AO Pickleball Slam Returns to Melbourne Park with Team Format and $100K+

Pickleball will take center stage at Melbourne Park when the AO Pickleball Slam returns during the Australian Open, running January 30 to February 1, 2026, at ANZ Arena. The second edition introduces a team format and carries more than USD 100,000 in prize money, capped by a Pickleball Celebrity Smash on February 1 on one of tennis’ biggest stages. That mix of competition and spectacle aims to lift participation and visibility across Australia’s racquet-sport community.

The field blends international and Australian talent. Players named to the event include Ryler DeHeart, Megan Fudge, Phuc Huynh, Sofia Sewing, Joey Wild, Danni-Elle Townsend and George Wall. With teams replacing strictly individual draws, organisers expect more tactical doubles play, fast-paced dinks and lively team dynamics that play well to crowd engagement in a stadium environment.

Tennis Australia framed the Slam as an opportunity to drive momentum for racquet sports participation alongside the AO and to invest in club and player pathways for pickleball. The event will link into AO fan sites and activations in Brisbane and Sydney - AO By the River and AO By the Harbour - which will stage interactive pickleball and POP tennis activities designed for newcomers and club players alike. Those activations make it easy for players to step out of the stands and onto a court for a quick dink or a beginner session.

For local clubs and coaches, the Slam provides both inspiration and practical pathways. The larger prize pool and team format create higher-profile matches to study, while the AO activations create touchpoints for recruiting new members and running community events. Players who watch Ryler DeHeart or Sofia Sewing in a team setting can translate what they see into drills at club nights, particularly around third-shot drops, transition footwork and communication at the kitchen line.

Spectators at Melbourne Park can expect a mix of competitive intensity and showpiece moments when the Celebrity Smash brings crossover athletes, celebrities and high-profile pickleballers onto the ANZ Arena court on February 1. That presentation on a major tennis stage is likely to draw casual AO fans into pickleball for the first time and funnel interest back into local courts.

What this means for readers: if you want to catch high-level pickleball and connect with local participation opportunities, plan to attend the Slam sessions between January 30 and February 1 or visit AO By the River and AO By the Harbour activations in Brisbane and Sydney to try a court session. The event marks another step in turning curiosity about pickleball into regular club play and clearer pathways for aspiring players.