MasterLeague has announced an initial prize pool from three sponsors for 2025.

This includes prizes for the best under-3.0 player, the most improved over the previous quarter, and lucky draw prizes as well as a prize for the top male and female doubles player each quarter.

- PICKLE POWER, owned by Josh Aquino, is offering 3x $100 lucky draw vouchers for their advanced and intermediate paddle range, including Joola, Six Zero, Paddletek, Proton, Selkirk and CRBN.

As well as providing 3x $100 lucky draw vouchers at the end of each quarter, MasterLeague sponsor Pickle Power is also providing another 2x $100 vouchers to go to each of the top male and female doubles player each quarter. 

Check out Pickle Power's advanced and intermediate paddle range online or in-store:

8/6 Workspace Drive, Hobsonville, Auckland 0618

- SMALL PAINT JOBS, owned by Ian Morrow, is providing a $100 cash prize to the most improved player compared to the previous quarter.

No job seems too big for home prep and construction maintenance company Market Ready, but now it is proving that no job is too small with its Small Paint Jobs service.

Anyone needing a quote for a small paint job can simply upload a few photos and get a quote from one of their network of professional painters. Run by MasterLeague player Ian Morrow, Market Ready and Small Paint Jobs is offering a $100 cash prize to the most improved player each quarter for 2025. 

Visit www.smallpaintjobs.co.nz to get a quote now.

- ADDISON PICKELBALL COACHING, run by Luke Addison, the current overall leader in both singles and doubles ladders, is providing a 50-minute coaching session to the top doubles player each quarter  with a DUPR rating under 3.0.

Luke is celebrating achieving his IPTPA certification by sponsoring MasterLeague 2025 and promoting Addison Pickleball Coaching.

Player ratings are determined by their DUPR rating prior to the final week of the quarter.

Visit www.addisonpickleball.co.nz to learn more about Addison Pickleball Coaching.

Keep an eye on www.masterleague.nz for more.

The 2025 Major League Pickleball / Professional Pickleball Association Auckland pro-am tour stop will be held at the Merton Road Tennis Centre in Saint Johns, Auckland, from 24-27 April.

Registration costs AU$90 and is supposed to be open from 15th January to 14 April.

Links:

Pickleball Tournaments website

MLP Web page

FORMAT AND EVENTS

PPA Tour Australia offers exciting and competitive formats for all athletes from aspiring amateurs in our Open, Masters (50+), Juniors (Under 16) categories, to our elite Pro division.

- PRO: The Highest level of Pro Pickleball in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.

- OPEN: Compete in our Open Tour format, designed for the next generation of pickleball champions rated 3.0+, open to all ages.

- MASTERS: Join our Masters Tour for athletes aged 50 and above, rated 3.0+.

- JUNIORS: Showcase your talent in our Juniors Tour, for Rising Stars under 16.

EVENT SCHEDULE

Friday 25th April:

Singles

Saturday 26th April:

Mixed Doubles

Sunday 27th Nov:

Gender Doubles

PRO FORMAT

The registration deadline for PPA Tour Australia Pro Events is 14th April. Qualifying rounds for PPA Pro Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles will take place from 4pm on Thursday 24th April. A maximum of 8 players/teams will be able to participate in qualifiers, based on the number of registrations. Each athlete can participate in a maximum of 2 qualifying events.

- All athletes register via the qualifier for PPA Pro Events.

- Contracted MLPA/PPA Pro players receive automatic entry into the PRO Main Draw.

- Non-contracted players who sign up with contracted players will receive the next preference (based on - contracted players' PPA Ranking).

- Non-contracted players will then fill the remaining spots based on PPA Rankings Points, and DUPR.

Qualifier rounds take place when the overall team number (or player number for singles) exceeds a certain limit.

24 teams (or players for singles) in the Main Draw: We will run a qualifier for 8 teams (or players for singles) to qualify for the Main Draw of 24 (If venue capacity allows, a larger draw may be run).

After pro registration closes, we will determine how many teams/players get an automatic bid into the main draw, which will determine the size of the main draw and the qualifier rounds. Players will be notified by Wednesday, April 16, following the pro registration deadline whether they are in the main draw or the qualifier rounds.

PPA Pro Qualifier Format:

Single Elimination 1 to 15, win by 2.

Starting at 4pm Thursday evening.

PPA Pro Main Draw Format:

Single Elimination 2/3 to 11, win by 2.

The losers of the semis will play a bronze medal match.

OPEN AND MASTERS FORMAT (3.5+)

Skill Levels 3.0+ will play Double Elimination with no come-around (i.e., if a team loses a match, the best they can do is bronze. They cannot come around to win the gold).

Main Draw:

Matches consist of a best of 3 game format with each game to 11, win by 2 points.

Consolation:

Each match consists of one game to 15, win by 2 points, except for the final match which determines 3rd place.

Entry Fee:

$90.00/player, the First event is free.

Location:

Total Coach Tennis Centre.

69 Merton Road, St Johns, Auckland.

Parking: Available on-site and free

Please note: The event schedule and format are subject to change. While times have been listed, tournament organisers may delay or change the event schedule and format due to extended match times, numbers, and/or potential weather delays. Please consider this when planning your travel for the tournament.

Spots are limited, so register now - we can't wait to see you there! Follow us for more information at PPA Tour Australia and MLP Australia:

PPA Tour Australia and MLP Australia

website. www.ppatour.com.au

instagram. @ppatour.australia and @mlp.australi

New for 2025, MasterLeague has added a pairs challenge ladder with the option for players to change both their mixed and same-sex doubles partners each quarter. Moreover, pairs ladder matches do not affect players' skill ratings such as their GPN or DUPR rating.

MasterLeague uses a bespoke points formula which is able to be adapted to different formats. For the pairs ladder, the formula is applied such that players need not seek out the best possible partners, as the points awarded to each pair in a match will be different based on the average rating of their opponents as well as the total number of points won.

Factoring in the average opponent rating rather than the average of all players on the court:

if one fixed pair is rated an average of 0.5 lower than their opponents on the Player Skill Ratings scale (say 3.5 and 4.0 respectively), they will earn about the same ladder points if they win two-thirds as many game points (e.g., 14-21).

if one fixed pair is rated an average of 1.0 lower than their opponents on the Player Skill Ratings scale (say 3.5 and 4.5 respectively), they will earn about the same ladder points if they win one third as many game points (e.g., 7-21).

Each pair will be able to play against any other given pair for up to three games, whether as a single match or in discrete games.

Players are able to arrange matches privately or take the opportunity to play ad hoc to time during organised events.

It will be possible for players to be in more than one pair - for example, both a men's or women's and a mixed pairing.

A new facility is opening at Netball North Harbour, with an opening day on Saturday 9th November.

North Harbour Pickleball Club's Opening Day has two sessions to play both indoors and outdoors, from 9.30-11.30am and 12-2pm. Cost is $10 each.

There is also an introductory membership offer of $100 until 31st January.

See the calendar on the home page for more details, and the Links page for the website URL coming soon.

17th October, 2024

Club officials and others in an organisational role are being encouraged to register for a special conference to discuss forming a proposed Auckland pickleball association.

The conference will be preceded by social play from 3-6pm at the Y Ellerslie.

For more information, visit the event page on the Pickleball Auckland Central Facebook group here.

11th October, 2024

The first-ever New Zealand Open tournament has begun at Albany Tennis Park. Spectators are welcome - look for more news coming soon. Click here for results as they come in.

1st October, 2024

Panmure's Riverside Sports complex has today opened its outdoor hard court as an add-on for members or for casual online bookings.

The court is located next to the padel court that opened last summer, with the Plexipave surface providing a hard and fast pickleball experience - click here for more information.

As well as replacement of the floodlights with LED versions, the temporary net will be replaced with a more robust model similar to the pop tennis net.

7 September, 2024

The Pickleball Auckland Central Club has changed the entry criteria for its 2025 annual tournament to simplify qualification and help clarify its target audience.

Originally the Auckland Seniors Tournament, it was recently renamed as the Masters Tournament, but the latest update is sure to avoid any confusion with the Masters Games, which is on around the same time and is for players 20+. Likewise, Senior status in terms of club membership is often open to players 18+, so this should put the matter to bed.

Sixty-five is surely the new sixty, so check out the revamped tournament under the Events page.

09 August, 2024

As viewers watch the likes of breakdancing and equestrian and wonder when will pickleball become an Olympic sport, the right answer might not be that it will be just a matter of letting its inexorable growth bring it in by brute force.

As the King of the Court website notes, pickleball's main issue is an administrative one. For a start, Olympic rules require a recognised worldwide, non-profit governing body. Considering the number and makeup of the sport's existing, sometimes self-appointed, bodies, it seems there could be a long way to go for pickleball yet. New Zealand's current governing body, the PNZA, is aligned with the Global Pickleball Federaiton.

While pickleball won't be at Los Angeles 2028, we can at least enjoy NZ's participation in one of the "world cups" this year, to be held in Peru in late October?.