Short answer: The PPA National Championships 2026 — officially the Veolia Pickleball National Championships — run August 31 through September 6 at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, North Carolina. It carries the Carvana PPA Tour’s “Slam” designation, the tier with the biggest prize money and ranking points in pro pickleball, and it kicks off the 2026–2027 tour season. Amateur registration is open to all ages and skill levels.
The 30-second version
- When and where: Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2026, Cary Tennis Park, Cary, NC. A full week, not a weekend.
- It is a Slam. The PPA reserves that label for its biggest events — the most prize money and the most ranking points on the tour.
- It is also a season opener. This event launches the 2026–2027 PPA Tour season, so the ranking race effectively resets here.
- Amateurs play too. Registration is open for all ages and skill levels, on the same courts as the pros. This is the unusual part.
- New England angle: there is no closer national title for a rec player up here. If you have ever wondered whether you could enter a real national championship, this is the format that lets you.
Most pro pickleball news is something you watch. This one is something a New England club player can actually sign up for — and that is the part almost nobody up here realizes.
What are the PPA National Championships 2026?
The Carvana PPA Tour announced the event back on April 7, bringing its national championship to North Carolina for the first time. The essentials, from the tour’s own announcement:
- Dates: August 31 through September 6, 2026 — Labor Day week.
- Venue: Cary Tennis Park, Cary, North Carolina, in the Greater Raleigh area.
- Tier: a PPA “Slam,” which the tour describes as offering the largest amount of prize money and ranking points in pro pickleball.
- Significance: it is the first-ever Veolia Pickleball National Championships, the first PPA Slam held in North Carolina, and the event that opens the 2026–2027 season.
Veolia, the tour’s sustainability partner, is the title sponsor — the company runs water refill stations and a used-pickleball recycling program at PPA events. Beyond the competition, the week is built as a festival: live music, sponsor activations, food, and pro-led camps and clinics.
Who is playing?
When the PPA announced the field in April, it named four reigning world No. 1s across the disciplines: Anna Leigh Waters in singles, doubles and mixed; Ben Johns in doubles; Gabe Tardio in mixed; and Chris Haworth in singles.
The tour also leaned on the home-state storyline, highlighting North Carolina residents Kate Fahey and Brooke Buckner, plus Durham’s Mehvish Safdar and High Point’s James Delgado. Rankings move constantly between an April announcement and a September draw, so treat any specific number you see quoted as a snapshot rather than a guarantee — our explainer on the PPA world rankings covers how the system actually works.
Why does a Slam matter more than a normal tour stop?
Two reasons, and the second one is the one people miss.
First, the points. Slam events pay out the most ranking points on the tour, which means a good week here moves a pro further up the board than a good week almost anywhere else. Second, the timing. Because this event opens the 2026–2027 season, those points land at the very start of a ranking cycle rather than the end of one. Winning here does not just add to a total — it sets the tone for a year.
Connor Pardoe, the PPA Tour’s founder and CEO, framed the Slams as the events where the tour “shines the brightest.” The scheduling backs that up: opening a season with your biggest-tier event is a deliberate statement.
Can amateurs really enter?
Yes — and this is the genuinely useful part for anyone reading this from a court in Maine or Massachusetts.
The PPA describes the event as a blend of professional competition and “vast amateur competitions where players of all ages and skill levels can find themselves competing for medals and bragging rights on the pro courts.” Amateur registration opened alongside ticket sales, and the tour has been explicit that demand is expected to be high and that players should register early to secure a spot.
In practice that means a 3.5 from Worcester or a 4.0 from Portsmouth can enter a bracket at the national championships, play on the same site as Anna Leigh Waters, and go home with a medal or at least a very good story. If you have never done a sanctioned event, read how pickleball tournaments work first, and skim the tournament rules so nothing surprises you on day one. Not sure which bracket you belong in? Start with pickleball ratings explained.
What it means for New England players
Cary is a haul from here — a flight into Raleigh or a long day in the car. But the calendar is friendlier than it looks. Labor Day week is the tail end of our outdoor season, when the leagues are wrapping up and the weather is still good. If you were ever going to make one destination trip in a pickleball year, a week-long national championship with a festival attached is a better use of the airfare than a one-day regional.
If travel is not in the cards, the sensible move is to point that same energy at something local. Our New England tournament calendar tracks what is running across all six states, and the tournaments hub keeps the verified upcoming events in one place. And if you are gearing up either way, what paddle the pros use is a good place to start — including Anna Leigh Waters’ setup.
One last note on the pro side: this lands the week after the MLP finals in Central Park, so late August into early September is the densest stretch of pro pickleball on the calendar. Good time to be a fan.
Frequently asked questions
When are the PPA National Championships 2026?
August 31 through September 6, 2026 — a seven-day event over Labor Day week.
Where are the PPA National Championships being held?
Cary Tennis Park in Cary, North Carolina, in the Greater Raleigh area. It is the first PPA Slam held in North Carolina.
What is a PPA Slam?
A Slam is the PPA Tour’s top event tier, offering the largest amount of prize money and ranking points in pro pickleball.
Can amateurs play in the PPA National Championships?
Yes. The PPA has amateur competitions open to players of all ages and skill levels alongside the pro draws, with medals awarded. Registration is handled through the tournament page and the tour recommends signing up early.
Which top players are expected to compete?
The tour’s announcement named Anna Leigh Waters, Ben Johns, Gabe Tardio and Chris Haworth, along with North Carolina players including Kate Fahey, Brooke Buckner, Mehvish Safdar and James Delgado. Fields can change before the draw.
Event details, dates, venue and field reported from the Carvana PPA Tour’s official announcement. Schedules, fields and registration windows change — confirm on the PPA Tour site before booking anything.
Written by Jason Regan, USA Pickleball ambassador and founder of Regan Family Pickleball.