US Open Pickleball marks 10th anniversary with record amateur turnout

East Naples is once again the center of amateur pickleball, and the 10th anniversary of the US Open Pickleball Championships shows why this event still matters far beyond Championship Court. Nearly 4,000 players of all ages and skill levels are scheduled to compete at East Naples Community Park from April 11 through April 18, and for regular players that scale is the point: the same tournament ecosystem that draws top pros also gives age-group amateurs a place in the bracket, on the sidelines, and in the conversation.

The event has grown into a weeklong magnet for the local game. Official US Open pages say the tournament attracts more than 3,450 athletes from 40 countries and 55,000 spectators, while the site also says the 2025 edition drew more than 55,000 fans and players from all 50 states and 40 countries. That kind of turnout changes the feel of court culture in Naples. Hotels fill, restaurants see the spillover, volunteers flood in, and local players get a front-row look at what a big-time pickleball week looks like when the sport is fully saturated with travel play.

The competitive significance is just as strong. USA Pickleball says the US Open is sanctioned and awards top TPS points, which is why serious amateurs care about more than the spectacle. It is one of the few events where a recreational player, an age-group grinder, and a top pro all live inside the same tournament framework. The official site has leaned into that identity, calling it the “Biggest Pickleball Party in the World” and billing this year as the 10th Anniversary of the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships.

Access is part of the draw, too. Admission is free for pro and amateur matches, while Championship Court uses ticketing because demand is so strong. The official ticket page lists general admission at $10 for Saturday, April 11, $35 from Sunday, April 12 through Wednesday, April 15, $50 on Thursday, April 16, $70 on Friday, April 17, and $85 on Saturday, April 18. New premium bleacher seats are offered with a full-week package priced at $750, while VIP Patron Packages and VIP Gold Boxes are sold out.

The event’s footprint in Collier County runs deeper than one week on the calendar. A 2024 clerk filing shows the county had funded more than $3 million in pickleball facilities since the first agreement and approved another $1.05 million for the 2025 extension, backing the East Naples home that made this annual pileup possible. The US Open also still depends on a large volunteer base, and its referees travel from around the country and Canada. Ten years in, the message is clear: this is not just where pickleball shows off, it is where the amateur side of the sport sees its future laid out in public.