The MUNICIPAL Celebrity Pickleball Showdown returns to the 2026 Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, with actor and entrepreneur Mark Wahlberg leading a star-studded lineup of celebrities and sports personalities set to take the court alongside the Carvana PPA Tour’s top pickleball pros.

The marquee event will take place on Powerball Championship Court at Brookhaven Country Club on Thursday, November 5, at 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on Tennis Channel. Tickets are available now via Tixr.

Known for blockbuster films such as The Fighter, Boogie Nights, and The Departed, hit television projects like Entourage and Boardwalk Empire, and a growing business empire where he has stake in prominent companies including Flecha Azul Tequila and title sponsor MUNICIPAL, Wahlberg will take the pickleball court in what promises to be one of the most entertaining nights of the week-long event.

“The Pickleball community aligns with the founding principles of MUNICIPAL: dream, plan, hustle, repeat,” said Wahlberg. “And with the support of people who strive to be the best versions of themselves, on and off the court.”

“As the title sponsor for the Celebrity Pickleball Showdown, we’re excited to introduce the MUNICIPAL brand to America’s fastest-growing sport,” stated Michael Pratt, MUNICIPAL CEO. “Our brand is built on core values of being your best, putting in the work, betting on yourself, and building community—all of which the PPA and its athletes embody. We look forward to joining the pickleball community at the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships.”

The MUNICIPAL Celebrity Pickleball Showdown will bring together celebrities, professional athletes and some of the biggest names in pickleball for a one-night exhibition in front of a packed crowd. Additional participants will be announced in the coming weeks and fans should expect plenty of competition, big personalities, and memorable moments under the lights.

The Opendoor Pickleball World Championships has become a staple event on the sports calendar, with last year’s edition shattering numerous records and becoming the benchmark for fan attendance and amateur participation.

The 2025 event saw over 60,000 fans attend and a record 4,400 total participants, including players representing 38 countries competing in more than 6,000 matches throughout the week.

The PPA Tour’s Veolia Chicago Cup is underway at Life Time Northbrook and runs through Championship Sunday.

The tournament features a progressive draw: one round per bracket per day and no bronze matches. The winners will earn 1,500 points. And remember, all finals are best 2 out of 3.

Live broadcast coverage on Pickleballtv starts at 2pm CT Tuesday through Friday, noon CT Saturday, and 10am CT Sunday. There are FS1 windows on Thursday and Sunday as well, with Tennis Channel coverage on Saturday and Sunday.

Click here for ticket information.

All eyes are on Anna Leigh Waters, who came up short of capturing her 200th career PPA title in Las Vegas.

Waters will have three opportunities to reach the milestone in the Windy City, including a return to the women’s singles draw this week.

Check out a full breakdown of tournament storylines from broadcaster Dave Fleming.

JOOLA announced on Tuesday a limited-edition collaboration with Grammy-nominated DJ, record producer, and racket sports enthusiast Steve Aoki, bringing his HiROQUEST universe to life in a new collection of pickleball paddles and table tennis rackets.

The JOOLA x Aoki HiROQUEST Collection celebrates a collaboration years in the making. An avid pickleball and table tennis player, Aoki has long shared JOOLA's passion for bringing people together through fast-paced, high-energy play — a connection that, paired with his support for brain health and active aging research, sparked the first collaboration between JOOLA and the Aoki Foundation and laid the groundwork for this limited release.

"JOOLA has been in my corner for years now, on and off the court," said Aoki. "They've always supported me as a player and as an artist, and that kind of relationship is rare. This collaboration means a lot to me because it's not just a partnership — it's with people I genuinely consider friends. Getting to create something real with them is a dream come true."

The collection includes four limited-edition pieces: two JOOLA x STEVE AOKI Perseus Pro V 16mm pickleball paddles priced at $349.95 each and two JOOLA x STEVE AOKI Infinity Carbon table tennis rackets priced at $199.95 each. Each product features artwork and characters from Aoki’s expansive narrative universe HiROQUEST, with designs highlighting two signature colorways: Hiro, the protagonist, and Hyro, the antagonist. Each purchase also includes a special JOOLA x HiROQUEST collectible card, giving fans an additional piece of the collaboration to collect.

"This collection grew out of years of friendship with Steve and his love for the games," said Richard Lee, JOOLA President and CEO. "Bringing HiROQUEST onto our table tennis and pickleball equipment felt like a natural next chapter for our partnership."

Getting better at pickleball isn't always about adding another shot to your arsenal.

According to pro player and coach Michael Loyd, some of the biggest improvements come from changing the way you think about the game.

After years of competing, coaching and playing at a high level, Loyd identified five mindset and strategy shifts that changed the way he approaches pickleball.

These aren't necessarily new drills or techniques. Instead, they're frameworks that can help players make better decisions on the court.

Michael also gives the complete blueprint on how to reach the 5.0 level in his Pickleball Hub course available online.

1. Redefine what it means to be aggressive

Aggression in pickleball isn't simply about hitting the ball harder or speeding it up.

For Loyd, aggression is pressure.

That pressure can come from a well-placed third-shot drop, a deep return, court positioning, spin or simply moving an opponent around the court.

"If you speed up the wrong ball, you're not being aggressive, you're being reckless," Loyd explained.

One example is an aggressive third-shot drop. Rather than trying to hit the ball as hard as possible, Loyd focuses on placement, angles and spin to create pressure.

But the shot itself isn't enough.

After hitting an aggressive drop, players should look to close the distance and move forward. Staying back allows the opponent to recover and potentially regain control of the point.

The same concept applies to the return.

A hard return isn't necessarily an aggressive return if it isn't deep enough to put the opponent under pressure. Loyd instead emphasizes hitting a deep return and using it to move forward into an offensive position.

At the kitchen, aggression can also mean moving the ball around rather than immediately speeding it up.

Loyd recommends avoiding the same target twice in a row and using dinks to move opponents side to side. The goal is to keep them off balance, create gaps and eventually earn a popup that can be attacked.

Adding topspin can create even more pressure, but the bigger takeaway is simple: aggression is about creating pressure, not simply creating pace.

2. Humanize your opponent

One of Loyd's biggest mindset shifts is learning to see opponents as people rather than as an impenetrable wall.

Every player has strengths, weaknesses, preferences and tendencies.

Maybe an opponent has exceptional backhand counters. Maybe they struggle with low balls. Maybe they don't handle speed well. Maybe they are comfortable taking balls out of the air but struggle to defend a lob.

The key is to identify those patterns.

"If they're really good at hitting consistent forehand counters, maybe I need to switch it up and go to their backhand," Loyd said.

Rather than becoming frustrated when an opponent keeps making good shots, players should ask what else they can test.

This is particularly important in mixed doubles.

Instead of automatically targeting the woman because that's the traditional strategy many recreational players use, Loyd encourages players to evaluate both opponents.

If one player is consistently making excellent thirds, try exploring what the other player has to offer.

The same concept works when identifying an opponent's strengths.

If a player is exceptionally good at leaning forward and taking balls out of the air, perhaps they are less comfortable defending a lob behind them. If they're an excellent driver and banger, they may be less effective when forced to reset softer shots.

Don't just identify what your opponent does well. Look for the weakness that may exist on the other side of that strength.

And don't panic when an opponent gets hot.

Even if someone wins several points in a row, Loyd says players should remain patient and recognize that good stretches eventually come back down to earth.

3. Pay attention to the first five shots

Many players spend most of their attention on what happens at the kitchen line.

But Loyd believes a large portion of points are determined much earlier.

The sequence is simple:

Serve. Return. Third shot. Fourth shot. Fifth shot.

Those first five shots establish the tone of the rally.

A short serve can put you on defense. A weak return can give the serving team an easy path to the kitchen. A poor third shot can leave you stuck at the baseline.

That means players shouldn't overlook the importance of practicing the beginning of the point.

Loyd recommends spending more time working on serves, returns, thirds and transition shots rather than exclusively focusing on kitchen-line exchanges.

The fourth and fifth shots are especially important.

For the team hitting the fourth shot, the goal isn't necessarily to hit a winner. Instead, players should keep the ball difficult to attack and prevent the opponents from getting an easy path to the kitchen.

For the team hitting the fifth shot, the objective is to recognize whether there is an offensive opportunity or whether the priority is simply getting established at the kitchen.

Sometimes the right play is to stay neutral.

A deep return and defensive third may mean the fifth shot needs to be conservative as well. In that situation, trying to force an offensive play can make a difficult situation even worse.

The goal isn't to win the point with one of the first five shots. It's to use those shots to create a better position.

4. Let your practice evolve as you improve

The way a beginner practices shouldn't look the same as the way an advanced player practices.

Early on, players need repetition, consistency and basic ball control.

That means plenty of reps on fundamental shots such as dinks, drops, third-shot drives, serves and returns.

Once a player becomes more advanced, however, practice needs to become more realistic.

Instead of simply repeating the same shot over and over, players should introduce decision-making, pressure and live-ball situations.

Loyd demonstrated this progression with dinking.

A beginner might simply dink cooperatively with a partner, focusing on making as many balls as possible. As the player improves, the drill can become more dynamic, with players moving each other around the court.

Eventually, advanced players can introduce specific constraints and scenarios.

For example, one team might be allowed to speed up and attack while the other team is limited to countering and resetting. That creates a realistic situation in which players have to defend against an aggressive team.

The same philosophy can be applied to individual weaknesses.

If you're known for having a strong drive and aggressive speed-up, don't spend every practice session doing exactly what you're already good at.

Work on the inverse.

Practice your resets. Practice your counters. Practice your soft game.

And if those shots eventually become strengths, shift your focus again.

Your practice should evolve with your game, and it should constantly address the areas that need the most work.

5. Let the ball tell you what shot to hit

Perhaps Loyd's most important lesson is also one of the simplest:

Let the ball dictate your decision.

Players often decide what they're going to do before the ball even arrives.

"I'm speeding this up."

"I'm going down the line."

"I'm attacking this ball."

But the situation can change by the time the ball reaches you.

If the ball is high, you may have an opportunity to attack. If it's low, you may need to reset or play a neutral shot. If you're pushed wide and off balance, trying to hit an aggressive angle may be the worst possible decision.

"If you make up your mind before reading the ball, you're just guessing," Loyd said. "And guessing loses points. Reading wins them."

That means players need to constantly evaluate the ball they're receiving.

During a dink rally, Loyd recommends staying patient until an actual offensive opportunity presents itself. Rather than forcing an attack because you've decided it's "time" to speed up, wait for the right ball.

The same applies to returns.

A player might enter a point planning to return down the line, but a wide serve can make that shot significantly more difficult and risky. In that situation, the ball has provided new information, and the decision should change.

Loyd's approach is ultimately about becoming more adaptable.

Don't force the shot you wanted to hit. Hit the shot the situation gives you.

Think better, not just more

Improving at pickleball isn't always about adding more spin, more speed or more complicated shots.

Sometimes the biggest breakthrough comes from making better decisions with the shots you already have.

For Loyd, that means redefining aggression as pressure, recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of opponents, focusing on the first five shots, evolving practice as your skill level changes and allowing the ball to dictate your decisions.

The result isn't necessarily a simpler game.

But it can make the game clearer.

And that clarity can help players compete with more confidence and purpose.

Pickleball Hub features instructional courses from many of the top pros, including Ben Johns, Jack Munro, Michael Loyd, and John Cincola.

“I’ve been loving all the modeling I’ve been doing,” Bond said. “I’ve been very on and off with modeling for about 10 years now, so I’m grateful to be partnered and working with amazing brands. I’m absolutely loving it now.”

Previously, Bond had launched a swimsuit line called Waev, where she gained early experience in modeling her own swimwear and athletic apparel designs. But her latest partnerships with major brands feel like a significant step up.

One of Bond’s first bookings after returning to modeling came with Stack Athletics, a pickleball and court-style apparel brand. The shoot leaned heavily into dynamic, artistic imagery on the tennis court, showcasing a more polished and sporty direction for her modeling work.

Bond looked like a tennis pro out there. After all, she does have a high-level tennis background.

Shortly after, she shared new digitals and headshots that further highlight why she’s landing such exciting opportunities in front of the camera.

Bond is clearly having a blast in front of the camera, bringing each look to life and making the garments look as good as possible.

If you head to Vuori's website, you’ll spot Bond throughout various product shoots and even featured in the bottom banner of the homepage.

I love seeing a pickleball representative featured alongside one of the biggest names in athleticwear. It’s a pretty cool sign of how much the sport is growing and the impact it’s having on the industry.

Talk about changing the game for good.

And, of course, it’s no surprise that Bond looks incredible doing it.

Electric blue is absolutely her color, but pink works just as well. Bond has also modeled a cotton-candy pink Vuori set, even going as far as hitting a handstand during the shoot for an extra dynamic touch.

Beyond athleticwear, she’s been expanding her portfolio with a range of creative concepts. In one recent shoot, she leaned into a darker, edgier aesthetic in leather with bold, heavy makeup—so different it almost makes her unrecognizable from the bubbly pickleball athlete fans know on court.

She’s also stepped into high-fashion and runway-style looks. At 5’10”, she has the height for it, and seeing her featured in a magazine feels like a major milestone in what’s shaping up to be an exciting modeling path.

It’s been so fun to see just how versatile Bond is. Of course, she can crush an athletic shoot on the tennis court with a racket in hand, but she can also step into the world of high fashion, and that versatility is incredibly exciting for her career.

What’s even more amazing is that it all started with pickleball. Bond posted a clip of herself playing on center court from a Pickleballtv broadcast, and from there, everything took off.

That one viral clip helped Bond build an impressive following while catching the attention of modeling agencies and some major brands.

It’s pretty incredible to see how one moment on the pickleball court can open so many doors. I can’t wait to see what exciting projects Bond takes on next.

To keep up to date on all things pickleball, follow us on Instagram.

The PPA Tour touched down in Nevada for the Rate Las Vegas Open, and the pros delivered on style: think sleek monochrome fits, bold patterns, and plenty of standout looks.

Here are the best dressed players from the tournament.

Hurricane Tyra Black

Is Hurricane Tyra Black going to land on the Best Dressed List at every tournament this season? If she keeps rolling out fresh, standout looks, it’s definitely on the table. And honestly, no complaints here.

Black turned heads in women’s doubles with a maroon plaid dress from Lime Lush, a rare and refreshing choice in a sea of standard athleticwear. Patterns don’t show up often on the court, which made this red-and-pink diamond design feel even more unique. The fitted silhouette is both flattering and perfectly on-trend for fall, and she elevated the whole look with a long, dangly necklace.

Pablo Tellez

Tellez is never shy about leaning into bold colors or eye-catching patterns, and that’s exactly what makes his style so fun. In Vegas, he brought the energy in a red, white, and blue look from Joma that fully delivered on Americana vibes. Paired with matching red sweatbands and crisp white court shoes, the outfit came together seamlessly, making it one of his standout looks of the tournament.

Abbigal Hatton

Hatton delivered two standout looks on center court, but this gingham skirt from Nike stole the show. The playful checkerboard pattern pops, especially when paired with a matching light blue Nike top and crisp white Sparms arm sleeves. She finished the look with coordinating Joma shoes, sleek eyewear, and a classic white hat. It was an effortlessly charming ensemble that came together as a total win.

Rafael Lenhard

If there’s one thing I appreciate, it’s a perfectly coordinated look, and Lenhard delivered. The sage green top is a standout on its own, and pairing it with a crisp white hat and white court shoes accented with just the right touch of green pulls everything together effortlessly. Clean, cohesive, and done right, this is a simple outfit that hits on every level.

Kate Fahey

Fahey has really been leveling up her fashion game this season, and I’m here for it. One of her standout looks came in women’s singles, where she wore a navy blue pleated skirt from Free People Movement made with a mesh-style fabric. It photographs beautifully on court, but what really makes the outfit work is how intentional the styling feels.

She paired it with a sleek white long-sleeve top, clean white shoes, and even a JOOLA paddle that subtly ties into the overall palette. Every detail feels considered and cohesive. Nothing overdone, just a sharp, well-matched on-court look.

Sofia Sewing and Casey Diamond

I love when a mixed doubles team shows up in style, and Sewing and Diamond nailed it with perfectly matched fits. I’m especially into the color here, the monochromatic dark brown sets looked incredibly clean on court. Diamond kept it simple with a t-shirt and shorts, while Sewing went with a fitted skirt and strappy tank, but both looks felt cohesive and intentional. If this is the kind of fashion statement we’re getting from them in mixed doubles, the rest of the season is going to be fun to watch.

What was your favorite look from the tournament? Let us know on Instagram.

One of the biggest storylines coming into this week’s Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA was Anna Leigh Waters’ opportunity to earn her 200^th career title on the PPA Tour.

Waters began Carvana Championship Sunday by capturing title number 199: a women’s doubles gold with Anna Bright, by way of a thrilling 11-8, 10-12, 11-5 victory over No. 2 seeds Hurricane Tyra Black/Catherine Parenteau.

After that contest, Waters and Bright went from teammates to competitors as they prepared to face off in the mixed doubles final in the last match of the weekend at Darling Tennis Center.

But the milestone moment wasn’t meant for Sunday, as Bright/Hayden Patriquin notched their second-ever win over Waters/Ben Johns 11-9, 11-7 to secure their second title in three tournaments.

Bright/Patriquin had been pushed to three games in each of their three previous rounds, but they defeated the top seeds in straight games on Sunday with the gold medal in sight.

“It’s really exciting to see a lot of the things that you’ve been working on translate into a big match,” said Bright, who became the fourth player all-time to earn 40 career PPA Tour titles with two on Sunday. “The satisfaction is definitely really high.”

This win caps what was also a memorable week for Patriquin, who celebrated his 21^st birthday in Las Vegas a few days before the tournament.

“It feels amazing, especially to do it in Vegas and to win here,” he mentioned. “But we keep working hard. We have a tournament next week, so we’ll have a little fun tonight and then on Monday will get back to it.”

The loss closed out what was a tough day at the office for Johns, who leaves Las Vegas with ‘triple silver’ after losing in the men’s singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles finals.

Notably, his streak of 58 straight PPA Tour tournaments winning at least one title has to come to an end.

All four players will be back in just two days at the Veolia Chicago Cup.

Main draw action from the Windy City begins Tuesday on Pickleballtv.

Christian Alshon/Andrei Daescu won their second title in as many tournaments together with an 11-6, 11-8 victory over Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio in the men’s doubles final at the Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA.

‘Team Power Forward’ used their aggressive style to pile on points against the top seeds to earn their fifth gold medal as a pairing and second in three weeks after also taking gold at the Veolia Arizona Open in September.

A new dynamic for this partnership in 2026 has been the decision to switch sides and have Alshon on the left and Daescu on the right, a notable departure from the formation they employed when they played together in 2025.

Daescu says the decision to switch things up came from practicing together during the summer.

“Christian and I spent the whole summer practicing together and trying new things, and we had spent a couple days in this formation, and we thought it was working extremely well,” he explained. “From there, I started spending more and more time on the right and getting my reps in. I’m happy to play the right or the left, as long as we get the gold medal.”

Sunday’s result gives Johns and Tardio their first loss together since November of 2025 and ends their bid for a perfect 2026 campaign.

Alshon gave some insight into his mindset heading into Sunday’s clash.

“Honestly, I was like, if I don’t know what I’m gonna do, then Ben isn’t gonna know what I’m gonna do, so I just played a lot of that on the fly. [Johns and Tardio] are a really great team, so shout out to them.”

The Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA concludes on Sunday with gold medal matches in all five pro events.

Here is the order of play for Carvana Championship Sunday:

Live broadcast coverage from Darling Tennis Center will be available on Pickleballtv and Tennis Channel starting at 10am PT / 1pm ET.

In October of 2025, Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, NV played host to one of the most memorable matches in the history of the PPA Tour.

That contest was the men’s doubles final between Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio and Christian Alshon/Andrei Daescu.

In front of a national audience on ESPN, the four competitors delivered an instant classic that ended with Johns/Tardio winning by a 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 4-11, 12-10 score line in what was, at the time, the longest match in PPA Tour history at two hours and twenty-eight minutes long.

Nearly one year later, at this week’s Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA, those same players will share the court once again on Carvana Championship Sunday at the same venue.

There are some differences—Alshon and Daescu have switched sides since rekindling their partnership for the 2026-2027 season, and Sunday’s match will be best two out of three games instead of three out of five—but the memory of what these four left on the court one year ago will follow them as they battle for gold once more in Las Vegas.

The men’s doubles final will be the third title match of the day. Catch the action on Pickleballtv and Tennis Channel.

The Rate Las Vegas Open presented by JOOLA continues Saturday with semifinal action in all five pro events.

Here is Saturday’s order of play:

Live broadcast coverage from Darling Tennis Center will be available on Pickleballtv and the PBTV app starting at 12pm PT / 3pm ET.