Eileen Wang, four other champions win PPA Challenger Showdown titles

Five champions earn PPA Tour contracts at Challenger Showdown

Eileen Wang, Matt Burkhardt, Allie Reichert and Madalina Grigoriu, Riley Inn and Alex Emery, and Anne-Sophie Courteau and Juan Varon won the five division titles at the 2026 PPA Challenger Showdown in Texas. The champions earned PPA Tour contracts after pool play, semifinals and finals.

Wang rallied past Jessica Ho 6-11, 11-5, 13-11 in women’s singles. Burkhardt beat Troy Akin 11-0, 12-10 in men’s singles, while Reichert and Grigoriu recovered from a game down to win women’s doubles 9-11, 11-8, 11-0.

Inn and Emery came back to beat Connor McCartney and Wade Heerboth 6-11, 11-7, 11-6 in men’s doubles. Courteau and Varon won mixed doubles 11-6, 10-12, 11-7 against Madalina Grigoriu and Garrison Eaby.

El Dorado Hills homeowners win fight over pickleball court lights

A judge approved a settlement requiring pickleball court lights in El Dorado Hills to be taken down after homeowners won a lawsuit, CBS News reported. The settlement followed years of court disputes.

Viet Panthers sign 15-year-old pickleball world champion

Laodong.vn reports that the Viet Panthers have signed a 15-year-old pickleball world champion, and Znews notes a 15-year-old pickleball champion joining the team. The reports in our feed provide no further details about the player or the agreement.

Veolia and PPA Tour extend sustainability partnership

Veolia and the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association have extended their sustainability partnership for two years. The partnership, which began in 2024, has supported refill stations, recycling and resource recovery at tournaments in Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

The companies said their efforts have avoided more than 175,000 single-use plastic bottles. They plan to expand the work, including community projects such as youth clinics, cleanups and beautification efforts in tournament host cities.

Vietnam’s National Assembly president to attend AIPA gathering

National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man will lead a Vietnamese delegation to the 47th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Manila on Nov. 17 and 18, 2026, VOVWORLD reported. The trip is at the invitation of Philippine House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” De Guzman Dy III, who is president of the assembly.

Asia University team provides medical support at pickleball tournament

Asia University’s Department of Physical Therapy assembled faculty, alumni physical therapists and student volunteers to provide athlete support at the 2026 Taichung International Pickleball Open, held Oct. 14 to 17. The team offered injury assessments, taping, soft-tissue treatment and emergency care, the report said.

The tournament drew more than 1,000 players, and the team’s work also gave students experience supporting athletes at an international event.

Pickleball courts begin construction at Wisconsin entertainment complex

Fortify Pickleball Club held a groundbreaking ceremony Nov. 10 for an 11-court facility at the former Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The courts are part of The Social, an entertainment complex planned for the redeveloped property, Yahoo reported.

The Social is now targeted to open March 1, 2027, while the pickleball club could begin operating in the facility as early as Feb. 15. Fortify plans to invest an estimated $2.1 million to convert the former tennis courts.

Asia University doctoral student wins national poster contest

Chen Kuo-yi-yen, a doctoral student in Asia University’s artificial intelligence program, won a national English campus-poster design contest with “A Campus in Bloom.” The contest drew 76 entries from 14 colleges and universities, according to Central News Agency.

The poster combines campus buildings, nature and art with English-language design and messaging. Chen entered under the guidance of instructor Tsai Chih-wei.