The US Open Pickleball Championship takes place in Naples, Florida and includes a mix of casual matches, pro championships, and community and social events. Founded in 2016, the US Open takes place at the East Naples Community Park, where over 60 pickleball courts are available for players.
About the US Open Pickleball Championship
In 2016, the first ever US Open Pickleball National Championships were held in Naples, Florida at the East Naples Community Park.
The tournament was founded by Chris Evon and Terri Graham, who created the US Open with the goal of bringing together pickleball players from all over the world. Both Evon and Graham knew that pickleball was on the rise and really needed to be celebrated in a big way.
They envisioned the tournament as a party, wanting enthusiasts of the sport to come together and have a great time. Evon and Graham knew that Naples would be the perfect paradise for travelers to enjoy their time while also playing the game that they love.
Each year, the East Naples Community Park sets up 60 pickleball courts for players of all ages to enjoy. In the very first tournament, about 850 players competed over five days. In 2022’s tournament, there were over 2,800 players over the eight-day-long tournament.
Where is the US Open Pickleball Championship?
The US Open Pickleball Championship takes place in Florida’s East Naples Community Park, home to the largest pickleball facility in the world: The US Open Village.
East Naples Community Park
3500 Thomasson Dr
Naples, FL 34112
Located in Florida’s “Paradise Coast” town of Naples, the park itself now has 60 individual courts, which will host over 5,000 games of pickleball throughout the course of the tournament.
The East Naples Community Park in Collier County is a beautiful, family-friendly location for the US Open. When you arrive, stop at the Naples Botanical Garden Guest Services for information about how to get around and learn about other attractions in the surrounding Naples area.
An Overview of the Event
A full week of nonstop action, there is so much fun to be had while at the US Open! Each of the nine days of the tournament features matches for the many different types and groups of pickleball players.
Be sure to bring a paddle of your own and your best pickleball attire, as there will be plenty of opportunities to play casual games outside of the scheduled championships.
The event begins April 22nd with a Kids Day, where the courts will be open for kids to play casual games of pickleball before the tournament begins. The following day, April 23rd, is the big Margaritaville Party in the park, where everyone comes together to check in for the tournament and enjoy the pre-tournament festivities.
One of the biggest parts of the US Open is building up a sense of community among all the pickleball players who come to compete and play the game they love.
There’s a lot to enjoy off the court as well:
- Live music
- Food
- Professional clinics
The main events of the US Open are the professional-level championships.
There are 13 total major Senior Pro and Pro level events throughout the week. These include both men’s and women’s doubles and singles games. There’s a guaranteed payout of at least $100,000 in prize money for the championship events, with the professional-level women’s and men’s pro doubles events being the largest at $10,000 per match.
Attending the Us Open Pickleball Championship
Because pickleball continues to grow in popularity, the US Open now uses a lottery system to sign up for the event. With such a demand for participation, Evon and Graham thought that the lottery system would give everyone a fair chance to get a spot in the tournament.
The registration lottery to get a chance to play begins in early January each year. Last year’s registration fee was composed of a $100 athlete credential for those over the age of 8, as well as a separate registration fee for each competition event.
If you aren’t planning on playing, but would love to be there as a spectator, you can watch almost all of the matches for free! With the exception of a $5/day parking pass, 59 of the US Open’s courts are open to the public to come watch both professional and amateur games of pickleball.
