Pickleball is no longer just a recreational activity played casually in clubs and gated communities. Over the last few years, the sport has exploded in popularity across the world, especially in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. Now, India is also witnessing a similar boom, and one of the biggest reasons behind this rapid growth is the World Pickleball League (WPBL).
The World Pickleball League is India’s first professional franchise-based pickleball league that combines competitive sport, entertainment, celebrity ownership, international athletes, and modern broadcasting. In a short period, WPBL has managed to create massive excitement among sports fans and establish pickleball as one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
From international players and star-backed teams to packed venues and digital streaming, the league is changing how people view pickleball in India. If you are curious about the league, its teams, format, history, and future, here is a complete guide covering everything about the World Pickleball League.
What is the World Pickleball League?
The World Pickleball League (WPBL) is India’s first global franchise-based professional pickleball competition. Headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, the league was co-founded by former Indian tennis players Gaurav Natekar and Arati Ponnappa Natekar with the aim of growing pickleball in India while attracting international talent.
Launched in 2024, WPBL follows a city-based franchise format where teams compete across men’s singles, women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories. The inaugural season was held in Mumbai from January 24 to February 2, 2025, featuring six franchises and players from over 14 countries.
The league was introduced at a time when pickleball was rapidly expanding across Indian cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Delhi through clubs, academies, and local tournaments. Despite the growing participation, the sport lacked a professional structure with organised teams, international players, broadcasters, and commercial backing.
Understanding Pickleball Before WPBL
Before the World Pickleball League brought the sport into the mainstream, pickleball was already growing rapidly across India through local communities, fitness clubs, and amateur tournaments. The sport combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, making it easy to learn while still being highly competitive.
One of the biggest reasons behind pickleball’s rise is its accessibility. Unlike tennis, the court is smaller, rallies are quicker, and the game is less physically demanding, allowing people across different age groups to play comfortably. This helped the sport gain popularity among both young players and working professionals looking for a social fitness activity.
By the early 2020s, cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and Delhi had started building dedicated pickleball courts and hosting local competitions. However, despite the growing player base, the sport lacked a professional league that could attract major audiences, sponsors, and international attention. WPBL filled that gap by giving pickleball a structured, franchise-based platform on a global scale.
Tournament Format of WPBL
The World Pickleball League follows a franchise-based format designed to keep matches fast-paced, competitive, and viewer-friendly. The league currently features seven city-based franchises competing in a round-robin stage followed by knockout rounds, including the semifinals and final.
Each team consists of eight players, including four men and four women, combining Indian players with international professionals. Teams compete across multiple categories such as:
- Men’s Singles
- Women’s Singles
- Men’s Doubles
- Women’s Doubles
- Mixed Doubles
Doubles matches are a major attraction because doubles is considered the most popular format in global pickleball. The multi-category structure also ensures that franchises build balanced squads instead of depending on a single star player.
WPBL seasons are intentionally short, usually running for around 10 to 15 days, creating a compact event-style viewing experience. The shorter format works well for modern sports audiences because pickleball matches feature quick rallies, fast scoring, and shorter game durations compared to traditional racquet sports like tennis.
How Players Are Selected for WPBL
Unlike open-entry amateur tournaments, the World Pickleball League follows a professional franchise-based recruitment system. Players are selected through an official draft process where franchises build squads based on performance, rankings, experience, and team requirements.
Ahead of the inaugural season, WPBL organised its first player draft featuring 75 contracted players from multiple countries, with franchises selecting 48 players across six teams. For Season 2, the draft pool expanded significantly, with over 100 registered players from 18 countries entering the selection process.
The recruitment pathway typically involves:
- Performing consistently in recognised national and international pickleball tournaments
- Building rankings and competitive match experience
- Getting shortlisted through scouting networks and league evaluations
- Entering the official WPBL draft pool
- Being selected by franchises based on squad balance and playing categories
Each franchise builds an eight-player squad consisting of four men and four women, combining Indian players with international professionals. Since doubles formats are a major part of the league, franchises also focus heavily on team chemistry, versatility, and doubles performance during recruitment.
Apart from the professional draft system, initiatives like “WPBL On Tour” are helping expand grassroots participation and giving amateur players greater exposure to the competitive pickleball ecosystem in India.
Teams in the World Pickleball League
WPBL’s seven franchises represent India’s most vibrant cities, each building a unique identity while competing for the league trophy. Each team represented a major Indian city and included both Indian and international players. Rajasthan Titans joined as the seventh franchise ahead of Season 2, expanding the league’s geographic reach.
| Team | City | Notable Players |
| Bengaluru Jawans | Bengaluru | Kat Stewart, Dusty Boyer, Brooke Revuelta |
| Pune United | Pune | Vanshik Kapadia, William Sobek, Katie Morris |
| Mumbai Pickle Power | Mumbai | Brandon Lane, Max Green, Jada Bui |
| Hyderabad Superstars | Hyderabad | Hong Kit Wong, Seone Mendez, Kaitlynn Hart |
| Chennai Super Champs | Chennai | Simone Jardim, Hoang Nam Ly, Rika Fujiwara |
| Dilli Dillwale | New Delhi | Max Manthou, Trang Huynh-McClain, Erik Lange |
| Rajasthan Titans | Jaipur | Amanda Hendry, Naveen Beasley, Jack Foster |
Celebrity Owners and Investors in WPBL
Celebrity ownership played a major role in increasing the visibility of the World Pickleball League during its inaugural season. By bringing together actors, athletes, and filmmakers, WPBL positioned pickleball as both a competitive sport and an entertainment-driven league.
Several well-known personalities associated with the league include:
- Rishabh Pant
- Samantha Ruth Prabhu
- Riteish Deshmukh
- Genelia Deshmukh
- Filmmaker Atlee
Their involvement helped WPBL reach audiences beyond traditional racquet-sport fans. Celebrity-backed franchises generated strong engagement on social media through promotional campaigns, match appearances, interviews, and fan interactions.
This strategy also helped the league attract sponsors, broadcasters, and digital audiences at an early stage. In modern franchise sports leagues, celebrity ownership often increases commercial appeal because public figures bring established fanbases and online reach.
For WPBL, celebrity participation helped introduce pickleball to mainstream Indian audiences and contributed significantly to the league’s early popularity and media coverage.
WPBL On Tour Initiative
To maintain engagement beyond the main tournament season, the World Pickleball League launched the “WPBL On Tour” initiative, a series of off-season city-based tournaments and community events hosted by individual franchises. The initiative runs across multiple months and includes on-ground engagement activities such as local competitions, workshops, exhibitions, and fan interactions.
Unlike the main WPBL season, “WPBL On Tour” opens participation to amateur players and local pickleball enthusiasts, helping franchises build stronger connections with their regional communities. The league also provides strategic, marketing, and operational support to franchises for organising these events.
The 2025 tour schedule includes events hosted by Chennai Super Champs, Hyderabad Superstars, Dilli Dillwale in New Delhi, Bengaluru Jawans, Pune United, and Mumbai Pickle Power between August and November.
The initiative plays an important role in expanding grassroots participation and increasing year-round engagement with the sport. Instead of limiting pickleball exposure to professional broadcasts and seasonal tournaments, WPBL is actively building local player communities and supporting the long-term development of pickleball infrastructure in India.
Impact and Future of WPBL
The World Pickleball League has helped professionalise pickleball in India through structured franchises, international player participation, television broadcasting, and commercial investment. As India’s sports ecosystem expands beyond cricket, WPBL has increased the visibility of pickleball through celebrity-backed teams, digital engagement, and professionally organised tournaments.
The league is contributing to the sport’s growth by supporting infrastructure development, creating competitive opportunities for Indian players, attracting private investment, and expanding grassroots participation through initiatives like “WPBL On Tour.” Its franchise-based structure has also helped build regional fan communities around the sport.
With pickleball becoming one of the fastest-growing sports globally, WPBL is expected to expand further through additional franchises, international collaborations, youth development programs, larger sponsorships, and wider broadcasting reach. The league’s early growth highlights India’s increasing role in the global pickleball ecosystem.
Conclusion
The World Pickleball League has become a major milestone in the growth of pickleball in India. By combining franchise-based competition, international players, celebrity-backed teams, and large-scale broadcasting, WPBL has transformed pickleball from a niche recreational activity into a professionally organised sport with mainstream visibility.
From its inaugural season in Mumbai to grassroots initiatives like “WPBL On Tour,” the league is building a complete ecosystem around the sport through player development, community engagement, and commercial investment. With expanding franchises, growing fan interest, and increasing global participation, WPBL is positioning India as an important market in the international pickleball landscape.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The World Pickleball League (WPBL) is India’s first global franchise-based professional pickleball league. Launched in 2024, the tournament features city-based teams competing across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories with Indian and international players.
American player Ben Johns is widely regarded as the top men’s pickleball player in the world due to his dominance in professional doubles and mixed doubles rankings. On the women’s side, Anna Leigh Waters currently holds the World No. 1 position across multiple categories.
The World Pickleball League was co-founded by former Indian tennis players Gaurav Natekar and Arati Ponnappa Natekar.
Armaan Bhatia is widely regarded as India’s top pickleball player. He became the first Indian to sign with the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP) in the United States.
Pickleball is most popular in metro and Tier-1 cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and Delhi. These cities have seen rapid growth in dedicated pickleball courts, clubs, academies, amateur tournaments, and community events.
Pickleball was introduced to India by Sunil Valavalkar, who discovered the sport in Canada and brought paddles and equipment back to India in the mid-2000s. He later founded the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) and played a major role in organising the country’s early pickleball tournaments.
