Photos: Leapmotor Singapore Open.
Singapore’s rapidly growing love affair with pickleball is about to reach another milestone, with the inaugural PPA Asia 500 Leapmotor Singapore Open set to bring the Republic’s biggest-ever professional pickleball tournament to local shores next month.
The excitement was evident on June 26 when media, influencers, athletes and content creators gathered at Pickle & Bones at Trifecta for an exclusive preview of the tournament, offering a glimpse of what promises to be a landmark event for the sport in Singapore.
Scheduled from July 23 to 26 at The Sports Arina @ Singapore EXPO (Hall 10), the tournament will be the highest-tier Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) event ever staged in Singapore. It will feature men’s and women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions across both professional and amateur categories.
With a total prize purse of US$79,000 — comprising US$70,000 for professionals and US$9,000 for amateurs — the tournament also offers 500 valuable PPA ranking points, attracting some of Asia’s leading players while giving local competitors the rare opportunity to test themselves against international opposition on home soil.
The preview event reflected pickleball’s remarkable rise from a recreational pastime to one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
A fireside discussion featuring Event Director Adrian Tan, Malaysian professional Jimmy Liong and Pickle & Bones founder Adrian Ang explored the sport’s rapid expansion, its increasing commercial appeal and Singapore’s growing importance within the regional pickleball ecosystem.
Guests also experienced the sport first-hand through coaching sessions and exhibition matches led by Liong, alongside Team 100PLUS athletes and creators. As the tournament’s official hydration partner, 100PLUS was present throughout the high-energy sessions.
For the organisers, the Singapore Open represents far more than another tournament.
Unlike many elite sporting events, the PPA Asia 500 is designed to serve both professionals and recreational players under one roof through its “Play Where the Pros Play” concept. The format allows amateurs to compete at the same venue as international stars, helping to strengthen the local pickleball community while inspiring newcomers to take up the sport.
Strong registration numbers suggest the strategy is working. Organisers revealed that approximately 95 per cent of available player slots had already been filled well before the tournament begins, reflecting surging demand among both competitive and recreational players.
Commercial interest has grown just as rapidly.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Leapmotor has signed a multi-year agreement as presenting partner and official automotive partner, underlining increasing corporate confidence in pickleball’s commercial potential. The event has also attracted support from major brands including 100PLUS, Huttons Agency, PARKROYAL on Beach Road, 2XU, Skechers, FedEx, Charles & Keith, Panaflex and Asahi.
“Partnering with Leapmotor for the inaugural PPA Asia 500 Singapore Open is a proud moment for us,” said Adrian Tan, Event Director of the PPA Asia 500 Leapmotor Singapore Open and Chief Commercial Officer of Kin Productions.
“Their commitment to innovation and performance aligns perfectly with the tournament’s ambitions. This partnership is a strong signal of the growing commercial appeal of pickleball in Singapore and across the region.”
Malaysia’s top-ranked professional Jimmy Liong believes Singapore has the facilities and organisational capabilities to host even bigger events in the future, suggesting the Republic could eventually stage a PPA Asia 1000 tournament.
His confidence reflects the broader trajectory of pickleball across Asia.
Launched only last year, the PPA Tour Asia has expanded rapidly into multiple countries, with Singapore becoming the sixth stop on the 2026 calendar. The Republic now joins established hosts including Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, China, Macau and Hong Kong on the regional circuit.
For local professionals such as Ryan Ng, hosting a world-class tournament at home represents an important step in Singapore’s sporting development.
Instead of travelling overseas to compete against Asia’s best, Singaporean players now have the opportunity to earn valuable ranking points while performing before home supporters. Just as importantly, aspiring young players will be able to watch elite competition up close, helping raise playing standards across the country.
Beyond the competition itself, organisers are also introducing fan-focused experiences such as the inaugural Pickle Rumble trick-shot contest, reinforcing pickleball’s growing identity as both a competitive sport and an accessible social activity.
The atmosphere at the media preview suggested that Singapore’s pickleball boom is showing little sign of slowing.
With elite international players, significant prize money, growing corporate investment and enthusiastic community participation all coming together, the inaugural PPA Asia 500 Leapmotor Singapore Open appears poised to become more than just another sporting event. It could mark the moment when pickleball firmly establishes itself as one of Singapore’s fastest-growing mainstream sports.
