PPA Tour Asia Reschedules Kuala Lumpur Open, Sets US$50,000 Prize Purse

PPA Tour Asia has adjusted the schedule for the Kuala Lumpur Open and opened registration for the May stop, which carries a US$50,000 professional prize purse and sits second on a ten-event regional calendar that builds toward a US$1.1 million finale in Hong Kong.

The Kuala Lumpur Open runs May 13-17, slotting into a crowded mid-year stretch that sees the tour return to Southeast Asia twice in the same month: the Macao Open follows two weeks later, May 27-31, with a US$70,000 purse. Registration is now open for the Kuala Lumpur stop, though specific window dates and venue details have not yet been confirmed publicly.

Within the PPA Tour Asia prize structure, the Kuala Lumpur Open's US$50,000 purse sits at the lower end of the calendar. The MB Hanoi Cup, which opened the season April 1-5, offered US$300,000, and the Kuala Lumpur Cup in September carries the same figure. The Hong Kong Slam, scheduled for October 19-25, will offer up to US$1,100,000, making it the largest professional pickleball purse ever staged in Asia.

Kimberly Koh, Managing Director of UPA Asia, framed the full calendar as evidence of structural growth rather than a single marquee event. "The 2026 calendar reflects the incredible growth of professional pickleball across Asia. We're expanding into new cities and bringing the PPA experience to more players, both Pros and Amateurs, across the region," Koh said. "With the Hong Kong Slam set to bring together the sport's top stars, passionate fans, and world-class entertainment, it's the perfect finale to what promises to be a landmark year for the sport."

That growth extends beyond Asia. On February 24, Carvana PPA Tour CEO Connor Pardoe announced a 2026-2027 global schedule that includes more than 25 international events spanning PPA Asia, Australia, Canada, and Italy. PPA Australia will stage a record-setting Australian Pickleball Open with a US$500,000 prize pool, and PPA Canada and PPA Italy will host PPA 125 and PPA 250 events in Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, Portoroz, and Brescia. Pardoe described the PPA Asia leg specifically as offering "the most ranking points up for grabs for pros in its history."

"The 2026-2027 season will provide unbelievable excitement as we continue to build on the legacy and prestige of mainstay tournaments such as the Pickleball World Championships and the PPA Finals, while adding incredible new U.S. tour stops in Chicago and Malibu, plus running our most robust international schedule yet," Pardoe said.

The full PPA Tour Asia calendar runs from the MB Hanoi Cup in April through the Hong Kong Slam on October 25, with stops in Tokyo, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and two China Opens filling the summer months. At US$50,000, the Kuala Lumpur Open may not be the richest stop on the circuit, but for professionals chasing ranking points toward Hong Kong, it is a stop they cannot afford to skip.