DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating), at the tournament held in Naples, Florida, from March 5, 2026,2026 Franklin US Open Pickleball Championshipswill officially launch a rating system dedicated to the wheelchair division. At the US Open marking its 10th anniversary, one of the world's largest pickleball rating bodies formally enters the adaptive division.
Until now, wheelchair players had continued to be evaluated within the same rating framework as standing players, or to enter tournaments without an independent evaluation standard. With the introduction of a dedicated rating system, the competitiveness of the wheelchair division will be made visible with the same precision as the standing division.
What is the "wheelchair-only DUPR" introduced at the 2026 US Open?
The new system is operated in a form integrated into DUPR's existing platform. Its feature is that wheelchair players around the world are evaluated individually within the same ecosystem as standing players.
Applying DUPR's basic calculation logic to the wheelchair division as well
DUPR is a rating metric developed in 2021 by Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn, using an improved Elo algorithm. It is calculated targeting the most recent 30 singles matches and 60 doubles matches, factoring in score, match type, and the recency of the match. The same calculation logic is expected to be applied to the wheelchair division too.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Introducing tournament | 2026 Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships |
| Location | Naples, Florida, USA |
| Timing | Opening March 5, 2026 |
| Operator | DUPR / Pickle4 / US Open Pickleball Championships |
| Rating range | 2.000-8.000 (same scale as the standing division) |
| Calculation method | Improved Elo algorithm (most recent 30-60 matches) |
Improved precision of seeding and progress tracking
In its official statement, DUPR cites four purposes for the wheelchair-only rating: "improving competitive fairness," "expanding inclusivity for adaptive athletes," "more accurate tournament seeding," and "improving player progress tracking." Until now, at wheelchair-division tournaments, players' skill distribution was hard to grasp in advance, and draw creation relied on rules of thumb.
- Wheelchair players worldwide can be compared on the same scale
- Tournament organizers can use an objective metric when designing draws
- Players themselves can chart the same "out of 8.000" career path as standing players
- It becomes a basis for judgment when sponsors evaluate pro players
The professionalization of the adaptive division seen in stakeholders' remarks
On the occasion of the announcement, DUPR, tournament organizers, and players each offered comments. What's common is the recognition that it's a turning point where the wheelchair division shifts from a "supplementary exhibition" to a "formal competition."
The view of DUPR CEO Tito Machado
DUPR CEO Tito Machado said, "Inclusion is at the heart of pickleball's growth. This rating system is an important step reflecting the diversity of the sport." The significance of incorporating the wheelchair division into DUPR's touted brand of "the world's most accurate pickleball rating" is large.
Comments from organizers and advocates
Ben Weinberger, chairman of Pickle4 and the US Open Pickleball Championships, welcomed it, saying, "This is exactly the progress pickleball needs." Ryan Anthony, known as an advocate for wheelchair pickleball, also commented, "With a rating system that properly recognizes our own skill level, we can face competition with confidence."
The scale of wheelchair pickleball in the U.S.
In the U.S., wheelchair pickleball is rapidly being institutionalized. USA Pickleball adopted the wheelchair division as an official competition for the first time at the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships. It has further announced that it will hold the "USA Pickleball Wheelchair National Championships" for the first time in Colorado Springs on June 19-21, 2026.
| Tournaments | Timing | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Biofreeze USA Pickleball Nationals | 2024 | Introducing the wheelchair division as an official competition for the first time |
| 2026 Franklin US Open | March 2026 | First operation of DUPR's wheelchair-only rating |
| USA Pickleball Wheelchair Nationals | June 2026 (Colorado Springs) | Holding the wheelchair-only national championship for the first time |
The number of players and the movements of support organizations
The U.S. nonprofit Adaptive Pickleball has stated that in 2025 alone it provided programs to more than 1,155 players with disabilities. USA Pickleball formally incorporated extended rules for the wheelchair division and the standing adaptive division into its 2026 rulebook. Integration of rules for the Special Olympics is also advancing, and three layers—competitive bodies, support organizations, and rating bodies—are being developed at the same time.
Japan's domestic wheelchair pickleball environment is still in development
In Japan, in April 2026 the JPA (Japan Pickleball Association) and the PJF (Pickleball Japan Federation) merged and "Pickleball Japan (PJ)" was founded. With the domestic governing body unified, the clarification of criteria for dispatching players to international tournaments is advancing. On the other hand, competition rules, tournaments, and ratings specialized in the wheelchair division have not yet advanced in official development at present.
- For wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball, the Japanese Para-Sports Association has developed systems over many years
- For pickleball, expanding the competitive population of the standing division comes first
- The introduction of DUPR's wheelchair rating in the U.S. may accelerate the discussion within Japan
- Partnership with para-sports organizations, local governments, and disabled-sports centers is a future point of discussion
Pickleball has a court area about a third that of tennis and is said to suit wheelchair movement lines as well. In Japan too, if a flow arises where wheelchair tennis players and coaches enter pickleball, the development of the competitive foundation could advance all at once. Details need to be followed together withPickleball Japan, founded through the merger of the JPA and PJFand its developments.
The ripple effect the 2026 US Open has on the adaptive division
The US Open is recognized as pickleball's "one of the world's largest open tournaments," and introducing wheelchair ratings on its 10th anniversary is symbolic.The 2026 Franklin US Open's 10th-anniversary planhas previewed expansion of the wheelchair-division draw and promotion.
Impact on pro leagues and sponsors
DUPR is also used as a draft metric for major pro leagues such as the MLP and PPA. With the same metric getting underway in the wheelchair division too, discussion of the AFPL and MLP newly establishing adaptive slots takes on reality.The AFPL Season 3 draftGiven the flow of it operating with a structure of over 130 applicants, expanding the rating base affects draft design as well.
Connection with the junior and youth tiers
The movement of USA Pickleball partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs and advancing outreach to a youth tier of 5,500 U.S. locations and 4 million people a year may also connect with the adaptive division.The partnership between USA Pickleball and the Boys & Girls Clubsif wheelchair clinics are built into large-scale infrastructure like it, developing adaptive players from a young age advances.
Summary: the "same arena" that rating integration brings
DUPR's wheelchair-only rating system is not a mere addition of a new metric. It means that, for the first time in pickleball history, a mechanism is being put in place where standing players and wheelchair players around the world are evaluated "individually and accurately" on the same platform.
2026, with wheelchair ratings getting underway at the March US Open and the USA Pickleball Wheelchair Nationals held in June, becomes a branch point for the adaptive division. In Japan too, against the backdrop of the governing body's unification, how to design the approach to the wheelchair division is beginning to be questioned.
Sources: The Dink Pickleball – DUPR Launching Dedicated Wheelchair Pickleball Rating System at 2026 US Open
