The PPA Tour, the top professional tour out of the United States, held its first European event, the “PPA Italy P125 Portorož,” in Portorož, Slovenia (Portorož Sport Center) from July 23 to 26, 2026. Staged at a resort across the Adriatic from Venice, it is the opening event of PPA's newly created Italian series (PPA Italy). That same weekend, PPA and APP events were also running in Singapore and Malaysia, marking the moment a professional product perfected in North America extended its map to Europe after Asia. For players and organizers in Japan, the order in which the world circuit is arriving, and how far it has come, is not something to ignore when deciding how to get involved.
Hungarian, Spanish, English and German players took the first Portorož event
According to Forbes' weekend roundup, in singles Hungary's Balint Bako beat Spain's Josep “Pep” Canyadell for the men's title, while Sabrina Mendez Dominguez stood on top in the women's. In doubles, the men's went to England's Louis Laville with Germany's Tom Protzek, and the women's to Britain's Claudia Caimel Romero and Katie Morris. Katie Morris and Ben Cawston took the mixed doubles, giving Morris two titles.
That the names fill in from Hungary, Spain, England, Germany and Britain tells you the character of this event. Rather than flying in famous American players to import the marquee name alone, PPA built a stage where local players from the host region take the lead. Create an entrance to the pro ranks region by region and root the business on that area's playing population. For reading how this extends to Asia and Japan, this shape of local players winning the first event is instructive.
The 125 in the name marks Europe as still an entry point
This was a starter event awarding 125 points to the winner, roughly one-eighth the value of a regular PPA event. On top of Portorož, PPA Italy plans 125 to 250 class events this season in Brescia, Italy and elsewhere, tilling the market from small-point events first.
一方、同じ週末にシンガポールで開かれていたのは「PPA Asia 500 Leapmotor Singapore Open」で、賞金は7万米ドル（1米ドル≒155円換算で約1,085万円）、ランキングは500ポイント級。マレーシアではペナン・オープンも走っていた。つまり同時刻に地球の反対側で回っていた大会は、点数でも賞金規模でもアジアの方が一段上だった。PPAの世界地図では、アジアはすでに500クラスの巡回段階、欧州は125の入り口段階という「世代差」が生まれている。
| Region | Event (weekend of July 26, 2026) | Rank | Scale | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (new) | PPA Italy P125 Portorož | 125 points | Starter event (about 1/8 of a regular one) | Portorož, Slovenia |
| Asia | PPA Asia 500 Singapore Open | 500 points | 賞金7万米ドル（約1,085万円） | Singapore |
| Asia | Penang Open | — | Regional APP event | Penang, Malaysia |
North America to Asia to Europe: Japan is already on the circuit
PPA's overseas expansion has gone in this order: perfect the business model in North America, move into Asia in earnest in 2026 (PPA Tour Asia), then launch Europe (PPA Italy). What matters directly to readers in Japan is that Japan is already built into PPA Tour Asia's 2026 calendar. Alongside the Hanoi Cup, the Kuala Lumpur Open and the Macau Open, a plan covering China, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong has been announced.
Given that map, there is little need for a player in Japan to travel to Europe for ranking points or prize money. With a 500-class stage already inside Asia, the environment for climbing the steps toward the pro ranks close to home is coming together. Asia has already passed, at a higher point level, the stage Europe just stepped through at Portorož, where local players win the first event. Japan's opportunity sits nearer than Europe both geographically and in points. This site previously covered the rise of Southeast Asian hubs inSingapore builds 10 courts in a residential area and becomes a Southeast Asian hub, and these simultaneous tour events show that flow taking concrete shape on the professional side as well.
The opening for organizers is whether a region can bring in a leg of a global tour
This first European event is worth examining from the organizer and sponsor side as well, not only the player's. Portorož used an existing sports center in a resort town and started from a small 125-point event. Rather than aiming straight for a major, it combined a resort town, existing facilities and local players to land the title of “a leg of the world tour” in the region, and that approach transplants easily to regional Japan, where facilities and visitor-drawing assets exist.
In Asia, in fact, Da Nang in Vietnam has been selected asthe host of the 2026 Pickleball World Cup, where 4,000 players from 80 countries will gather, and competition among cities to host has begun. In Europe, the listed company VVV Sports hasacquired TOPSERIES, the Europe, Middle East and Africa circuit, and the business itself is becoming an investment target. PPA Italy's 125 start is the orthodox entrance of tilling a region with small-point events first, and it makes a realistic template for tourist destinations and commercial facilities in Japan considering a bid for a pro tour.
Players prioritize Asia 500s; venues start bidding at the 125 to 250 level
- Player: Lock in PPA Tour Asia's Japan and Southeast Asia dates before planning a European trip. At the 500 level, points and prize money per event far outstrip Europe's 125s.
- Coaches and academies: A local player winning the first European event is proof that a pathway from the regional level to the pro ranks works. Domestic development programs have room to build earning points on the Asian swing into their goals.
- Venues, local governments and sponsors: Start by looking at bidding for a 125 or 250 event. Existing hot-spring towns, resorts and large commercial complexes fit the Portoroz model well: a holiday destination, an existing facility and a local player.
