PPA Las Vegas Open 2026: Fan Guide, Schedule & Recap

Q: How much are tickets to the PPA Las Vegas Open?

Third-party resale listings during the event week started around $60 per day with an average near $69. Buy official tickets through the PPA Tour site when available; weekend sessions (especially Saturday semifinals) sell tighter than weekday sessions.

Q: How can I watch the PPA Las Vegas Open if I can’t go?

Live broadcast coverage streams on Pickleballtv starting Thursday, October 1 (Round of 16) at 5pm ET / 2pm PT. Championship Sunday (October 4, 10am–3pm PT) also airs on Tennis Channel from 10am–2pm PT.

I was in Las Vegas for the Rate Las Vegas Open (Sept 28 – Oct 4, 2026) at the Darling Tennis Center, both for Saturday's semifinals and Championship Sunday. The headline storyline was historic: Anna Leigh Waters arrived two titles away from 200 career PPA titles. Here's how it played out, plus the fan guide details, storylines, and which paddles the pros were actually playing with.

By Josh · Updated October 7, 2026 (Championship Sunday recap)

Event essentials

Event	PPA Tour Rate Las Vegas Open. Second open of the 2026–27 season
Dates	Monday, Sept 28 – Sunday, Oct 4, 2026
Venue	Darling Tennis Center (Darling Memorial Tennis Center), 7901 W. Washington Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89128
Format	Progressive draw. One round per bracket per day, no bronze-medal matches. Every final is best two-of-three games.
What’s at stake	1,000 ranking points per division; $1,063,327 total prize money
Tickets	Official tickets via the PPA Tour site. Resale listings during event week started around $60/day (avg ~$69); Saturday’s semifinal session was the tightest.
How to watch	Pickleballtv live from Thu Oct 1, 5pm ET / 2pm PT (Round of 16). Championship Sunday also on Tennis Channel, 10am–2pm PT.

How the week played out

Mon Sept 28 – Wed Sept 30: Early rounds across all five divisions. Best time to wander the outer courts and watch future stars up close.
Thu Oct 1: Round of 16. Pickleballtv broadcast began 2pm PT.
Fri Oct 2: Quarterfinals.
Sat Oct 3, 1–9pm PT: Semifinals on championship court. The best single-day ticket of the week.
Sun Oct 4, 10am–3pm PT: Championship Sunday. All five finals, also on Tennis Channel (10am–2pm PT). Results in the recap box below.

How the storylines played out

1. Waters' chase for title No. 200: denied at 199

The number hanging over the whole tournament: 200. Anna Leigh Waters arrived in Las Vegas two titles shy of 200 career PPA Tour titles. She wasn't playing singles, so the path was narrow and specific: win women's doubles with Anna Bright and mixed doubles with Ben Johns.

She got one. Waters and Bright took women's doubles 11-8, 10-12, 11-5 over Hurricane Tyra Black and Catherine Parenteau. But in the mixed final, Bright and Hayden Patriquin beat Waters and Johns in two sets. Bright won a title with Waters and then ended her Triple Crown bid hours later. Waters left Vegas at 199. The wait continues.

2. Women's singles: the door was open

With Waters out of singles, the door was open and the field knew it. The final came down to No. 2 Kaitlyn Christian against 17-year-old Kiora Kunimoto, who'd already beaten MLP Premier-level Mya Bui earlier in the week. The future arrived on schedule.

3. The doubles draws delivered

Gabe Tardio reunited with Ben Johns in men's doubles, Anna Bright paired with Hayden Patriquin as the No. 2 mixed seeds. The men's doubles final lived up to it: Alshon and Daescu pushed Johns and Tardio to five games, 12-10 in the fifth, two and a half hours, with a match point saved. An instant classic.

4. Ben Johns’ own milestone watch

Lost in the Waters hype: Johns came into the week at 187 career titles. A big Vegas weekend moves him meaningfully closer to 190. And he’s live in two draws (men’s doubles with Tardio, mixed with Waters).

Paddle spotting: what the contenders are playing

This is what we do. Every pro setup below is cross-checked against our pro paddle tracker, and anything I spot courtside this week gets added with the date. Players to watch for gear storylines:

Anna Leigh Waters. Franklin (model in flux). She left Paddletek for Franklin in January and her signature C45° Aurelius (12.7mm) was UPA-A approved in February. But she was spotted testing an unreleased Franklin model in September. If she plays the finals with a paddle that isn’t on shelves yet, that’s the gear story of the tournament.
Ben Johns. JOOLA Perseus Pro V 16mm. The long-running partnership continues; watch for any 14mm sightings.
Anna Bright. JOOLA Scorpeus Pro V 14mm.
Hayden Patriquin. Franklin C45 Dynasty 16mm (Patriquin edition).
Gabe Tardio. Facolos Elite X V2.0. One of the more interesting non-big-brand setups in the men’s draw.

Spotted something different courtside? Our tracker takes corrections. The goal is what they actually played with, not what the press release says.

If you’re at the event: my checklist

I’m working the event for the recap. Here’s what I’m capturing:

Actual ticket prices paid (GA + any upgrades) and what each tier included
Venue logistics: parking situation, shade, food options, seating sightlines
Photos: stadium court, practice courts, vendor village
Pro paddle close-ups courtside — especially semifinalists’/finalists’ actual paddles (cross-check the tracker)
Waters 200 watch: she won women's doubles (title 199), lost the mixed final. The chase continues.
Crowd & atmosphere notes: attendance, energy, best/worst of the fan experience
The honest verdict: is a PPA event worth the trip, and who it’s for

From the stands: my photos

I was there. Here's what it looked like from the cheap seats (which were honestly great seats).

PPA Las Vegas Open center court during the day — Center court on a Saturday afternoon. The camera crane means this one's going on TV.

Night match at the PPA Las Vegas Open — Same court at night. Completely different energy.

Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns playing mixed doubles — Waters and Johns in mixed doubles. The scoreboard says 0-0; it did not stay that way.

Marriage proposal on the pickleball court — Some guy proposed to Martina on center court between matches. She said yes. Pickleball is officially a romance sport now.

Vendor village at the PPA Las Vegas Open — The vendor village. Free samples, expensive paddles, and at least one thing called "Picklebalm."

Mixed doubles at the kitchen line — Mixed doubles at the kitchen. The hands battles at this level are stupid fast in person.

Pro player at the SHARP In the Kitchen booth with a camera crew — The SHARP "In the Kitchen" booth, complete with a full camera crew. Sponsor booth duty is part of the pro job description.

Pro player behind the counter at the SHARP booth — Up close at the booth. Even the best players in the world have to smile for the cameras between matches.

Championship Sunday

Went back for finals. The women's doubles final alone was worth the trip.

Waters and Bright high-fiving at the net after winning the women's doubles championship — Championship point. Waters and Bright take women's doubles 11-8, 10-12, 11-5. That game two comeback by their opponents was the loudest the building got all weekend.

Men's doubles final scoreboard showing Tardio and Johns vs Alshon and Daescu — The men's doubles final: Tardio and Johns vs Alshon and Daescu. Five games, 12-10 in the fifth, two and a half hours. An instant classic that Johns still lost.

Ben Johns waving during a mixed doubles final — Johns in the mixed doubles final. He played in three finals Sunday and won zero of them. Rough day at the office.

Mixed doubles rally at the kitchen line during the finals — Mixed doubles at the kitchen. The hands battles at this level are stupid fast in person. Photos don't do it justice.

Mixed doubles point during the championship Sunday finals — Another mixed doubles rally. Championship court, championship Sunday, championship-level dinking.

Mixed doubles action on center court — Center court on finals day. The wind that wrecked everyone's game plan is not visible in this photo, which is the only nice thing about it.

Players at the net during a mixed doubles final — At the net in the mixed final. Bright would go on to beat her own doubles partner Waters in this one. Awkward for everyone except Bright.

Players shaking hands at the net after a finals match — The handshake line. Lose a final in front of a few thousand people, then shake hands like it didn't hurt. Pros are built different.

Players and officials at the net after a championship match — Post-match at the net. The officials have the easiest job in sports until someone argues a line call.

Tournament mascot with the Kunimoto vs Christian scoreboard behind — The tournament mascot, who has strong anime-protagonist energy, in front of the Kunimoto scoreboard. The teenagers showed up this weekend.

Player being interviewed on court after a finals match — On-court interview after the final. "How does it feel?" Buddy, she just played for two hours in 40-mile-an-hour wind. It feels like wind.

Player in a pink dress competing on center court — Center court singles. The all-pink kit is a power move regardless of the score.

Anna Bright walking at the net after a match — Bright after a match. Two titles on Sunday, one of them at her own partner's expense. Ice cold.

Championship Sunday: I was there both days. Sunday belonged to Anna Bright

I was at the Rate Vegas Cup on Saturday for the semis and came back Sunday for the finals. If you only read one thing about this tournament, make it this: it wasn't Anna Leigh Waters' weekend. It was Anna Bright's.

Women's singles: Kaitlyn Christian def. Kiora Kunimoto 11-8, 2-11, 11-4.
Men's singles: Hunter Johnson def. Ben Johns 11-1, 11-3.
Women's doubles: Anna Bright / Anna Leigh Waters def. Hurricane Tyra Black / Catherine Parenteau 11-8, 10-12, 11-5. Black and Parenteau stole game two and forced a decider. The building got loud.
Men's doubles: Christian Alshon / Andrei Daescu def. Ben Johns / Gabriel Tardio 11-6, 11-8. Three games, not five.
Mixed doubles: Anna Bright / Hayden Patriquin def. Anna Leigh Waters / Ben Johns 11-9, 11-7. Bright beat her own women's doubles partner a few hours after winning a title with her. Ice cold.

Bright won two titles Sunday — women's doubles with Waters in the afternoon, then she turned around and beat Waters in the mixed doubles final that night. You win a championship with someone, then deny her 200th career title a few hours later. That's not awkward. That's professional. Bright and Patriquin had been pushed to three games in every round before Sunday. It was their second win ever over Waters and Johns, and Bright is now the fourth player in PPA history to hit 40 career titles.

The women's doubles final was the match of the day.Waters and Bright took game one 11-8, then Black and Parenteau stormed back to steal game two 12-10 and force a decider. I watched that rally live. The building got loud in a way that had nothing to do with the wind. Waters and Bright closed it out 11-5 in game three, high-fived at the net like they'd planned it that way. They had not.

Ben Johns had a Sunday to forget. Three finals, three losses. Zero titles. That snaps his streak of 58 straight PPA tournaments with at least one title. For a guy who usually collects trophies like they're participation ribbons, that's a rough day at the office.

The singles finals belonged to the next wave. Kaitlyn Christian beat Kiora Kunimoto for the women's title. Waters wasn't in the final — which surprised me until I remembered she'd already played two doubles finals that day. Sometimes the schedule makes the decision for you.

One thing I noticed from the stands: Waters' paddle had a question mark on it. Not a brand logo, a literal "?". She's been testing an unreleased Franklin prototype since September, and whatever she had in Vegas wasn't the retail model. Worth watching — when the best player in the world is hiding her paddle, something new is coming.

FAQ

How much are tickets to the PPA Las Vegas Open?

Third-party resale listings during event week started around $60 per day, averaging near $69. Buy official tickets through the PPA Tour site when available; weekend sessions (especially Saturday semifinals) sell tighter than weekday sessions.

Where is the PPA Las Vegas Open played?

The Darling Tennis Center (Darling Memorial Tennis Center), 7901 W. Washington Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89128, in west Las Vegas. Championship court hosts the semifinals and finals; outer courts run early-round matches all week.

How can I watch if I can’t go?

Live coverage streams on Pickleballtv starting Thursday, October 1 (Round of 16) at 5pm ET / 2pm PT. Championship Sunday (October 4, 10am–3pm PT) also airs on Tennis Channel from 10am–2pm PT.

What should I bring to a PPA event?

Sun protection is the big one: the Darling Tennis Center is outdoors and the Las Vegas sun is no joke even in October. Bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a refillable water bottle. A portable phone charger helps if you’re taking photos all day.

Is the PPA Las Vegas Open kid-friendly?

Yes. PPA events are family-friendly, with kids commonly in attendance. Bring ear protection for very young children near the stadium court speakers, and plan shade breaks during midday sessions.

Is there food at the venue?

PPA events typically run a vendor village with food and drink plus sponsor booths (paddle brands often have demo areas). Offerings vary by event. Check the PPA Tour event page for this year’s vendor list.

Pro paddle tracker — every pro setup, verified with dates
Paddle science guides — understand what you’re watching (swing weight, foam cores, grit)

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