The PPA Tour has officially kicked off its 2026-2027 season at the Cary Tennis Center in North Carolina, hosting the prestigious Veolia Pickleball National Championships. As one of the tour's four major SLAM events, this tournament introduces several significant operational changes aimed at improving the professional experience for both athletes and spectators.
Key Updates to the PPA Tour
The PPA Tour is implementing four major structural changes this season to streamline competition and standardize global rankings. Here are the specific updates you need to know:
- World Pickleball Rankings: To centralize performance metrics across international circuits like PPA Australia, Asia, Europe, and Canada, the tour has launched a unified ranking system. Points are weighted as follows: 50% from gender doubles, 35% from mixed doubles, and 15% from singles.
- Automated Line Calling: In partnership with Owl AI, the United Pickleball Association is debuting automated line calling on eight courts in Cary. This technology has been rigorously tested and is now being deployed at a major scale for the first time.
- Side Switch at Six: To ensure a more equitable playing field, the tour has updated its side-switching protocol. Players will now switch sides every time a team reaches six points in every game, rather than relying on the previous system that varied based on the game number in a best-of-three match.
- Removal of Bronze Medal Matches: To reduce the physical burden on athletes and simplify the tournament schedule, the tour has eliminated bronze medal matches. Now, both semifinalists receive equal points, allowing players to avoid staying an extra day for a third-place playoff.
Beyond these structural shifts, the tournament is contending with challenging environmental conditions. Cary is currently experiencing extreme humidity and high temperatures, making player hydration a primary concern. Additionally, there is a potential for rain impacting play on Saturday and Sunday, so fans should monitor official PPA Tour social media channels for real-time schedule updates.
The event is being broadcast extensively through September 6, with coverage split between pickleball tv and the Tennis Channel. As the tournament progresses, all eyes are on top contenders like Anna Leigh Waters, who remains undefeated on the PPA Tour for over 800 days, and the men’s singles trio of Haworth, Staksrud, and Johnson, who are expected to dominate the field throughout the season.
