World’s Largest-Ever Indoor Pickleball Event Brings Record Numbers to England
Pickleball England and Association of Pickleball Players Team Up for History at 2026 Proflex English Open Powered by The APP
The 2026 Proflex English Open Powered by the APP made pickleball history by hosting the world’s largest-ever indoor pickleball event, welcoming more than 3,500 players. The landmark event in Birmingham, England delivered six memorable days of nonstop international pickleball, attracting nearly 10,000 live attendees to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, England.
Held Aug. 11-16, the record field brought together players from 56 countries who competed in a remarkable 7,987 total matches. More than 120 different brackets were played, culminating in 596 medals awarded to top finishers. Live coverage from the event generated more than 160,000 YouTube livestream viewers on Pickleball England and the APP’s channels.
“The remarkable scale and success of the 2026 Proflex English Open powered by the APP showcased strength of the global demand for pickleball and the significant opportunity ahead for the APP,” said Ken Herrmann, founder of the APP. “With a record field on display to the world, the tournament brought together amateur and professional players, attracted a worldwide audience and created meaningful value for our proud partners at Pickleball England. Birmingham was powerful evidence that our global strategy is translating into sustained growth and an increasingly compelling sports and entertainment proposition.”
The world’s top pickleball pros from the APP Tour, the official tour of pickleball, plus elite international stars rounded out the podium at the pro level. Jack Munro, Richard Livornese, Jr., Roos Van Reek, Shelby Bates and Domenika Turkovic, plus Ignasi de Rueda out of Spain all brought home gold medals from their trip to England.
APP’s Affiliated International Events Continue to Grow
In late 2025, the APP and several other international pickleball entities formed the Global Pickleball Alliance (GPA), with the goal of uniting pickleball players across the globe, establishing a coordinated schedule and ranking system, and sharing resources to grow the game. The 2026 Proflex English Open powered by the APP was the latest such event under the GPA umbrella, combining elite professional competition with extensive amateur programming to bring players together with emerging players from across England and around the world.
The tournament’s unprecedented scale, featuring a record field of players from 56 countries, 62 courts, two livestreamed Championship Courts and more, reflected the GPA’s commitment to connecting players, federations and tour operators while advancing pickleball on the international stage.
Munro and Van Reek Highlight Elite Pros
In the Open Pro divisions, APP Tour pro players Roos Van Reek and Jack Munro were the big winners, taking home two gold medals each, including the mixed doubles title as partners. Van Reek fell just short of a triple crown, earning silver in women’s singles as Domenika Turkovic took the title. Ignaci De Rueda, a top-ranked pro out of Spain, claimed the men’s singles gold medal. Munro paired with Richard Livornese, Jr. for men’s doubles gold, while Van Reek teamed up with Shelby Bates for the women’s doubles title.
In the age 50+ pro side, Marcello Jardim stole the show with a Triple Crown – winning gold medals in men’s singles, men’s doubles alongside Richard Love and in mixed doubles with Lee Whitwell.
Strengthening the APP’s position in Europe and Across the Globe
The Proflex English Open Powered by the APP represented the APP’s latest international endeavor, following the footsteps of recent successful partner events in Malaysia, India and Vietnam that welcomed well over 1,000 competitors each. Through the leadership of the APP and Pickleball England, the sport’s future couldn’t be brighter in England, Europe and beyond.
Additional Details
Full individual tournament results from the 2026 Proflex English Open Powered by the APP are available here.
Held Aug. 11-16, the record field brought together players from 56 countries who competed in a remarkable 7,987 total matches. More than 120 different brackets were played, culminating in 596 medals awarded to top finishers. Live coverage from the event generated more than 160,000 YouTube livestream viewers on Pickleball England and the APP’s channels.
“The remarkable scale and success of the 2026 Proflex English Open powered by the APP showcased strength of the global demand for pickleball and the significant opportunity ahead for the APP,” said Ken Herrmann, founder of the APP. “With a record field on display to the world, the tournament brought together amateur and professional players, attracted a worldwide audience and created meaningful value for our proud partners at Pickleball England. Birmingham was powerful evidence that our global strategy is translating into sustained growth and an increasingly compelling sports and entertainment proposition.”
The world’s top pickleball pros from the APP Tour, the official tour of pickleball, plus elite international stars rounded out the podium at the pro level. Jack Munro, Richard Livornese, Jr., Roos Van Reek, Shelby Bates and Domenika Turkovic, plus Ignasi de Rueda out of Spain all brought home gold medals from their trip to England.
APP’s Affiliated International Events Continue to Grow
In late 2025, the APP and several other international pickleball entities formed the Global Pickleball Alliance (GPA), with the goal of uniting pickleball players across the globe, establishing a coordinated schedule and ranking system, and sharing resources to grow the game. The 2026 Proflex English Open powered by the APP was the latest such event under the GPA umbrella, combining elite professional competition with extensive amateur programming to bring players together with emerging players from across England and around the world.
The tournament’s unprecedented scale, featuring a record field of players from 56 countries, 62 courts, two livestreamed Championship Courts and more, reflected the GPA’s commitment to connecting players, federations and tour operators while advancing pickleball on the international stage.
Munro and Van Reek Highlight Elite Pros
In the Open Pro divisions, APP Tour pro players Roos Van Reek and Jack Munro were the big winners, taking home two gold medals each, including the mixed doubles title as partners. Van Reek fell just short of a triple crown, earning silver in women’s singles as Domenika Turkovic took the title. Ignaci De Rueda, a top-ranked pro out of Spain, claimed the men’s singles gold medal. Munro paired with Richard Livornese, Jr. for men’s doubles gold, while Van Reek teamed up with Shelby Bates for the women’s doubles title.
In the age 50+ pro side, Marcello Jardim stole the show with a Triple Crown – winning gold medals in men’s singles, men’s doubles alongside Richard Love and in mixed doubles with Lee Whitwell.
Strengthening the APP’s position in Europe and Across the Globe
The Proflex English Open Powered by the APP represented the APP’s latest international endeavor, following the footsteps of recent successful partner events in Malaysia, India and Vietnam that welcomed well over 1,000 competitors each. Through the leadership of the APP and Pickleball England, the sport’s future couldn’t be brighter in England, Europe and beyond.
Additional Details
Full individual tournament results from the 2026 Proflex English Open Powered by the APP are available here.
Four days, 62 courts: the build behind World’s largest indoor pickleball competition
How a three-year Proflex partnership with the Picklebal England turned NEC Birmingham into a proving ground for pickleball’s fastest-growing surface, and for the construction teams who built it in 4 days.
When the English Pickleball Open 2026 moved to the NEC Birmingham for six days of competition, the story that emerged afterwards was as much about construction as it was about the sport itself. Sixty-two individual playing surfaces were installed in a matter of four days, transforming the arena into what organisers have confirmed as the largest indoor pickleball venue in the World in 2026, and giving thousands of players and spectators their first look at a facility built specifically for the sport’s rapid growth in the UK.
The surfaces were supplied by Proflex, the sports surface brand manufactured by SurfTech Surfaces, whose court surface partnership with Pickleball England for the English Open is for three years, with an option to renew. Proflex were headline sponsor for 2026. Surftech Surfaces continues as court and surface supplier and partner to the tournament and to Pickleball England, a commitment that reflects their desire to grow the game and long-term development of the sport rather than a single event.
Built to a tight deadline
For the sports and play construction industry, the standout achievement of tournament week was the speed of the build. Sixty-two courts were readied for competition in around four days, a turnaround that put installation teams under significant pressure to deliver a consistent, competition ready surface across 3 NEC halls without compromising on quality.
Project delivery was a huge collaborative effort, with Proflex working alongside Neon Arena Services, who were instrumental in laying and latterly the derig of the court surfaces, Colourworks South and J Lining, who took on the massive task of lining all 62 courts to complete the installation, bringing together surfacing, line-marking and finishing expertise across the tight build window.
“This year’s Proflex Pickleball Open showcased the absolute best of the sports construction industry. The improved conditions for play and high-quality surfacing is exactly what we should be providing for an event that brings top players alongside people from all over the country, to compete and showcase the sport. The commitment, hard work and skill to get 62 courts ready for the tournament within a limited timeframe should be applauded by fans, players and all who care about the Pickle.” – Richard Shaw, Chief Executive, Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA)
A surface players are choosing for themselves
The build’s speed was only half the story. Independent research gathered from players during tournament week found that 86.5% of those who expressed a preference said they preferred playing on Proflex ahead of other surfaces they had used, in a sport that has been the fastest-growing racquet sport in the UK over the past year.
“It is universally agreed that the surface is superior, and Proflex were instrumental in making the Open the success it was.” – Karen Mitchell, organiser of the English Pickleball Open, on behalf of the English Pickleball Association.
“This is about investing in growing the game, not just supplying a surface for one tournament. Extending this partnership gives players, coaches and venues certainty that Proflex will be there for the next three years and beyond.” – Craig Wilson, Sales Director, Proflex
What it means for the industry
The Pickleball Open 2026 , NEC Birmingham build sets the bench mark of what pickleball’s growth now demands of the construction sector: large-scale, multi-court installations delivered to broadcast and competition standard, on tournament timescales rather than typical project schedules. With Proflex’s agreement with Pickleball England now running for a further three years, further large-format builds of this kind look set to become a more regular feature of the UK pickleball calendar, and a continuing opportunity for the contractors and surfacing specialists who can deliver them at pace.
Surf-Tech Surfaces Announces New Chapter for PROFLEX
SAPCA member, Surf-Tech Surfaces Ltd, has announced an exciting new chapter in the global growth of its Proflex brand of sports surfaces and systems.
US-based Har-Tru LLC will begin manufacturing Proflex products under license at its facility in Charlottesville, VA, serving the US and Canadian markets.
By combining SurfTech’s technical expertise with Har-Tru’s history and knowledge of the North American market, the collaboration expands access to Proflex’s premium, high-performance surface systems – from professional venues to community courts. Every surface is engineered for comfort, durability, and outstanding playability, supporting every level of performance.
Duncan Wilson, Managing Director, SurfTech Surfaces Ltd, said: “The partnership with Har-Tru represents an important step forward in our mission to put PROFLEX at the forefront of sports and leisure surfaces globally. Working with Har-Tru allows us to deliver the same trusted PROFLEX systems to the North American and Canadian market, supported by our shared expertise and a commitment to quality.
“It’s a proud moment for our team, and a reflection of the trust our customers place in us every day.”
