PPA Challenger Series 2025: The PPA Challenger Series, powered by JOOLA, offers a significant opportunity for aspiring professional pickleball players. Designed to create a clear path to the Carvana PPA Tour, the series will feature over a dozen tour stops across the United States in 2025, expanding access for amateur and emerging professional players. By offering competitive events nationwide, the series aims to develop the sport’s next wave of stars and increase overall participation in pickleball.
Challenger Series Pro Division
To compete in the Challenger Series Pro Division, players must not be ranked in the PPA Tour’s Top 20 by the entry deadline. The division will feature intense competition, with the top 16 results across events counting toward the Challenger Series leaderboard.
In addition, winners of the pro events will gain entry to one PPA Tour Open event, giving them a chance to compete in the main draw. Points from the Challenger Series count toward the Carvana PPA Tour rankings, but the reverse is not true.
Points Breakdown
- Winner: 125 points
- Finalist: 100 points
- Third: 75 points
- Fourth: 50 points
- Quarterfinals: 25 points
- Round of 16: 12 points
- Round of 32: 6 points
- Round of 64: 3 points
Each event will have a $10,000 prize purse for pro divisions, offering lucrative rewards for top performers.
2025 PPA Challenger Showdown in Dallas
The top 4 finishers in the Challenger rankings across disciplines will get a shot at a Tour Contract at the 2025 PPA Challenger Showdown. The competition will involve singles, mixed doubles, and men’s/women’s doubles.
Singles Format
- Top 4 players qualify
- Semifinals: 1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3
- Finals: Two winners
- All matches best of 3
Mixed Doubles Format
- Top 4 men and women qualify
- Pairings: 1st male with 1st female, 2nd male with 2nd female, and so on.
Men’s/Women’s Doubles Format
- One match, best of 5
- #1 player selects a partner from the top 4
A crucial point to note: players qualifying for multiple disciplines must choose one path to compete in during the showdown, with the next highest-ranked player stepping in.
Schedule and Locations for 2025 PPA Challenger Series
The 2025 series will span several months, from March through October, and will host events in a variety of locations, including Columbia, SC, Baton Rouge, LA, and Portland, ME.
The format will follow a traditional structure, with singles on Friday, doubles on Saturday, and mixed doubles on Sunday. Players can register for events through the official PPA Challenger website.
- Columbia, SC Caycee Pickleball Complex, March 28-30
- Baton Rouge, LA Stacks Pickleball, April 4-6
- Portland, ME The Picklr, May 9-11
- Opelika, AL Opelika Pickleball Facility, May 16-18
- Punta Gorda, FL PicklePlex, May 23-25
- Boise, ID The Flying Pickle, May 30-June 1
- Springfield, IL Premier Pickleball, June 13-15
- Rochester, NY Dinkers Pickleball Campus, June 27-29
- Eau Claire, WI Chippewa Valley Pickleball Club, July 24-27
- Edwardsville/St. Louis, IL Plummer Family Park, August 1-3
- Quad Cities/Davenport, IA Quad City Tennis Club, August 8-10
- Orlando, FL IHG Orlando, Sept. 5-7
- Evansville, IN Wesselman Park, Sep. 19-21
- Fort Collins, CO Zero Zero Two, Sep. 26-28
- Little Rock, AR Rebsamen Tennis Center, Oct. 18-20
The PPA’s Commitment to Growth
According to Connor Pardoe, Founder & CEO of the Carvana PPA Tour, the PPA Challenger Series represents the organization’s commitment to the growth of pickleball.
“Our primary charge at the PPA is to grow the game. By creating more opportunities for amateur players as well as developing a structured pathway to the Carvana PPA Tour for aspiring professionals, the PPA Challenger Series powered by JOOLA is another avenue through which we can further this mission. This new series will serve to inspire and motivate amateurs in their pickleball journey and bring the PPA Tour’s brand of electric pickleball action to more communities across the country.” – (Connor Pardoe)
News in Brief: PPA Challenger Series 2025
The PPA Challenger Series, launching in 2025, will provide emerging pickleball talent with a clear path to the Carvana PPA Tour. The series will feature over a dozen nationwide stops, offering competitive opportunities for amateurs and aspiring professionals.
Key details include a $10,000 prize purse at each event, a points system for ranking, and the Challenger Showdown in Dallas, where the top finishers will battle for a coveted Tour Contract.
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