Deng Nok-yiu aims for home breakthrough at Hong Kong PPA Grand Slam

Deng targets deep run as Hong Kong Grand Slam ignites Kai Tak

The PPA Asia Tour 1500 Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Grand Slam opens Oct. 19, 2026, at Kai Tak Sports Park, bringing top professional pickleball to one of the sport’s fastest-growing hubs. The main event lands on the heels of a Corporate Cup that began Oct. 17 at Kai Tak Sports Hall as a curtain-raiser for the Grand Slam.

The Corporate Cup features 24 business teams in a fast-paced single-game format, with the champions earning tickets to the Grand Slam’s final day. Organizers are using the event to build atmosphere ahead of the pro draw at Kai Tak Sports Park.

Hong Kong’s top-ranked woman, Deng Nok-yiu, has set a clear target on home soil. She told local media she is aiming for at least a quarterfinal, calling that her baseline based on past results and hoping to push beyond that once she gets there. Deng, who has just come off a PPA 1500 event in Australia, is slated to take the court Oct. 20 at Kai Tak in front of home supporters.

Louisville Open streams live as Carvajal chases first gold of year

Professional players from across the country and around the world are in Louisville for the Humana APP Louisville Open at the Kentucky International Convention Center, with Louisville’s Spencer Moorman among the competitors. Moorman is a top-10 player on the APP Senior Champions Pro Tour, while Spanish professional Glauka Carvajal arrives having reached three straight finals and taken silver each time. She summed up her mindset simply: she is “scratching silver still” and “would love to get a gold this year.”

WLKY is streaming the Humana APP Louisville Open from Oct. 15 through Oct. 18 on its Very Local streaming channel, on WLKY.com and on YouTube. The coverage offers fans a way to follow the tournament even if they cannot get to downtown Louisville.

Staksrud credits love of the grind for staying near top of PPA rankings

Argentine pro Federico Staksrud, currently No. 2 in the PPA Tour rankings, says his success starts with a genuine love for the day-to-day grind. Speaking on The Kitchen Pickleball podcast, he argued that “if you don’t enjoy the process, you’re always going to lose,” describing how he likes being on the treadmill and dinking cross-court. Co-host and fellow pro Roscoe Bellamy praised Staksrud’s dedication off the court as well, pointing to the work that underpins his results.

Staksrud said defeats send him straight back to video study and to fine-tuning his fitness and mental approach, and that he would rather overtrain than risk doing too little. He summed up his mentality with a line that captured his relentless approach: “I sprint without expecting there’s a finish line.”

Indoor club chain The Picklr to seek Chapter 11 protection

National indoor pickleball club chain The Picklr has announced plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, while telling members that its locations remain open. In an Oct. 10 social media post, the company said its clubs are operating, its members are still playing and its franchise partners continue to run their facilities as usual.

As part of what it calls a plan to strengthen its financial foundation, The Picklr has secured a 4.5 million dollar commitment from an investor group led by one of its franchisees, an arrangement that is subject to court approval. Founded in Utah in 2021 by Jorge Barragan and Austin Wood, the company has expanded to more than 500 facilities worldwide, including more than 90 in the United States.

UPA-A chief pushes for one global paddle standard

UPA-A president Jason Aspes is calling for a single paddle certification standard for pickleball, arguing that the current split between USA Pickleball and the UPA-A hurts manufacturers and players. His proposal would merge USA Pickleball’s international reach and amateur network with the UPA-A’s direct measurement approach and testing of paddles after they have broken in.

Aspes has also accused USA Pickleball of waiving a surface-roughness test in one certification and of not publicly disclosing provisional approval terms, while acknowledging that the UPA-A has its own commercial connections to the pro leagues it certifies for. He says any unified standard would require both organizations to surrender some authority to rebuild trust in how equipment is approved.