There are a number of great pickleball tournaments for players across the state of Minnesota, from Winona to St Paul. The Ororor PPA Indoor National Championships is the biggest professional event, with a prize money purse of $80,000, but there are lots of fantastic options for amateur players as well.
Ororor PPA Indoor National Championships
Time of Year: Spring
Location: Life Time Lakeville
Description: The PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) Indoor National Championships event is one of the bigger tournaments in Minnesota, with a prize fund of $80,000.
There is both a pro and amateur tournament running concurrently. The amateur tournament is a double elimination with a come round, while the pro event is a double elimination no come round (if you lose a match, the best you can do is bronze).
The pro events, which require a skill level of 5.0 to enter, are:
| Men’s Singles | Women’s Singles |
| Men’s Doubles | Women’s Doubles |
| Mixed Doubles |
The amateur events are organized the same way, but are split into different skill levels and age groups.
Spring Dink Open Invitational
Time of Year: Spring
Location: University of Minnesota
Description: The Spring Dink Open Invitational is an APA (Amateur Pickleball Association) event that takes place at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The event has a $70 registration fee and takes place over Saturday and Sunday. There is no full refund should the event be cancelled or a player unable to play.
Saturday is doubles play, with three divisions (Junior, Collegiate, and Open Play) also split by skill level and age group.
Sunday is mixed doubles, men’s singles and women’s singles.
Minnesota Summer Kick Off
Time of Year: Summer
Location: Westwood Pickleball Courts, Bloomington
Description: A great outdoor event with mixed pro and amateur events. There is no registration fee for the tournament as a whole, but there is a $30 dollar charge for each event. Due to the outdoor nature of the tournament, 50% of a full refund will be offered should the event be cancelled.
All teams are guaranteed five games. The tournament starts with a pool play system and then moves into bracket play.
This is an entirely doubles event, with men’s doubles, mixed doubles, and women’s doubles at both pro and skill level. For the pro event, the prize money purse is $3000.
Minneapolis Pickleball Classic
Time of Year: Summer
Location: Rogers Tennis Club
Description: Powered by the Pickleball World Tour, the Minnesota Classic is a round robin event with men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles played with a Franklin X40 pickleball.
Depending on the number of teams who register, this event can have both a pool play and a bracket play system.
The prize money is relatively small, with a purse of $5,000 and each member of a winning team receiving $125.
The Preserve Tournament
Time of Year: Summer
Location: The Preserve Association, Eden Prairie
Description: Played in beautiful Eden Prairie, tournaments at the Preserve are always high on the list for pickleball players in Minnesota.
This tournament has singles, doubles, and mixed play offerings.
Lakes and Loons Pickleball Classic
Time of Year: Fall
Location: Itasca County Family YMCA Outdoor Courts, Grand Rapids
Description: The Lakes and Loons Classic played in Grand Rapids has one of the best names of pickleball tournaments in all of Minnesota.
A double elimination tournament with bracket play for the winners, the registration fee is $40 which includes a free t-shirt! It is worth noting that this is a tournament specifically for players with a skill level above 3.0, but below 5.0.
Minnesota Summer Send-Off
Time of Year: Fall
Location: Lucky Shots Pickleball Club
Description: Played at the brilliant Lucky Shots Pickleball Club, the Minnesota Summer Send-Off is a great tournament that says farewell to the sunshine and ushers in fall.
This is an indoor tournament with men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. All teams are guaranteed five games, with the tournament starting with pool play before moving into bracket play, with a prize money fund of $3000.
As this is an indoor tournament with no risk of weather cancellation, a full refund of your $10 registration fee will only be offered if you cancel within a certain time period.
River Valley Paddle Battle
Time of Year: Fall
Location: Winona
Description: For players looking for a pickleball tournament in Winona, look no further than the River Valley Paddle Battle!
This pickleball tournament has events for men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles at a number of skill levels (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5) making it a great event for all types of players.
Twin Cities Pickleball Classic
Time of Year: Fall
Location: Legacy Pickleball Club, St Paul
Description: The Twin Cities Pickleball Classic, played in St Paul, offers both pro and amateur events.
There are men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles events for skill levels 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0+.
This event also has the fun addition of being livestreamed, meaning your family and friends can tune in to watch you play from anywhere around the world!
Roger Meyerhofer Fall Classic
Time of Year: Fall
Location: Christian Family Church, Owatonna
Description: One of the few pickleball tournaments played in Owatonna, the Roger Meyerhofer Fall Classic is a great event for those in the area.
With mixed, women’s, and men’s doubles playing in pool play followed by bracket play, this is a great event for those with a pre-existing pickleball partner. However, even singles players can get in on the fun, as on the registration page there is an option for those looking for a playing partner!
