Top Pickleball Stars Set to Compete at 2026 US Open Championships

The 10th annual US Open Pickleball Championships will feature the sport's biggest names and rising talents.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 9:03am

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, geometric shapes and vibrant colors, capturing the energy and dynamism of a high-level pickleball tournament.The 2026 US Open Pickleball Championships will feature a clash of the sport's brightest stars, with the action deconstructed into a cubist masterpiece.Naples Today

Some of the world's top professional pickleball players, along with thousands of amateurs, will be competing at the 10th annual U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida from April 11-18. The tournament will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, with the pro finals airing live on April 18.

Why it matters

The US Open Pickleball Championships is one of the premier events in the sport, drawing the top players from the APP Tour, PPA Tour, and other professional circuits. The tournament's growth over the past decade reflects the surging popularity of pickleball, which has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.

The details

The tournament will feature a mix of seasoned veterans and rising young stars. Notable players scheduled to compete include 20-year-old Camron, a top-ranked men's singles player on the APP Tour; 42-year-old DeHeart, a former pro tennis player and husband of women's star Megan Fudge; 31-year-old French native Julien, a top PPA Tour player; 37-year-old Fudge, a dominant women's singles and doubles player; and 46-year-old Jardim, a Pickleball Hall of Famer and one of the sport's all-time greats.

  • The 10th annual U.S. Open Pickleball Championships will take place from April 11-18, 2026.
  • CBS Sports Network will broadcast the tournament from noon to 6 p.m. on April 17 and will show all of the pro finals live from 5 to 9 p.m. on April 18.

The players

Camron

A 20-year-old who is among the top-ranked men's singles players on the APP Tour, having won silver in the men's singles at the AARP Open in Seattle in March.

DeHeart

A 42-year-old former professional tennis player who is married to women's pickleball star Megan Fudge. He has 308 career pickleball wins and is among the top-ranked singles players on the APP Tour.

Julien

A 31-year-old French native who is a former Division 1 tennis player and now a top player on the PPA Tour, with 47 career medals.

Megan Fudge

A 37-year-old former tennis player for the University of Illinois who has built herself into one of the sport's top players, winning 80 medals in the past three seasons, including a double gold at the 2025 US Open.

Jardim

A 46-year-old former Naples resident who is one of the sport's all-time greatest players with more than 30 PPA titles. The Pickleball Hall of Famer is still among the top-ranked PPA doubles players.

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What they’re saying

“The US Open Pickleball Championships is one of the premier events in the sport, drawing the top players from the APP Tour, PPA Tour, and other professional circuits.”

— Dan De Luca, Author

What’s next

The pickleball 'Battle of the Sexes' between pickleball phenom Anna Leigh Waters and tennis legends Andre Agassi and James Blake will take place at The Pickleball Slam 4 in Hollywood, Florida on April 15, with a $1 million purse on the line. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7 p.m.

The takeaway

The 2026 US Open Pickleball Championships will showcase the sport's rapid growth and rising popularity, with a mix of seasoned veterans and young stars competing for titles on one of the biggest stages in the game.