PPA Hong Kong Slam 2026: Everything You Need to Know About the Biggest Pickleball Tournament in Asian History
Professional pickleball has officially gone global in a serious way. The 2026 Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam, taking place October 19–25 at Kai Tak Arena, is not just another stop on the international tour. It’s a genuine milestone — the first-ever PPA Tour Asia 1500 event, and the richest professional pickleball tournament ever held on Asian soil. With over $1.1 million in prize money and 1,500 ranking points on the line for champions, the stakes are higher than anything this part of the world has seen in the sport before.
Almost every major name in professional pickleball has made the trip to Hong Kong. The field is deep, the storylines are compelling, and the early rounds have already delivered some surprises. Here’s a full breakdown of what’s happening, what to watch for, and why this tournament matters beyond just the results on the court.
What Is the PPA Tour Asia and Why Does This Tournament Matter?
If you’re newer to following professional pickleball, here’s some context that will help you appreciate how significant this event actually is. The PPA Tour — which stands for Professional Pickleball Association — is one of the top professional pickleball circuits in the United States and has been aggressively expanding internationally. The PPA Tour Asia is the international arm of that circuit, bringing elite-level competition to countries across Asia and the Pacific.
A 1500 event is the highest tier on the PPA Tour Asia calendar. The number refers to the ranking points available to winners. At most tournaments, champions earn somewhere between 500 and 1,000 points. Getting 1,500 points means this is effectively a major — a tournament that can significantly reshape the rankings and carry enormous prestige. The fact that Hong Kong is hosting this level of event for the first time is a big deal, both for the sport’s growth and for the region’s place in the global pickleball conversation.
Kai Tak Arena, the venue hosting the event, is a world-class facility. The tournament runs as the season finale for the PPA Tour Asia 2026 season, meaning players are coming in with everything to play for. That kind of pressure almost always produces memorable pickleball.
The Four Biggest Storylines Heading Into the Weekend
1. History Being Made in Hong Kong
It’s worth letting this sink in: this is the biggest professional pickleball tournament ever held in Asia. Not just on the PPA Tour Asia circuit, but in the entire history of the sport on this continent. The prize pool rivals some of the larger events held in the United States, and the field assembled in Hong Kong reflects that. This is what pickleball’s global expansion looks like in practice — not just exhibition matches or grassroots events, but elite professional competition with real money, real points, and real stakes. The fact that this is happening in Hong Kong in 2026 would have seemed almost unthinkable just five years ago.
2. Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters Are Back in Asia
The two most recognizable names in professional pickleball are both in the draw. Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters are returning to Asia for the first time since April’s Hanoi Cup, where each of them won two gold medals. In Hong Kong, Johns is partnered with Gabriel Tardio in men’s doubles, Waters is alongside Anna Bright in women’s doubles, and the two of them team up together in mixed doubles. All three of those pairings enter as the number one seeds in their respective draws.
The question isn’t whether they’re the best teams on paper — they clearly are. The question is whether the field in Hong Kong is deep enough to challenge them. Based on the draw, the answer appears to be yes, especially in mixed doubles where the Johnson siblings have already proven they can beat Johns and Waters this season.
3. Kaitlyn Christian Chasing a Historic Three-Peat
Kaitlyn Christian has played in two PPA Tour Asia singles events in 2026 and won both of them. She captured gold in Hanoi and then again in Kuala Lumpur. Now she enters the Hong Kong Slam as the top seed, looking to become the first player to win three consecutive Asian singles titles in a single season on this circuit. That’s a remarkable run of consistency on the international stage, and it speaks to Christian’s ability to perform at a high level outside the United States market where competition is increasingly strong.
The threat to that three-peat comes primarily from fifth-seeded Judit Castillo, who already defeated Christian in the semifinals of the Australia Pickleball Cup just last week. A potential quarterfinal rematch between the two would be one of the most compelling matches of the entire tournament.
4. The Johns Brothers Could Meet in Men’s Doubles
Ben and Collin Johns are both in the men’s doubles draw, but on opposite sides of the bracket. Ben is paired with Gabriel Tardio as the top seed. Collin is teamed with Len Yang as the eighth seed. If both teams advance through their respective early-round matchups, they could find themselves facing each other in the quarterfinals. A Johns Brothers showdown at a major international event is the kind of matchup that draws casual fans into the sport, and given the size of this tournament, it would be a genuinely significant moment if it happens.
Early Results and Upsets Worth Knowing About
The tournament is only entering the Round of 16 at time of writing, but several results from the early rounds are already shaping how the rest of the draw will play out.
Australian Joey Wild delivered one of the more surprising results of the early rounds, defeating Will MacKinnon 13-11, 7-11, 11-8 in the men’s singles Round of 64. MacKinnon is a well-known name on the professional circuit, and Wild had to grind through a three-game match to get past him. It’s the kind of early upset that suggests the international field has real depth beyond the American stars who top the seedings.
Perhaps the more notable result was Eric Oncins eliminating JW Johnson in the men’s singles Round of 32. Oncins won convincingly, 11-5, 11-7, and now faces second-seeded Federico Staksrud in the Round of 16. Johnson is one of the most talented players in the sport and a legitimate threat in any draw he enters. Getting knocked out this early is a genuine surprise and opens up the bottom half of the men’s singles bracket considerably.
Christopher Haworth also impressed in his early action, defeating Zane Navratil 11-3, 12-10. Haworth enters as the top seed in men’s singles and appears to be playing with real confidence in his international debut on the PPA Tour Asia circuit.
On the local side, Hong Kit Wong — a Hong Kong native who won last year’s Hong Kong Open singles title — defeated his own men’s doubles partner Eunggwon Kim 11-5, 11-5, which sets up a potentially fascinating quarterfinal run for the home crowd’s favorite. Nok Yiu Tang also advanced to the Round of 16, giving Hong Kong representation deep in the women’s singles draw as well.
Draw-by-Draw Breakdown and Predictions
Women’s Singles
Kaitlyn Christian enters as the clear favorite and the top seed, but this draw has several legitimate challengers who could make things very interesting by the time the semifinals arrive. Third-seeded Sahra Dennehy has been on a strong run internationally, reaching three semifinals at the Kuala Lumpur Cup. Fourth-seeded Kiora Kunimoto continues to establish herself as one of the sport’s best young singles players and could be a real problem for Christian if they meet in the semifinals.
The most intriguing scenario would be a Kaitlyn Christian versus Judit Castillo quarterfinal rematch. Castillo already proved she could beat Christian on the big stage just last week in Australia. Whether she can replicate that result in Hong Kong is one of the key questions of this entire tournament.
Predicted finalists: Kaitlyn Christian defeats Sahra Dennehy for gold.
Men’s Singles
Christopher Haworth is the top seed and has already looked sharp in the early rounds. His path through the draw is competitive but manageable if he’s playing at his best level. Federico Staksrud enters as the second seed but faces a tricky Round of 16 matchup against Eric Oncins, who is riding momentum after eliminating JW Johnson. If Staksrud gets through that, Hong Kit Wong could be waiting in the quarterfinals — a player who took Staksrud to three games in a recent meeting and has the energy of a home crowd behind him.
Hunter Johnson and Christian Alshon round out the predicted semifinal field, with Haworth and Staksrud meeting in a gold medal match that would be compelling regardless of how the rest of the bracket plays out.
Predicted finalists: Christopher Haworth defeats Federico Staksrud for gold.
Mixed Doubles
Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters are the top seeds and the default favorites. But the Johnson siblings — JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson — are seeded third and enter with serious momentum after defeating Johns and Waters in the mixed doubles semifinals at the Veolia Pickleball National Championships earlier this season. That result proved this pairing is capable of beating the very best when they’re playing well.
The predicted semifinal also features Christian Alshon and Parris Todd as the four seed, and Anna Bright paired with Hayden Patriquin as the two seed. Bright, who is also competing in women’s doubles alongside Waters, is one of the best players in the sport in any format she plays.
Predicted finalists: Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters defeat Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin for gold.
Women’s Doubles
Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright enter as the top seeds with an astonishing statistic behind them — they have been undefeated together for over 400 days. That run of dominance in women’s doubles is almost unprecedented in the sport at this level. Whether anyone in Hong Kong can end that streak is the central question of this draw.
Parris Todd and Rachel Rohrabacher are seeded third and making their Asian debut, which adds an interesting element of uncertainty. Jorja Johnson and Tyra Hurricane Black enter as the two seed and represent probably the most realistic threat to the top seeds based on recent form.
Predicted finalists: Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright defeat Jorja Johnson and Tyra Hurricane Black for gold.
Men’s Doubles
Ben Johns and Gabriel Tardio are the top seeds and enter as the favorites, but the men’s doubles draw has genuine depth. The potential Johns Brothers quarterfinal between Ben and Collin adds a family drama subplot that makes this draw particularly fun to follow. JW Johnson and Tama Shimabukuro are seeded fourth and come in on the back of a silver medal finish at the Australian Pickleball Cup, showing real chemistry as a team. Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin are the two seed and have been one of the more consistent pairings on the tour in recent months.
Also worth keeping an eye on: Dylan Frazier and Connor Garnett at the six seed, and Noe Khlif and Eric Oncins at five, the latter riding high after his upset of JW Johnson in singles.
Predicted finalists: Ben Johns and Gabriel Tardio defeat Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin for gold.
How to Watch the Hong Kong Slam
All coverage streams live on the PPA Tour Asia YouTube channel, which is free to watch. Given the time difference between Hong Kong and the United States, the schedule runs overnight for American viewers.
All times listed are Eastern:
- Round of 16: 9pm Wednesday through 7am Thursday
- Quarterfinals: 9pm Thursday through 7am Friday
- Semifinals: 9pm Friday through 7am Saturday
- Championship Sunday: 1am Saturday through 6am Saturday
For brackets, draws, and live results, the official Hong Kong Slam tournament page on the PPA Tour Asia website has everything you need.
The Bigger Picture
What’s happening in Hong Kong this week is about more than just rankings and prize money, as significant as those things are. Pickleball’s growth outside the United States has been one of the most underreported stories in sports over the past few years. The presence of a 1500-level event in Asia, with a prize pool that competes with some of the biggest events on the domestic tour, tells you something real about where the sport is heading.
Local players like Hong Kit Wong and Nok Yiu Tang advancing deep into the draws isn’t just a feel-good subplot — it reflects genuine development of the sport in the region. The American professionals who dominate the global rankings are facing legitimate competition from players who didn’t grow up in the American pickleball system, and that competition is only going to get stronger as the sport continues to grow internationally.
The Hong Kong Slam is a snapshot of what professional pickleball looks like in 2026 — genuinely global, deeply competitive, and growing fast in places that barely had courts a few years ago. Whether you’re following Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters or rooting for a local upset, there’s plenty of reason to set an alarm and catch as much of this tournament as you can.
