India's Pickleball Now Grand Prix expands to 13-city circuit
India’s Pickleball Now Grand Prix is becoming a 13-city pro pipeline, with Rs 50 lakh in prizes and a direct bridge to the Indian Pickleball League.
Times Network’s Pickleball Now Grand Prix is expanding into a 13-city circuit in 2026, with Rs 50 lakh in prize money and a direct route into the Indian Pickleball League. The second edition turns the event from a standalone showcase into a national talent ladder, with Mumbai listed as a stop where winners can earn a place alongside the Mumbai Smashers in the Indian Pickleball League 2026.
That structure matters in a country where scale often decides whether a sport becomes mainstream. A 13-city tour gives players outside India’s biggest metros a visible pathway into higher-level competition, while the broadcaster’s backing gives the circuit the kind of reach that can pull sponsors, local organizers and aspiring players into the same ecosystem. Pickleball Now is being positioned not just as a tournament brand, but as a channel for discovery and promotion.
The new edition also builds on a clear testing ground. Times Network previously staged a Pickleball Now Grand Prix North Edition at The Blue Court in Sector 65, Gurugram, on Nov. 22, and that stop drew more than 200 players with a prize pool of 10 lakh. The jump from that regional event to a 13-city tour with a much larger purse suggests the property has moved beyond proof of concept and into expansion mode.
The league tie-in is the most important business move in the package. By linking Grand Prix results to the Indian Pickleball League, Times Network is giving amateur and semi-professional players a direct step toward turning pro, a model Indian sports fans already understand from city-based leagues in other disciplines. ET Now described the 2026 tournament as a stepping stone for players aiming to establish themselves on the national stage, and that is exactly how this circuit is being framed.
Pickleball Now is also growing as a media asset. Times Network had already announced a global expansion of the brand, with live coverage beginning Dec. 1, 2025, and the Mumbai leg has been linked to Hell Energy as presenting sponsor for Pickleball Now Grand Prix LIVE. For Indian pickleball, the result is a sharper commercial map: more cities, more broadcast inventory and a clearer route from local courts to the country’s top tier.
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