianapolis, Indiana
• June 9^th-12^th: PPA Orange County Cup in San Clemente, California
• June 15^th-19^th: APP So Cal Classic in Encinitas, California
• June 23^rd-26^th: APP Los Angeles Open in Los Angeles, California
• June 30^th-July 3^rd: APP English Open in the United Kingdom
• July 20^th-July 24^th: APP Beer City Open in Grand Rapids, Michigan
• July 28^th-31^st: PPA Rocky Mountain Open in Denver, Colorado
• July 27^th-31^st: APP Pacific Northwest Class in Bend, Oregon
• August 11^th-14^th: PPA Showcase in Newport Beach, California
• August 10^th-14^th: APP New Jersey Open in Hamilton, New Jersey
• August 17^th-21^st: PPA (Location TBD)
• August 25^th-28^th: APP Philadelphia Open in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• August 25^th-28^th: APP French Open in France
• August 31^st-September 4^th: APP Chicago Open in Chicago, Illinois
• September 1^st-4^th: APP Spanish Open in Spain
• September 7^th-11^th: PPA Open in Mason, Ohio
• September 7^th-11^th: APP Atlanta Metro Open in Atlanta, Georgia
• September 22^nd-25^th: PPA Toronto Cup in Toronto, Canada
• October 5^th-9^th: PPA DC Open (Location TBD)
• October 6^th-9^th: APP Alabama Classic in Auburn, Alabama
• October 13^th-16^th: APP Houston Open in Houston, Texas
• October 19^th-23^rd: PPA Championship Las Vegas, Nevada
• October 20^th-23^rd: APP Austin Open in Austin, Texas
• October 26^th-30^th: APP Hilton Head Open in Hilton Head, South Carolina
• November 3^rd-6^th: PPA Texas Open in Rockwall, Texas
• November 17^th-20^th: APP World Pickleball Classic (Location TBD)
• November 30^th-December 4^th: APP Casa Grande Open in Casa Grande, Arizona
• December 1^st-4^th: PPA Orlando Cup in Orlando, Florida
• December 8^th-11^th: APP World Pickleball Open in Port St. Lucie, Florida
• December 15^th-18^th: PPA Masters in La Quinta, California

US Open Pickleball Championships

The US Open Pickleball Championships was first held in Naples, Florida in 2016. Since then, the US Open Pickleball Championships has “changed the game” in terms of pickleball tournaments and continues to outdo itself every year. In fact, the US Open Pickleball Championships has over tripled in size since its inception, which may be due to this event’s “good times” atmosphere. The US Open Pickleball Championships should be on your pickleball tournament bucket list, as the event is widely known as a weeklong pickleball party. The US Open for the 2022 calendar year will be held April 23rd through April 30th.

IFP Bainbridge Cup

Since 2017, the International Federation of Pickleball (also known as the IFP) organizes the Bainbridge Cup, which is named after the birthplace of pickleball – Bainbridge Island, Washington. The Bainbridge Cup is an international pickleball tournament that competes North America against Europe, as pickleball players of all ages and skill levels represent their continent in a battle for the Bainbridge Cup (and bragging rights). The 2022 Bainbridge Cup (dates and location, as this is a pickleball tournament that travels around the world) has yet to be announced.

Local Pickleball Tournaments

In addition to these large pickleball tournaments, there are also hundreds of other pickleball tournaments across the United States and across the world. These other pickleball tournaments are both large and small, and many are organized by local pickleball clubs and pickleball communities. It is important to support these local pickleball tournaments because the local grassroots effort is how the sport of pickleball will continue to grow and evolve. For instance, some of these local pickleball tournaments are organized to raise money to invest in new pickleball courts or provide pickleball equipment to schools. Be on the lookout for local pickleball tournaments near you!

How to Sign Up for a Pickleball Tournament

PickleballTournaments.com handles all of the sign-up for the large pickleball tournaments. As a result, if you are interested in playing in one of these mentioned large pickleball tournaments, you will need to register using PickleballTournaments.com. This is the same platform that many other local pickleball tournaments use. However, there are also a handful of other platforms that feature pickleball tournaments, such as PickleballBrackets.com and Pickleball.Global.

Pickleball Tournament Tips

Pickleball tournaments can be a fun way to test your skills on the court. However, playing competitive pickleball in a pickleball tournament is very different than playing recreational pickleball, as there can be added pressure, lots of starts and stops throughout the day, and different pickleball rules to be concerned with. As a result, it is important to prepare yourself both physically and mentally if you decide to play in any of these pickleball tournaments. Pickler is here to help! Check out Pickler’s pickleball newsletter, blogs, social media, e-books, and online video lessons to elevate your pickleball skills and strategy on the pickleball court!