PHOENIX – USA Pickleball, the National Governing Body for pickleball in the U.S., today unveiled the 2024 schedule and a new format for Golden Ticket tournaments, the only guaranteed path for amateur players to play in the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships, the premier tournament in the sport of pickleball.More information on Pickleball Nationals will be shared in the coming weeks.
UTR Sports is partnering with USA Pickleball and hosting two of the 11 USA Pickleball Golden Ticket tournaments in 2024 as well as launching a new year-round series of USA Pickleball-sanctioned tournaments called the UTR Sports Pickleball Amateur Series.
The UTR Sports Pickleball Amateur Series will cultivate a world-class experience for amateur players and offer value that exceeds registration fees at quality venues across the U.S. For more information on the Pickleball Amateur Series and to see the schedule, click here.
The 11 Golden Ticket events in 2024 will be hosted by USA Pickleball, the Association of Pickleball Players (APP), and UTR Sports. Only at Golden Ticket events will gold medal winners earn a “Golden Ticket” for the exclusive opportunity to pre-register for Pickleball Nationals.
“We are extremely excited to be partnering with USA Pickleball to host these Golden Ticket events as part of new UTR Sports Pickleball Amateur Series," said Mark Leschly, UTR Sports Chairman & CEO. "The Pickleball Amateur Series demonstrates our continued commitment to fostering growth in the sport and we look forward to welcoming all players throughout the year to these great events."
“As we kick off 2024 and continue to enhance the player experience at our events, the USA Pickleball team is thrilled to share the exclusive set of 11 tournaments that will serve as our community’s opportunities to punch their ticket to Pickleball Nationals this year,” said Mike Nealy, USA Pickleball Chief Executive Officer. “It is our highest priority to provide the best tournament experience possible for our amateur players attending these tournaments around the country. I’d like to thank our partners at APP and UTR Sports for working with us so diligently to host a slate of phenomenally organized tournaments and offer our players such quality events in which they can participate.”
Registration for the first four tournaments is now open. Find more details about Golden Ticket events and the 2024 schedule on the USA Pickleball website here.
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About USA Pickleball
USA Pickleball is the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of pickleball in the United States. Its mission is to promote the development and growth of the sport while sanctioning events and providing annual members with premier tournaments, educational opportunities, player rankings, official rules and other exclusive benefits. USA Pickleball is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that is governed and operated by a Board of Directors and a national office staff, who provide the guidance and infrastructure for the continued expansion of the sport.
About UTR Sports
The mission of UTR Sports, formerly Universal Tennis, is to connect and grow the sports of tennis and pickleball with accurate global ratings, innovative events, and a global community centered around level-based play. The UTR Sports Platform is anchored by our patented ratings technology. UTR Sports provides the technology tools and solutions relevant and valuable to players, coaches, and organizers. UTR Sports is creating opportunities and pathways, including the UTR Pro Tennis Tour, for players from all over the world, in all stages of life, to find better matches and unlock a more fun, affordable, and flexible experience.