フランクリン USオープンピックルボール選手権2026は、4月11日〜18日にフロリダ州ネイプルズのイーストネイプルズ・コミュニティパークで開催された。この記事では、開催期間中に公表されていた情報をもとに、約4,000人が参加した大会の見どころと、アンドレ・アガシのプロデビューを振り返る。最終結果を網羅した記事ではない点には注意してほしい。
Andre Agassi makes his pro debut: mixed doubles with Waters
Tennis legend Andre Agassi (55) competed in a pro pickleball event for the first time. His partner was world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters. In the first round, they beat the young pairing of 13-year-old Stevie Petropoulos and 16-year-old Tristan Dusseau 11-8, 9-11, 11-7.
In the second round they lost to the pairing of Tran Huynh-McClain and Len Yan 7-11, 11-4, 11-7, but after the match Agassi commented, "I got to feel how fun this sport is." However, he showed a cautious stance on future participation, saying, "I don't intend to become a full-time pro pickleball player. I'm in a different season of life now."
Agassi is chair of Life Time's pickleball and tennis board and has also released his own JOOLA-made signature paddle.直前のPickleball Slam 4he had just faced off against Waters, and this time the picture of fighting as partners became a talking point.
The Waters mother-daughter pair aims for a doubles repeat
The pair of Anna Leigh Waters and her mother Leigh Waters are competing again this year as the defending champions in pro women's doubles. As the only mother-daughter pair in the pro pickleball world, attention is on whether Anna Leigh -- who holds world No. 1 across all three events, singles, doubles, and mixed doubles -- can achieve a "complete sweep."
Indian players shine too: the US Open grows more international
2026年大会ではインドからの参加選手も活躍。IPAツアーを牽引するDhiren Patelが金メダルを獲得し、Naga Mokshaが銅メダルを手にするなど、ピックルボールのグローバル化を象徴する結果となっている。IPA-sanctioned events in Indiaand their track record suggest they are helping raise Asian players' level.
Points of interest for Japanese readers
The US Open is the only large-scale event where "amateurs and pros compete in the same event." Age-based categories are finely set, and anyone can enter by skill level from 3.0 to 5.0+. Traveling participants from Japan are also trending upward year by year, andPPA Tour Asia Hanoi Cupalong with it, it's also positioned as an "international-event debut" when aiming for participation from within Asia.
Tournament overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Tournament Name | Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships 2026 |
| Schedule | April 11-18, 2026 |
| Venues | East Naples Community Park (Florida) |
| Number of participants | About 4,000 people |
| Broadcast | ESPN / CBS Sports |
