The annual joint event between the PPA Tour and PPA Tour Australia heads to the iconic Queensland Tennis Centre, home of Pat Rafter Arena, with over $500,000 USD on offer.
DALLAS and SYDNEY, Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The PPA Tour is back in Australia. In partnership with PPA Tour Australia, the PPA Tour is forming the strongest field of professional pickleball players ever assembled on Australian soil. These elite athletes will compete for more than $500,000 in prize money, making it the largest prize money purse in the sport’s history in this country.
The 2026 Australian Pickleball Cup will be hosted at the iconic Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, a fitting stage for another landmark moment in the growth of pickleball in the ANZ region.
The 1500-point event will take place this year from October 13 to October 18 at the Queensland Tennis Centre, with Amateur and Professional registrations now open. Numerous PPA Tour Pro players are attending the event, including Hayden Patriquin, Paris Todd, Tyson McGuffin, Jorja Johnson, Federico Staksrud and Christian Alshon, with even more expected to enter in the coming weeks, taking on the best Australia has to offer with reigning Major League Pickleball “Most Improved Player” Danni-Elle Townsend, Mitchell Hargreaves, Andie Dikosavljevic, Sahra Dennehy, Joey Wild and George Wall all looking to show the world just how good Australian pickleball has become.
Tim Joiner, CEO of PPA Tour Australia and Major League Pickleball Australia expressed his excitement to hold these events each year. “Having major events like this, where we partner with the Pro Tour in the US and bring out the best pickleball players in the world, to play against the unbelievable talent we have here in Australia and New Zealand shows just how quickly the Australian and New Zealand player base continues to improve. The adoption of the sport is skyrocketing in our region and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. It’s a great chance for us to showcase the talent we have here. So many of the players that play our events are now using the pathways we provide to compete in the US. It feels a little cheeky to be able to play this incredible sport in an arena like Pat Rafter Arena, but it also shows just how big this sport is getting.”
Chris Patrick, President, International for Pickleball Inc., said, “Australia is one of the most important growth markets for pickleball globally, and the 2026 Australian Pickleball Cup reflects exactly what we want international expansion to look like: the world’s best players competing alongside the strongest regional talent at an iconic venue, with meaningful prize money and a clear pathway to the global stage. This event will showcase how far the sport has come in Australia and New Zealand and how much opportunity still lies ahead.”
Registrations are open for Pro and Amateur events at www.Pickleballtournaments.com and spectator tickets are now available at https://www.tixr.com/groups/ppaaustralia
For media inquiries, interview requests, or accreditation, contact Jess Cunningham, Jess@ppatour.com.au
For more information: https://ppatour.com.au/australian-pickleball-cup-2026/
