Gabe Tardio, Tyra Black Claim Double Titles at Australia Pickleball Cup

Tardio and Black Dominate Australia Pickleball Cup

Gabe Tardio and Tyra Black each secured two trophies at the Australia Pickleball Cup in Brisbane, a PPA Tour 1500 event. Tardio teamed with Black to rally past Christian Alshon and Parris Todd in mixed doubles, then partnered with Hayden Patriquin to win the men's doubles title.

Black also doubled up, winning the open women's doubles with Jorja Johnson over Todd and Danni-Elle Townsend with scores of 11-5, 11-6. Christian Alshon, however, finished second in both of his finals.

The women's singles final saw Andie Dikosavljevic reach Sunday after beating countrywoman Sahra Dennehy 12-10 in the third game of their semifinal. Judit Castillo also advanced to the final by defeating top seed Kaitlyn Christian.

Hong Kong Slam Features Top Talent and Record Purse

The PPA Tour Asia is heading to Hong Kong for its first-ever 1500-level event in the region, the Hong Kong Slam, scheduled for October 19-25 at the Kai Tak Arena. This event features a record $1.1 million purse and will conclude the Asian professional season.

World No. 1 Ben Johns is set to compete, playing men's doubles with Gabriel Tardio and mixed doubles alongside world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters. Christopher Haworth is pursuing a title that could propel him into the world's top ten, facing strong competition including Federico Staksrud, Hunter Johnson, Christian Alshon, Tama Shimabukuro, and Hong Kit Wong.

Qiu Yiwei's Inspiring Pickleball Journey in Taiwan

In Taiwan, Qiu Yiwei, who lost his hearing as a toddler, recently discovered pickleball after years in tennis, badminton, and table tennis. He won his very first tournament just three months after starting the sport.

This year, Qiu crowdfunded a trip to compete in deaf pickleball championships in the United States and Canada, where he earned three gold medals and one silver. His current goal extends beyond medals: he aims to represent Taiwan at the Deaflympics.

To achieve this, Qiu has been actively participating in every stop of Taiwan's ranking tour, run by the Taiwan Major League Pickleball, positioning himself for qualification to the season finale in Taipei in November.

Pickleball EXPO 2026 Planned for Yokohama, Japan

The Chiba Prefecture Pickleball Association is organizing Pickleball EXPO 2026 at the Yokohama International Pool from November 13-15. The event will offer free admission, with some paid, reservation-only programs, beginner trial sessions, pro lessons, an open court, a corporate beginners' cup, and a competitive event called the UTR Japan Open 2026 in Yokohama.

The association, which previously focused on grassroots events within Chiba, chose Yokohama for this larger showcase to make it more accessible from across the greater Tokyo area. The expo will also feature equipment vendors and a seminar discussing the future of pickleball in Japan.