The world’s greatest pickleball gamers have descended on Hong Kong for the first-ever PPA Tour Asia 1500 occasion, that includes as much as $1.1 million in skilled prize cash and payouts.
The largest skilled pickleball event in Asian historical past is underway.
The 2026 Grasp Seng Financial institution Hong Kong Slam, happening October 19–25 at Kai Tak Enviornment, marks the first-ever PPA Tour Asia 1500 occasion and serves because the season finale for the quickly increasing worldwide tour.
With 1,500 rating factors accessible to champions and a discipline that includes just about each main title in skilled pickleball, the stakes could not be a lot greater.
The early rounds are already full in a number of attracts, setting the stage for an entertaining weekend of championship pickleball.
This is the whole lot it’s essential know.
High 4 Storylines
1. The Greatest Match in PPA Tour Asia Historical past
The Hong Kong Slam represents a significant milestone for skilled pickleball’s worldwide enlargement.
With over $1 million in prize cash and payouts and 1,500 rating factors for champions, it is the richest skilled pickleball event ever held in Asia.
Extra importantly, the sphere rivals among the largest tournaments in the USA, bringing collectively prime American professionals and the very best gamers competing on the Asian circuit.
2. Johns and Waters Return to Asia
Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters return to Asia for the primary time since April’s Hanoi Cup, the place every captured two gold medals.
Johns reunites with Gabriel Tardio in males’s doubles, Waters companions Anna Brilliant in girls’s doubles, and Johns and Waters will compete collectively in combined doubles.
All three groups enter as No. 1 seeds.
Can they repeat their success in opposition to a considerably deeper discipline?
3. Kaitlyn Christian Chasing an Asian Three-Peat
Kaitlyn Christian has entered two PPA Tour Asia singles tournaments in 2026 and gained each.
The highest seed captured gold in Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur and now seems to be to make it three consecutive Asian singles titles.
Nevertheless, fifth-seeded Judit Castillo, who defeated Christian within the Australia Pickleball Cup semifinals, may very well be ready within the quarterfinals.
4. A Potential Johns Brothers Showdown
Ben and Collin Johns might discover themselves on reverse sides of the online within the males’s doubles quarterfinals.
Ben and Gabriel Tardio are the highest seeds, whereas Collin and Len Yang are seeded eighth.
If each groups advance, the brothers would face one another for a spot within the semifinals.
Early Upsets and Notable Outcomes
Though the event is just coming into the Spherical of 16, a number of noteworthy outcomes have already emerged.
Joey Wild defeats Will MacKinnon
Australian Joey Wild delivered one of many early surprises, defeating Will MacKinnon 13-11, 7-11, 11-8 within the males’s singles Spherical of 64.
Wild narrowly captured the opening sport earlier than MacKinnon pressured a decider. The Australian held on within the third to advance.
Eric Oncins eliminates JW Johnson
Eric Oncins ended JW Johnson’s males’s singles marketing campaign within the Spherical of 32, profitable 11-5, 11-7.
The victory units up an intriguing Spherical of 16 matchup in opposition to second-seeded Federico Staksrud.
Different notable outcomes:
- Christopher Haworth defeated Zane Navratil 11-3, 12-10.
- Hong Package Wong defeated males’s doubles associate Eunggwon Kim 11-5, 11-5.
- Nok Yiu Tang superior to the Spherical of 16 after defeating Mihae Kwon 11-9, 11-3.
Broadcast Schedule: How one can Watch
Protection of the Hong Kong Slam is out there on the PPA Tour Asia YouTube channel.
All instances Jap
Spherical of 16 – 9pm Wednesday – 7am Thursday
Quarterfinals – 9pm Thursday – 7am Friday
Semifinals – 9pm Friday – 7am Saturday
Championship Sunday – 1am Saturday – 6am Saturday
Watch Reside: PPA Tour Asia YouTube
Brackets and Outcomes: Official Hong Kong Slam Match Web page
Ladies’s Singles
(1) Kaitlyn Christian enters as the highest seed, trying to full a formidable three-tournament sweep of her Asian singles appearances this season.
Storylines to Watch:
- Christian vs. Castillo, Half Two? (1) Kaitlyn Christian might meet (5) Judit Castillo within the quarterfinals. Castillo gained their most up-to-date matchup on the Australia Pickleball Cup.
- Sahra Dennehy In search of One other Deep Run: (3) Sahra Dennehy reached three semifinals on the Kuala Lumpur Cup and will face (9) Andie Dikosavljevic within the semifinals, whom she misplaced to in Australia final week.
- Kiora Kunimoto’s Alternative: (4) Kiora Kunimoto continues to determine herself among the many sport’s prime younger singles gamers and will problem (1) Kaitlyn Christian within the semifinals.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Kaitlyn Christian, (4) Kiora Kunimoto, (3) Sahra Dennehy, (9) Andie Dikosavljevic
- Finals: Kaitlyn Christian defeats Dennehy for gold
Males’s Singles
(1) Christopher Haworth makes his PPA Tour Asia debut as the highest seed, headlining one of many event’s deepest attracts.
Storylines to Watch:
- Haworth’s Worldwide Debut: (1) Christopher Haworth has already defeated Zane Navratil and now faces Vietnam’s Hien Truong within the Spherical of 16.
- House-Court docket Benefit for Hong Package Wong: (7) Hong Package Wong gained final 12 months’s Hong Kong Open singles title and will face (2) Federico Staksrud within the quarterfinals. Their final assembly went the gap, with Staksrud escaping 7-11, 11-6, 12-10.
- Staksrud’s Troublesome Path: (2) Federico Staksrud faces Eric Oncins within the Spherical of 16 after Oncins eradicated JW Johnson. (7) Hong Package Wong may very well be ready within the quarterfinals.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Christopher Haworth, (4) Christian Alshon, (2) Federico Staksrud, (3) Hunter Johnson
- Finals: Christopher Haworth defeats Federico Staksrud for gold
Combined Doubles
(1) Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters headline a loaded combined doubles discipline because the event’s prime seeds.
Storylines to Watch:
- Can the Johnson Siblings Do It Once more? (3) JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson defeated (1) Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters within the combined doubles semifinals on the Veolia Pickleball Nationwide Championships.
- New Partnerships In search of Breakthroughs: Federico Staksrud/Danni-Elle Townsend are a brand new partnership trying to make a deep run.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters, (4) Christian Alshon/Parris Todd, (3) JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson, (2) Anna Brilliant/Hayden Patriquin
- Finals: Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters defeat Anna Brilliant/Hayden Patriquin for gold
Ladies’s Doubles
(1) Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Brilliant enter as the highest seeds after going undefeated collectively for over 400 days.
Storylines to Watch:
- The Annas Return: (1) Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Brilliant reunite internationally, trying so as to add one other championship to their already spectacular partnership resume.
- Todd and Rohrabacher Make Their Asian Debuts: (3) Parris Todd/Rachel Rohrabacher are amongst a number of extremely ranked American professionals competing in Asia for the primary time.
- Hong Kong’s House-Court docket Hope: (7) Nok Yiu Tang/Chao Yi Wang might meet (2) Jorja Johnson/Tyra Hurricane Black within the quarterfinals.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Brilliant, (4) Catherine Parenteau/Sofia Stitching, (3) Parris Todd/Rachel Rohrabacher, (2) Jorja Johnson/Tyra Hurricane Black
- Finals: Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Brilliant defeat Jorja Johnson/Tyra Hurricane Black for gold
Males’s Doubles
(1) Ben Johns/Gabriel Tardio headline a aggressive males’s doubles draw as the highest seeds.
Storylines to Watch:
- The Johns Brothers on a Collision Course: (1) Ben Johns/Gabriel Tardio might face (8) Collin Johns/Len Yang within the quarterfinals. The potential for the brothers competing in opposition to one another is likely one of the event’s most fascinating potential matchups.
- JW Johnson and Tama Shimabukuro Be part of Forces: (4) JW Johnson/Tama Shimabukuro are an intriguing partnership, coming off their greatest end collectively, a silver within the Australian Pickleball Cup.
- Can Staksrud and Patriquin Problem the High Seeds? (2) Federico Staksrud/Hayden Patriquin will look so as to add one other title after their latest success collectively on the PPA Tour.
Additionally value watching are (6) Dylan Frazier/Connor Garnett, together with (5) Noe Khlif/Eric Oncins.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Ben Johns/Gabriel Tardio, (3) Christian Alshon/Yuta Funemizu, (4) JW Johnson/Tama Shimabukuro, (2) Federico Staksrud/Hayden Patriquin
- Finals: Ben Johns/Gabriel Tardio defeat Federico Staksrud/Hayden Patriquin for gold
