India shines at US Open Pickleball, wins men’s doubles gold in Naples

India did more than collect medals in Naples. At the 10th US Open Pickleball Championships, Arjun Singh and Aditya Singh’s men’s doubles gold, along with Panth Thakkar and Atharva Sheth’s silver, gave the country a breakout on one of the sport’s biggest American stages.

The scale mattered as much as the results. The 2026 US Open ran April 11-18 in Naples, Florida, drew close to 4,000 players of all ages and skill levels, and carried the top TPS points because it is sanctioned by USA Pickleball. For India, the trip carried extra weight because it was the country’s first appearance under the Indian Pickleball Association’s affiliation, with players entering through a landmark IPA-US Open partnership rather than the tournament’s usual lottery route.

Arjun and Aditya delivered the result that defined the week. After dropping the opening game 9-11 against J Meode and W Lin, the Indian pair flipped the final with an 11-2 second game and closed it out 11-7 to claim Men’s Doubles 5.0 gold. The comeback showed composure under pressure and the ability to take control once the pace and execution tightened.

India’s depth showed up elsewhere in the draw. Panth Thakkar and Atharva Sheth reached the Men’s Doubles 4.5 final before falling 8-11, 9-11 to Caian Appel and Michael Van Dusen. Arjun Singh also won Men’s Singles 5.0 gold, while Dhiren Patel added another title in the 40+ Pro Men’s Singles division. By the end of the event, India’s medal tally had reached six, with four golds, one silver and one bronze.

That is the sort of overseas finish that can change the conversation back home. The Indian Pickleball Association, which had recently been granted national federation status by the Sports Ministry, brought a squad built around national champions and rising names, and the Naples results gave the project immediate credibility. For sponsors, it is proof that Indian players can win on a major international stage. For academies, it strengthens the case for investment. For juniors, it turns belief into something visible and concrete.

IPA president Suryaveer Singh Bhullar has already pointed to further international tests in Singapore and Vietnam later in 2026. If Naples was the first major proof point, those stops now carry a different meaning: India is not just traveling to Asia’s next wave of events, it is arriving with title ambition.