Professional pickleball returns to Mesa in September

The Veolia Arizona Open will take place at the Arizona Athletic Grounds Sept. 14-20. The professional pickleball tournament will be the second tour stop of the Carvana PPA Tour’s 2026-27 season following the first “Slam” of the season, the Veolia Pickleball National Championships in North Carolina.

PPA’s first tournament was held in Mesa in February 2020, according to a release.

Competition in the Veolia Arizona Open is to include the biggest stars in pickleball, including Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns, gold medalists from February’s Carvana Mesa Cup Chris Haworth, Anna Bright, and Hayden Patriquin alongside Argentine Federico Staksrud and Arizona locals such as University of Arizona alum Augie Ge and 16-time PPA medalist Lindsey Newman.

The Veolia Arizona Open will feature the PPA Tour’s special blend of professional competition where the best players compete for titles and crucial world ranking points, and vast amateur competitions where players of all ages and skill levels can find themselves competing for medals and bragging rights on the pro courts.

The tournament is expected to draw a sizable crowd of players so it is encouraged to register at https://tinyurl.com/bdejrxzm as soon as possible to secure a spot in the competition. For more tournament information, go to the tournament page at https://ppatour.com/tournament/2026/arizona-open.

“The passionate fans in Arizona and across the southwestern United States always bring unmatched energy and enthusiasm, and we look forward to giving them a well-deserved second date on the Carvana PPA Tour calendar,” Conner Ogden, chief experience officer at the Carvana PPA Tour, said in the release.

“Mesa is proud to welcome the Carvana PPA Tour back to Arizona Athletic Grounds this fall for the Veolia Arizona Open,” Lance Fite, vice president of sports at Visit Mesa, said in the release. “We’re thrilled to welcome the world’s top pickleball players and fans to experience not only incredible matches, but also the hospitality, attractions and energy that make Mesa a memorable place to compete and visit. We look forward to another outstanding week of professional pickleball and to continuing our strong partnership with the PPA Tour.”

Founded in 2019, the Carvana PPA Tour is where pickleball’s top athletes go head-to-head to determine the best male and female players in the world. Go to www.ppatour.com.