Professional Pickleball Association opens 2026-27 season in North Carolina

The Professional Pickleball Association begins its 2026-27 season this week with a Grand Slam event in Cary, North Carolina. The tour arrives following a shift in the professional calendar that now separates the conclusion of Major League Pickleball from the start of the association's schedule. Several dominant players enter the competition holding significant leads in the standings, including Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio in men's doubles and Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright in women's doubles. Waters also holds an undefeated streak in women's singles dating back more than two years. While most disciplines feature established pairings, observers are monitoring shifts in team composition within the men's doubles and mixed doubles divisions. The event serves as the first major tournament under the current organizational alignment between the two major pickleball entities.

• 11:12 AMYahoo Sports — On The Court Storylines To Watch As The Professional Pickleball Association Kicks Off The 2026-27 Season