World Pickleball Open Returns to Patch Reef Park for 2026 Amateur Competition

Players International Management brought the 5th annual World Pickleball Open back to Patch Reef Park in Boca Raton on March 14 and 15, with the amateur-only tournament continuing a run that has drawn more than 1,300 competitors over the past three years. Presented by Hospital for Special Surgery Florida, the two-day event filled men's, women's, and mixed doubles divisions across age brackets of 19 and older, 40 and older, and 60 and older.

The round-robin format guaranteed every competitor at least three matches, with games played to either 11 or 15 points. Divisions that reached eight or more teams were split into pools and advanced to a playoff round, while medals were awarded based on total wins. Ties went first to head-to-head results and then to point differential. A certified referee was stationed on-site to field rule questions, though the event carried no sanctioning status.

Saturday's competition covered men's and women's doubles, with mixed doubles filling Sunday's schedule at the park's courts at 2000 Yamato Rd. Players were required to complete a Medical Release Form and Event Registration Form online before arriving and to check in no later than 20 minutes before their first match, showing confirmation emails at the tournament desk. The entry fee structure ran $50 for the base registration plus $20 per event entered, and each competitor received an official tournament T-shirt.

Tournament Director Ivan Baron led a committee that included Tournament Chairman Mark Baron, Director of Player Relations Adam Baron, Chief Referee Keith Lazar, Site Director Morgan Gravlin, Tournament Desk Operations coordinator Elad Yair, and Operations Assistant Jax Kenney. Parking was complimentary, spectator admission was free, and concessions were available for purchase on-site, though no animals were permitted on the grounds.

Alongside the competition, the event ran a Holiday Toy Drive. Attendees were encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the tournament desk, with all donations directed to local children's hospitals.

Players International Management also organizes the YellowTennisBall.com Series, which spans more than 30 state, national, and international USTA and ITF events, as well as the World Pickleball Classic. Ahead of the tournament, organizers had flagged that several divisions were at risk of selling out, a reflection of the consistent demand that has built around the WPO at Patch Reef Park since the event's launch.