What Is the US Open Pickleball Championships?

The US Open is an open entry event, meaning recreational players and touring professionals compete at the same venue in the same week. That mix of amateur and pro draws is what makes the event unusual on the pickleball calendar.

Where and when is it?

The US Open Pickleball Championships takes place every April at East Naples Community Park in Naples, Florida, according to usopenpickleball.com. The park has 59 dedicated pickleball courts, which is part of why the event can run thousands of matches in a single week.

The tournament started in 2016 and marked its tenth anniversary with the 2026 edition, held April 11 to 18. The 2027 event is scheduled for April 17 to 24, 2027, at the same venue.

Amateur age and skill divisions typically fill the early days of the week, while professional draws are concentrated toward the end. The title sponsor has changed more than once over the years, so the event has appeared under more than one name in past seasons. It is the same tournament regardless of the sponsor on the banner.

How big is it really?

Scale is the clearest way to describe this event.

• 2026 players. More than 3,750 competitors entered, traveling from all 50 states and 53 countries, according to usopenpickleball.com.
• 2026 spectators. More than 55,000 people attended the week, per the same source.
• Courts. East Naples Community Park runs the event across 59 courts.
• History. The tournament has run every year since 2016, making 2026 its tenth edition.

For context on the sport overall, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association reported 24.3 million people played pickleball in the United States in 2025, up from 4.2 million in 2020. A single week in Naples is a small slice of that total, but it puts more competitive matches in one location than almost any other tournament on the calendar. Readers comparing scale across events can see how other tournaments stack up in the guide to the biggest pickleball tournaments in the US.

Who can enter?

Anyone can enter the amateur divisions. As of the 2026 event, usopenpickleball.com states the tournament welcomes all players, with no qualifying events required.

Divisions are set by two things: age and skill rating. A team’s age division is based on the youngest player, and its skill division is based on the highest rated player, using DUPR ratings, according to usopenpickleball.com. That structure lets a mixed doubles team of different ages and skill levels enter one division built around their strongest, youngest combination.

Because demand outstrips available courts, entries are assigned through a lottery rather than first come, first served. For 2026, the general registration lottery ran January 14 to 20, with winners notified January 28, 2026. Entry costs stack in layers. That year, a credential cost $150 for adult amateur, pro, champions and masters players, and $35 for juniors, plus per event fees of $45 for amateur doubles, $50 for amateur singles, and $135 per event for pro players. Optional weather insurance added $25.

Professional divisions run as a separate draw with their own qualification path. First timers can review the mechanics of registering and finding a partner in the guide to signing up for a pickleball tournament. Players closer to the senior brackets can also check the guide to senior pickleball tournaments for age specific options beyond the Open.

What should you expect if you play it?

Expect long days and real waiting. Big draws run on a schedule that slips, and a division starting at 8 a.m. can still have a third match at 4 p.m.

Bring more than the basics. April in Naples runs warm, and shade is limited once the stands fill in, so pack shade, food, extra fluids and a change of shirt.

Expect a level bump too. A tournament division tends to play tighter than the same skill rating does in open play, since every entrant has trained specifically for the event.

Spectating costs less than most visitors expect. Grounds admission is free and covers matches across all 59 courts, according to usopenpickleball.com. A daily parking fee applies. Seats on the main championship court are ticketed separately, ranging from $10 on the opening Saturday up to $85 for the 2026 closing weekend. A full week premium bleacher package, including guaranteed front row seating, cost $750 in 2026.

Where do you stay?

Naples books out during tournament week, and room rates climb well ahead of the event. Reserving months in advance is standard practice rather than overcaution.

The guide to hotels near pro pickleball tournaments covers general booking strategy, and the piece on Naples as a pickleball destination covers what else the area offers, since courts and clinics exist well beyond the tournament complex itself.

Is it worth going?

For a player who wants a large scale tournament experience, this event delivers one: more competitors, more courts, and more waiting between matches.

For a spectator, free grounds admission next to 59 courts of competitive play, with separately ticketed access to the top matches, is hard to match anywhere else on the annual calendar.

Anyone who wants more matches and less standing around, for a lower total cost, will get that from a regional event instead. Neither approach is wrong. They serve different goals.

Frequently asked questions

When is the US Open Pickleball Championships? It runs every April at East Naples Community Park in Naples, Florida. The 2027 dates are April 17 to 24, 2027, according to usopenpickleball.com.

Do you have to qualify to enter? No, not for amateur divisions. Entry is open to any player as of the 2026 event, though a lottery decides who gets a spot because demand exceeds available courts.

How much does it cost to enter? As of the 2026 event, credentials cost $150 for adult amateur, pro, champions and masters players, plus per event fees of $45 to $50 for amateur doubles and singles. Travel and lodging typically cost more than the entry itself.

Is it the same as the USA Pickleball National Championships? No. USA Pickleball runs a separate national championship event later in the year. The US Open is independently organized and uses DUPR ratings for its skill divisions.

Can you watch for free? Yes, as of the 2026 event. Grounds admission covering all 59 courts is free, though a parking fee applies and seats on the main championship court are ticketed separately.

What divisions are offered? Age brackets and DUPR skill levels across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, plus separate professional draws.

Is open entry the same as open play? No. Open entry means anyone can register for a tournament division without a qualifying result. Open play is a different, informal format, explained in the guide to open play in pickleball.

Where can other tournaments be found? The guide to finding pickleball tournaments in 2026 covers calendars and registration platforms for events of every size.

The US Open works equally well as a bucket list tournament and as a spectating trip, and events like it are listed in the Pickler Junction pickleball tournaments and events directory.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.