Hunter Johnson Defeats Tama Shimabukuro for Hong Kong Slam Singles Title

Johnson beats Shimabukuro for Hong Kong Slam title

Hunter Johnson beat Tama Shimabukuro 11-4, 6-11, 11-7 in the men’s singles final at the Hong Kong Slam on October 25. The win gave Johnson back-to-back singles gold medals after his victory in Australia the previous week, and Times Now reported that it avenged a loss to Shimabukuro in the Atlanta Pickleball Championships semifinals in May.

Andie Dikosavljevic won the women’s singles title, beating Judit Castillo 11-1, 11-5 for her second consecutive tournament victory and 18th PPA Tour title, Times Now reported. Anna Leigh Waters won both women’s doubles, with Anna Bright, and mixed doubles, with Ben Johns. Hayden Patriquin and Federico Staksrud beat Johns and Gabe Tardio for the men’s doubles crown.

Nations Cup set to debut in Texas

The inaugural Major League Pickleball Nations Cup is scheduled for October 30 through November 1 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas. The Dink reported that eight regional teams will play in the coed format, with 48 players taking part.

Teams will play round-robin matches across the first two days, with the top two from each group of four advancing to single-elimination semifinals on November 1. The event will kick off the 2026 Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, scheduled for November 2 through 8 at the same venue. Tama Shimabukuro replaced Hien Truong on the Asia International team, The Dink reported.

Canyadell and Almería champions split top titles

Pep Canyadell beat José Enrique de la Torre in two sets to win the men’s singles 4.5 title at the second Top Pickleball Tour stop in Almería, MARCA reported. Canyadell and Paula Clemente lost the mixed doubles final to Ignasi de Rueda and Eleana Rodino.

Rodino and Celia Parra won the women’s doubles 4.5 final, while David Illescas and Jesús García took the men’s doubles title. Silvio Suárez and Salvador Palazón won the +40 category. The three-day tournament brought nearly 100 players to the Tinglado del Puerto and Palacio de los Juegos Mediterráneos and awarded 5,000 euros in prize money, MARCA reported.

Former tennis pro Kanami Nishimura signs with JOOLA Japan

Former professional tennis player Kanami Nishimura has signed a player contract with JOOLA Japan and will take up pickleball in earnest in 2026, according to a company announcement reported by PR Times. Nishimura turned professional at 14 years and 3 months, then returned to competition after marriage and having children.

Nishimura said she hopes to help grow pickleball and aims to represent Japan at the Brisbane Olympics in six years, according to dメニューニュース. She is a mother of two and said she wants her effort to show that people can pursue dreams at any age.

Philadelphia-area firm adds pickleball tournament to event calendar

The company’s fall and holiday calendar also includes a bar crawl, a surf contest and a holiday party. The announcements followed the firm’s recognition as a 2026 Silver Winner in the International MUSE Creative Awards’ Outstanding New Agency category, the outlets reported.

Hanoi club wins Vietnamese community tournament in Vientiane

The Hanoi hometown club team won the 2026 Vietnamese Community Pickleball Tournament in Vientiane, Vietnam News Agency reports published by Vietnam.vn said. The event was held October 25 by the Vietnamese Association in Vientiane to strengthen community ties and mark National Unity Day.

The Nghệ An hometown club finished second, while teams from Hà Tĩnh and Ho Chi Minh City shared third place. Eight teams representing Vietnamese clubs and businesses in Laos competed, according to Vietnam.vn.

Marcela Ampon takes pickleball tour to two SM malls

Filipino-American professional player Marcela Aguila Ampon brought her “Marcela Comes Home: PH Tour 2026” to SM City East Ortigas and SM City Marikina, Daily Tribune reported. The tour, organized with SM Active, Palakol and Paloo, aimed to introduce more Filipinos to pickleball.

Ampon competes on the PPA Tour in women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, and turned professional in 2024 after playing tennis. SM Prime reported that six new courts had opened at SM City East Ortigas, bringing its total to 108 courts across 33 malls, according to Daily Tribune.

Ahmedabad awarded 2029 Weightlifting World Championships

Ahmedabad will host the 2029 Weightlifting World Championships, Times Now reported, citing a decision made October 25 at an International Weightlifting Federation Executive Board meeting in Ningbo, China. India’s bid beat those from Venezuela and Russia. Russia was awarded the 2030 championships, while Venezuela will host the 2028 Junior World Championships.

The championships will be the first IWF World Championships held in India. Times Now reported that the event adds to Ahmedabad’s schedule after the city was awarded the 2030 Commonwealth Games and hosted the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in 2025 and Asian Weightlifting Championships in 2026.

Cebu to host inaugural Inter-BPO pickleball tournament

The inaugural Kayu Inter-BPO Pickleball Tournament is scheduled for November 16 at Portside Courts across Robinsons Galleria Cebu, Philstar.com reported. The competition will feature men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Eight companies had confirmed teams, with players from four more companies expressing interest, Philstar.com reported. Champions in each category will receive P5,000, with P3,000 for second place and P2,000 for third. Registration closes November 10.