DUPR partners with Asia Pickleball TV to expand regional rankings

A single rating system is moving closer to becoming the common language of pickleball across Asia. DUPR’s partnership with Asia Pickleball TV, announced on May 29, gave the regional media platform an official benchmark for rankings coverage, player storytelling and campaign content, a shift that could make it easier for athletes, clubs and tournament organizers to compare results across borders and track a player’s rise from local events to bigger stages.

Under the agreement, Asia Pickleball TV will exclusively use and promote DUPR as its official rating system across ranking-related content and campaigns. The partnership includes regional player rankings, country-by-country highlights, localized social media and content campaigns, and strategic media collaborations, with an initial focus on Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and beyond. That matters because the sport’s expansion in Asia has been outpacing the systems that help fans, sponsors and organizers judge who has actually separated from the pack. With one widely recognized rating framework tied to media coverage, the pathway from club play to regional relevance becomes more visible.

The deal also extends a broader institutional push by DUPR in Asia. In July 2025, the Global Pickleball Federation named DUPR its official rating system, saying it wanted a unified framework for fair and consistent competition across its continental federations, including the Asia Pickleball Association. DUPR then opened its first Asia headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on April 29, 2026, putting more of its operational base inside one of the region’s fastest-growing markets. DUPR says it now works with more than 12,000 clubs worldwide, operates in 183 countries and has logged over 10 million matches, scale that gives the Asian partnership real weight rather than symbolic value.

Vietnam has already provided a preview of what that infrastructure can do. DUPR identified Facolos Champion 2025, held on January 19, 2025, as the country’s first large-scale tournament with all results submitted to DUPR, and the event drew more than 300 players across multiple categories. That kind of standardized reporting is exactly what a regional media partner can amplify. For players, it means clearer rankings and stronger visibility. For clubs, it means a more credible way to measure development. For tournament organizers, it offers a route to place their events inside a regional story that now stretches from New Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City, and from Malaysia and Singapore to Japan, Korea and Hong Kong.