[July 2026] World Pickleball News Roundup | MLP Mid-Season Tournament, a New Spin Rate Limit and National Team Competitions

In July 2026, the sport's home turf, the United States, was dominated almost entirely by MLP (Major League Pickleball). In between, USA Pickleball brought a "spin rate limit" into paddle certification, and plans for competitions played between countries and regions moved forward quickly.

I'm Coach Yoshi. Following last month's edition ([June 2026] World Pickleball News Roundup), this is the world pickleball news for July 2026. I only include dates, scores and figures that I've confirmed through official announcements or specialist media. Events held in Japan, such as the PPA Tour Asia "Sansan Tokyo Open" in early July, are covered in the July Japan edition.

1. MLP Mid-Season Tournament | St. Louis Shock Win It for the First Time

The first big event was the MLP Mid-Season Tournament, held July 8–12 at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. All 20 teams, plus 4 guest teams assembled by MLP (all-star squads from college, Europe, Australia and Canada), made up a 24-team double-elimination field, and the top finishers also earned bonus standings points (10 for the champion, 6 for the runner-up and 4 for third place).

The winner was the St. Louis Shock. They beat the LA Mad Drops 3-1 in the semifinals, then swept the New Jersey 5s, who had climbed back into first place at the end of June, 3-0 in the July 12 final to claim the franchise's first Mid-Season title (for the race for first place in late June, see the June supplement). In women's doubles, Bright/Fahey handed Waters/J. Johnson, who had won all 25 of their matches this season, their first loss of the year. In the third-place match, the Columbus Sliders beat the LA Mad Drops 3-1.

(Sources: Pickleball.com, "Shock sweep 5s for first Mid-Season Tournament title in franchise history" (July 12, 2026) / The Kitchen, "Major League Pickleball 2026 Week 7 Power Rankings" (July 13, 2026) / Pickleball.com, "St. Louis Shocks New Jersey to Win Mid-Season Tournament" (July 13, 2026) / venue, participating teams, format and standings points from The Kitchen, "Mid-Season Tournament: Bracket, schedule, TV information" (July 7, 2026); dates from MLP's official 2026 schedule)

2. MLP San Diego and Chicago | The Dallas Flash Win Two Weeks in a Row

Once the regular season resumed, the team in the spotlight was the Dallas Flash. At MLP San Diego (Barnes Tennis Center) on July 16–19, they went 4-0 in pool play and beat the Columbus Sliders 3-1 in the final to earn 25 standings points. According to The Dink Pickleball, this was a team that had won only one match at the Austin event in June and finished with zero standings points, and Dallas is the fourth different team to win an event this season. Behind the turnaround were trades in June: in addition to Danni-Elle Townsend, whom I introduced in the last edition, Dallas also acquired Alix Truong, deepening its women's lineup.

The momentum didn't stop at MLP Chicago (Life Time North Shore in Northbrook, Illinois) on July 23–26. In the final against the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, Truong/Townsend took the opening women's doubles 11-4, but after four games the match was tied 2-2. Dallas closed out the DreamBreaker 21-10 to win for the second week in a row. According to Pickleball.com, that made it 11 straight wins.

The DreamBreaker is MLP's own tiebreaker, played when a match is tied 2-2: it's singles played to 21 with rally scoring (win by 2), and players rotate every 4 points (for how it works, see What Are MLP and the PPA Tour?). The final regular-season event, MLP Orlando (ESPN Wide World of Sports, July 30–August 2), and the playoffs will be covered in the August edition.

The MLP Champions Series, a Team League for Players 40 and Over, Also Kicks Off in Chicago

Chicago also saw the start of the 2026 season of the MLP Champions Series, a team league for top players aged 40 and over. It began in 2022 with 6 teams of players 50 and over, and it now has 16 teams in 3 divisions (40+, 50+ and 60+). Over four days, 74 team matches were scheduled, and PickleballTV plans a total of 20 broadcasts before the final showdown in late October. In Japan, too, quite a few people take up pickleball in their 50s and 60s. This is news of a stage you can aim for even as you get older, now taking shape under the MLP banner.

(Sources: The Dink Pickleball, "The Dallas Flash Are Back in a Big Way, Take MLP San Diego" (July 20, 2026) / The Dink Pickleball, "The Dallas Flash Go Back-to-Back as the MLP Playoff Race Heats Up" (July 27, 2026) / Pickleball.com, "Dallas Outduels Brooklyn in DreamBreaker for 11th Straight Win" (July 26, 2026) / Pickleball.com, "MLP Champions Series to Make 2026 Debut at MLP Chicago" (July 22, 2026))

3. Trade Deadline | Staksrud Heads to New Jersey, Yuta Funemizu to Utah

MLP's 2026 trade deadline was extended twice, from June 30 to July 12 and then to July 20, and the big moves were concentrated on the final day.

• New Jersey 5s: Acquired Federico Staksrud and Milan Rane, regulars near the top of men's singles and doubles, from the Orlando Squeeze. Orlando received Martin Emmrich, Lina Padegimaite and cash; the amount wasn't disclosed. Pickleball.com reported it as $400,000 (The Kitchen's view is that it could be as much as $400,000)
• LA Mad Drops: Acquired Connor Garnett from the Utah Black Diamonds in a multi-team trade. Pickleball.com reports the cash LA sent as $125,000
• Utah Black Diamonds: On July 15, acquired Yuta Funemizu from Miami Pickleball Club

For New Jersey, it was a move to add to its core men's lineup just eight days after losing 0-3 to St. Louis in the Mid-Season final.

(Sources: The Kitchen, "New Jersey 5s Acquire Federico Staksrud in Blockbuster MLP Trade" (July 20, 2026) / Pickleball.com, "Big Trades at the Deadline Shake Up Top MLP Teams" (July 21, 2026) / deadline extensions and the dates of each trade from The Kitchen, "Major League Pickleball 2026 trade deadline roundup" and The Dink Pickleball, "2026 Major League Pickleball Trade Tracker" / Funemizu's exclusive contract from PPA Tour (February 27, 2025); the Tokyo event from PPA Tour Asia (July 4, 2026))

4. National Team Competition Gets Moving | A World Cup Partnership and the MLP Nations Cup

In late July, two pieces of news about stages where players compete for their countries came one after the other.

PPA Players Head to the World Cup Starting in 2027

On July 22, Pickleball Inc., the parent company of the PPA Tour and MLP, announced a partnership with the Pickleball World Cup, a competition between nations. Pickleball Inc. becomes the World Cup's exclusive media rights and commercial sponsorship partner, and it has lifted its restriction on PPA Tour players taking part. Starting with the 2027 edition, eligible PPA players will be able to represent their home countries.

The World Cup was founded in 2023 by Peruvian siblings Hercilio Cabieses and Miranda Cabieses. In the announcement, Hercilio said, "We started this journey with the goal to see pickleball in the Olympics." The 2026 edition was set for August 30–September 6 in Da Nang, Vietnam, and as of the June announcement, more than 4,000 players and over 80 delegations were expected. On July 9, India's association announced its 8-player pro squad, including captain Harsh Mehta.

MLP Launches the Nations Cup

On July 27, MLP announced the creation of the MLP Nations Cup, an international team competition. It's scheduled for October 30–November 1 at Brookhaven Country Club near Dallas. As of the July announcement, the 8 teams were organized by region: USA, Canada, Asia (2 teams), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America and Australia (when the teams were announced on September 24, the South America slot was named "Team Latin America"). After round-robin play on Friday and Saturday, the top teams meet in a knockout bracket on Sunday to decide the champion. MLP bills the event as "the official kickoff to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships."

(Sources: PPA Tour, "Pickleball Inc. and Pickleball World Cup Unite to Expand Global Competition" (July 22, 2026) / the founding year from The Kitchen (July 23, 2026) / Major League Pickleball, "MLP Announces Inaugural MLP Nations Cup" (July 27, 2026) / the September team announcement from Pickleball.com, "Groups, team rosters, and team captains announced for MLP Nations Cup" (September 24, 2026) / the size of the event from DUPR (June 11, 2026); India's squad from The Bridge (July 9, 2026))

5. Asia | Wong Wins a Third Straight Title in Singapore, Kenta Miyoshi Finishes Runner-Up

The PPA Tour Asia "Leapmotor Singapore Open" (The Sports Arena at Singapore Expo), held July 23–26, was an event worth 500 ranking points. According to VOV, Vietnam's state-run broadcaster, total prize money for the pro divisions was $70,000. In men's singles, Hong Kit Wong of Hong Kong came back after dropping the first game to Adam Harvey. Following Beijing in June and Tokyo in early July, it was his third straight men's singles title, which PPA Tour Asia says is a first in the tour's history.

Among Japanese players, Kenta Miyoshi finished runner-up in men's doubles, partnering Trương Vinh Hiển of Vietnam (they lost the final 1-2 to Len Yang/Collin Johns). Following the Beijing Open in June, it was his second straight month reaching a men's doubles final.

In the same week, July 22–26, the second event of the newly launched APP Asia Tour (7 events in all), the "Leapmotor APP Asia Penang Open," was held in Penang, Malaysia. On the women's side, Roos Van Reek of the Netherlands took the triple crown of singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. On the men's side, Quang Duong of Vietnam won two titles: singles, and doubles with India's Harsh Mehta.

(Sources: PPA Tour Asia, "Wong Sets Record With Third Straight Gold" (July 26, 2026) / VOV, "Truong Vinh Hien wins two medals at PPA Singapore Open 2026" (July 26, 2026) / the venue and the Beijing results from PPA Tour Asia, "Seeds Land in the Lion City" (July 13, 2026) and the tour's "Capital Securities Beijing Open 2026" event page / APP, "Leapmotor APP Asia Penang Open 2026" event recap (July 29, 2026))

6. Gear Watch | USA Pickleball Introduces a Spin Rate Limit

On July 8, USA Pickleball (USAP) announced that it would introduce a spin rate test into paddle certification. Paddles submitted for certification on or after October 1 must have a measured spin rate of 2,100 RPM (2,100 revolutions per minute) or less. For surface roughness (the grittiness of the face) and coefficient of friction, which had been judged against upper limits, the upper threshold is "replaced by a measurement of record," and the method shifts to directly measuring how much the ball actually spins. The series of moves I covered in the June edition, in which paddles were removed from the certified list for exceeding the surface grit standard, took place under the previous method.

The measurements use a two-camera system developed jointly with Image Systems, a Swedish video analysis company, and the test ball was developed jointly with Franklin. USAP had announced that the test's standard operating procedure (SOP) would be distributed to manufacturers on July 15.

(Sources: USA Pickleball, "Update Regarding the USA Pickleball Spin Rate Test and Implementation Timeline" / The Dink Pickleball, "USA Pickleball Launches Long-Awaited Spin Rate Test" (July 8, 2026))

I've covered the physics of how spin is created, and why roughness alone doesn't determine how much the ball rotates, in Raw Carbon Grit and the Science of Spin: Why a Rough Face Adds Rotation.

7. Industry | Paddletek Acquires PIKKL and Signs the Johnson Family

On July 7, Paddletek Group, home of the long-established US paddle brand Paddletek, announced the acquisition of PIKKL, a newer brand founded in Minnesota in 2023. Financial terms weren't disclosed, and PIKKL's two founders will continue working with Paddletek after the acquisition.

At the same time, it announced signings of siblings JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson, their mother Julie Johnson, and Tyra Black, who has used a PIKKL signature model. According to The Kitchen, JW and Jorja's long-running contract with Franklin ended in early 2026, and since then they had been switching between paddles from several brands. According to SGB Media, Paddletek Group is backed by the investment firm Thirty-5 Capital and also serves as the official paddle sponsor of MLP, the PPA Tour, the US Open and the USA Pickleball National Championships.

(Sources: The Kitchen, "Paddletek Group announces acquisition of PIKKL, signing of JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black" (July 7, 2026) / SGB Media, "Paddletek Group Acquires Pikkl" (July 7, 2026) / that Julie Johnson is their mother from Pickleball.com (July 22, 2026))

8. Data | A Survey of 383 Recreational Players in South Korea: About 40% Injured in the Past Year

On July 22, the journal Frontiers in Public Health published a paper (by researchers at Sungkyunkwan University and other institutions) examining injuries among recreational players in South Korea. It reports the results of a questionnaire given at three tournament venues in South Korea from April to October 2025 to 383 tournament participants aged 18 and over (mean age 47.0).

• People injured in the past 12 months: 38.1% (146 people)
• Among responses on injured body parts (multiple answers allowed, 266 responses), the most common was the knee (21.4%). Across all responses, the lower limbs accounted for 44.0% and the upper limbs 39.8%
• Factors associated with injury were "being male" (odds ratio 1.74) and "weekly playing time" (odds ratio 1.06 for each additional hour)
• No statistically significant relationship was found with age, BMI, skill level or years of experience

An odds ratio is a ratio of "the odds of getting injured," and the further above 1 it is, the more strongly a factor is associated with injury. However, this single-point-in-time survey shows that "a relationship exists"; it doesn't confirm that playing time causes injuries. The authors themselves say the results should be interpreted with caution because the model as a whole didn't reach statistical significance (p=0.060), and they list as limitations that participants were limited to tournament entrants and that injuries were self-reported from memory rather than confirmed by a doctor's diagnosis.

(Source: Kang-Jun Lee et al., "Prevalence and associated factors of pickleball-related injuries among Korean recreational players," Frontiers in Public Health (July 22, 2026))

9. Bonus | The Movie "The Dink" Starts Streaming on Apple TV

On July 24, the pickleball comedy film "The Dink" began streaming on Apple TV. It stars Jake Johnson as a washed-up former tennis star who, after an injury leaves him unable to play tennis, becomes absorbed in pickleball, a sport he had looked down on. It's directed by Josh Greenbaum and produced by Ben Stiller, and former tennis players Andy Roddick and John McEnroe also appear. Reviews are mixed; according to The Kitchen, it stood at 72% on Rotten Tomatoes as of July 28.

As a tennis coach who also took up pickleball this year, I find this storyline hits close to home. If it's become the subject of a film on a major streaming service, I think "tennis people coming over to pickleball" must be a completely familiar story in the US.

(Sources: The Kitchen, "Everything you need to know about the new pickleball movie 'The Dink'" (July 28, 2026) / streaming start date from Albuquerque Journal (July 23, 2026))

Summary | How World Pickleball Moved in July 2026

July was a month of "teams and nations." While MLP's club competition reached its climax, frameworks for competitions organized by country and region began to take shape. For players in Japan, here are the three things worth remembering.

• Japanese players: Yuta Funemizu moved to Utah in MLP. Kenta Miyoshi finished runner-up in Singapore, reaching an Asian final for the second month in a row
• Paddles: Models submitted for certification on or after October 1 must have a spin rate of 2,100 RPM or less. This limit won't be applied retroactively to paddles that are already certified
• Taking care of your body: In the South Korean survey, what was associated with injury was weekly playing time, not age (whether it's a cause isn't known). The more often you're playing, the more important warm-ups and rest days become

If you're thinking "I'm curious about how this overseas player plays" or "With the new certification rules, how should I think about my paddle?", feel free to send a message on LINE. I (Coach Yoshi) will answer you directly.

Related articles

• [June 2026] World Pickleball News Roundup | Back-to-Back MLP Events, the Beijing Open and Paddle Certification Moves — The international scene last month
• [July 2026] Japan Pickleball News Roundup — The Japan edition for the same month (including the Tokyo event)
• [June 2026 Supplement] Pickleball News You May Have Missed — The race for first place in the second half of MLP's June events
• What Are MLP and the PPA Tour? How Pro Pickleball Works Overseas, in 5 Minutes — The difference between team play and the tour
• What Is a USAP-Certified Paddle? Essential Knowledge for Playing in Official Events — The full picture of the certification system
• USAP vs. UPA-A Certification — Standards for everyday players and for pros
• What Paddles Do the World's Pros Use? Top Players and Their Brand Contracts — The contract landscape
• Pickleball Injury Prevention | Common Injuries and Warm-Ups — Getting ready to prevent injuries

References

1. Major League Pickleball: 2026 May-August Season Schedule (2026-04-06)
2. The Kitchen: Major League Pickleball 2026 Mid-Season Tournament: Bracket, schedule, TV information (2026-07-07)
3. Pickleball.com: Shock Sweep 5s for First Mid-Season Tournament Title in Franchise History (2026-07-12)
4. The Kitchen: Major League Pickleball 2026 Week 7 Power Rankings (2026-07-13)
5. Pickleball.com: St. Louis Shocks New Jersey to Win Mid-Season Tournament (2026-07-13)
6. The Dink Pickleball: The Dallas Flash Are Back in a Big Way, Take MLP San Diego (2026-07-20)
7. The Dink Pickleball: The Dallas Flash Go Back-to-Back as the MLP Playoff Race Heats Up (2026-07-27)
8. Pickleball.com: Dallas Outduels Brooklyn in DreamBreaker for 11th Straight Win (2026-07-26)
9. Pickleball.com: MLP Champions Series to Make 2026 Debut at MLP Chicago (2026-07-22)
10. The Kitchen: New Jersey 5s Acquire Federico Staksrud in Blockbuster MLP Trade (2026-07-20)
11. Pickleball.com: Big Trades at the Deadline Shake Up Top MLP Teams (2026-07-21)
12. The Kitchen: Major League Pickleball 2026 trade deadline roundup
13. The Dink Pickleball: 2026 Major League Pickleball Trade Tracker
14. PPA Tour: Yuta Funemizu Becomes the First Japanese Player to Sign Exclusive Contract to Play on PPA Tour and in MLP (2025-02-27)
15. PPA Tour Asia: Fujiwara Fairytale: Home Gold Closes Out Tokyo (2026-07-04)
16. PPA Tour: Pickleball Inc. and Pickleball World Cup Unite to Expand Global Competition (2026-07-22)
17. The Kitchen: Pickleball Inc. and Pickleball World Cup partnership (2026-07-23)
18. DUPR: DUPR Returns as Official Rating Partner of the Pickleball World Cup (2026-06-11)
19. The Bridge: Harsh Mehta to captain India's Pro squad for Pickleball World Cup 2026 (2026-07-09)
20. Major League Pickleball: MLP Announces Inaugural MLP Nations Cup (2026-07-27)
21. Pickleball.com: Groups, team rosters, and team captains announced for MLP Nations Cup (2026-09-24)
22. PPA Tour Asia: Wong Sets Record With Third Straight Gold (2026-07-26)
23. PPA Tour Asia: Seeds Land in the Lion City for Leapmotor Singapore Open (2026-07-13)
24. PPA Tour Asia: Capital Securities Beijing Open 2026 (event page)
25. VOV: Truong Vinh Hien wins two medals at PPA Singapore Open 2026 (2026-07-26)
26. APP: Leapmotor APP Asia Penang Open 2026 Recap (2026-07-29)
27. USA Pickleball: Update Regarding the USA Pickleball Spin Rate Test and Implementation Timeline (2026-07)
28. The Dink Pickleball: USA Pickleball Launches Long-Awaited Spin Rate Test (2026-07-08)
29. The Kitchen: Paddletek Group Announces Acquisition of PIKKL (2026-07-07)
30. SGB Media: Paddletek Group Acquires Pikkl (2026-07-07)
31. Frontiers in Public Health: Prevalence and associated factors of pickleball-related injuries among Korean recreational players (2026-07-22)
32. The Kitchen: Everything You Need to Know About the New Pickleball Movie 'The Dink' (2026-07-28)
33. Albuquerque Journal: New pickleball comedy 'The Dink' hits Apple TV on July 24 (2026-07-23)