Ignatowich, Dy praise Filipino resilience and footwork at Manila Super Series

James Ignatowich and Mackonner Dy left the SM Pickleball Super Series with a clear verdict on Filipino players: they already possess traits that translate directly to winning pickleball. At SM North EDSA in Quezon City, the American pro and the 16-year-old Canadian standout pointed to resilience, adaptability and footwork as the habits that separate promising players from recreational ones.

That mattered because the pair were not making the comments from a distance. They were in the Philippines for the inaugural leg of the SM Pickleball Superseries 2026 on April 11 and 12, where they took part in a meet-and-greet and an exhibition match, including a showcase alongside Toby’s Sports president Toby Claudio. The setting gave their assessment extra weight: this was a live look at a country trying to turn mall-court enthusiasm into a real competitive ladder.

Dy said Filipino resilience shows up point by point, with effort and persistence helping players win more rallies and move forward faster. Ignatowich, watching the same players on court, said Filipinos move their feet well, play with enthusiasm and chase the ball with the right kind of competitive energy. Those are not abstract compliments. In pickleball, where balance, quick reactions and sustained intensity decide whether a point ends in a weak reset or a clean finish, active footwork is often the difference between staying in a rally and losing it.

The comments also landed against a sharper backdrop than a one-off exhibition. The Philippine Pickleball Federation, recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee in 2024, launched an official national ranking system on January 1, 2026 and followed it with a unified national framework in February to professionalize the sport. The federation said that framework includes a player registry and a career pathway, a sign that the sport is trying to build structure around the talent base it already has.

The infrastructure is moving too. SM Supermalls said it had built 61 pickleball courts across 25 properties by the end of 2025, the kind of footprint that can turn interest into repetition and repetition into results. The federation had also lined up the 1st Philippine Pickleball Amateur Nationals 2026 in Las Piñas, with selected winners set for the EPIC World Amateur Championships in Singapore from April 30 to May 3.

That is the real test of the Filipino edge Ignatowich and Dy identified. Resilience and footwork can make a country dangerous in a single match. Add rankings, courts and sanctioned pathways, and they can start to make the Philippines matter across Asia.