PPA Tour Asia adds Beijing, Shenzhen stops to 2026 China schedule

China now has four PPA Tour Asia stops, and the additions of Beijing and Shenzhen make the mainland look less like a waypoint and more like a core market. The Beijing Open is scheduled for June 17-21 at the National Tennis Center, while the Shenzhen Open follows Aug. 20-23 at the Shenzhen Bao’an Sports Center Gymnasium.

Both dates sit on the PPA Asia 500 level, and Shenzhen is set to offer US$70,000 in prize money plus 500 PPA ranking points. That is the clearest sign yet that the tour sees Chinese cities not only as useful hosts, but as places where the sport can attract serious money, ranking pressure and repeat business.

The broader 2026 calendar puts that expansion in context. PPA Tour Asia now lists 12 events across the region, beginning with the MB Hanoi Cup in early April and then moving to Kuala Lumpur in mid-May, Macau later in May, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam again and back to China before the season ends with the Hong Kong Slam from Oct. 19-25. For players, that means more chances to earn points close to home. For the tour, it means a cleaner path to building a true continental circuit rather than a scattered series of showcase stops.

The China push also fits the strategy PPA Tour Asia laid out when it launched alongside Major League Pickleball Asia in November 2024, with China, Vietnam, Japan and Singapore identified as priority markets and Kimberly Koh named managing director of UPA Asia. The tour said its mission was to expand pickleball across Asia through elite events, training and professional pathways, and its 2025 launch already centered China with a China Slam during Golden Week and a three-tier structure built around Slam, Cup and Open events.

Andre Agassi’s latest move adds another layer to the race. Agassi Sports Entertainment announced plans in February 2026 to launch the World Series of Pickleball in Las Vegas after acquiring the trademark in June 2025, underscoring how the sport’s next growth chapter is being shaped by global branding as much as by courtside competition. Beijing and Shenzhen now give China a larger share of that future, and they position the mainland as one of the places where pickleball’s center of gravity could shift next.