What You Need to Know About 2025’s Biggest Pickleball Tours and How Each One Works
Pickleball isn’t just booming on local courts—it’s exploding at the professional level, too. And with that growth has come a bit of confusion. Right now, three major tours lead the pro scene: the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association), MLP (Major League Pickleball), and the APP (Association of Pickleball Players).
For fans, new players, and aspiring pros, it can be confusing — each tour has its own format, events, rating system, and competitive style. This guide breaks down exactly how PPA, MLP, and APP differ, why they matter, and which one might fit your goals or interests best.
What Are PPA, MLP, and APP?
Before we get into the differences, here’s a quick snapshot of the three major organizations shaping today’s pro pickleball scene:
Professional pickleball is built around several major tours that each bring something different to the sport. The PPA Tour (Professional Pickleball Association) is the most elite-focused of the three, known for its high prize money, exclusive player contracts, and strong broadcast presence. It’s where many of the sport’s biggest names compete and where fans can expect polished, high-stakes events.
The APP Tour (Association of Pickleball Players) takes a more inclusive approach. It combines professional brackets with large amateur fields and often uses formats designed to guarantee more match play. Because of its close alignment with USA Pickleball, the APP also tends to follow more traditional sanctioning standards, making it a natural entry point for developing players.
Major League Pickleball (MLP) operates differently from both. Rather than a standard tournament tour, MLP is built around a team-league structure with drafts, coed lineups, unique scoring formats, and season-long storylines. It leans heavily into entertainment value, generating energy, rivalries, and moments that feel more like traditional team sports than bracket-based tournaments.
It’s also worth noting that in 2023, PPA and MLP merged under the United Pickleball Association (UPA). Despite coming under a shared umbrella, the tours still maintain distinct identities and competitive formats, though scheduling and branding have become more coordinated as the sport continues to mature.
Key Differences Between These Pickleball Organizations: Format, Events, and Structure
Here are some of the biggest areas where the tours differ:
| Feature | PPA | APP | MLP |
| Event types | Singles & doubles tournaments; pro & amateur brackets. | Also pro & amateur, many events; more round-robin / pool play in some APP events to guarantee more matches. | Primarily doubles / mixed; team format; seasons, playoffs; no or less focus on singles. |
| Competitive structure | Traditional bracket draws; more emphasis on top pro players; exclusive contracts for many; higher prize money. | Formats that try to give more match play to participants e.g. back draws, more guaranteed matches. | Teams compete vs. teams; mixed doubles/doubles/mixed; “Dreambreaker” tiebreakers in some formats. |
| Ranking / Rating systems | PPA uses DUPR primarily for rating players. | APP uses UTR (Universal Tennis Rating adapted for pickleball) for rating; often uses USA Pickleball sanctioning. | MLP also uses DUPR in many cases (especially since the PPA-MLP merger) and has its own team-league rules. |
| Prize Money / Contracts | Higher purses, contracts for top players; more exclusivity. | Less exclusive contracts; more “open” environment; smaller prize money for many events but more opportunities for amateurs. | Team winnings, season prizes; more shared / distributed structure because of team format; less about individual singles earnings. |
| Audience / Spectator Experience | Well-produced tournaments, media coverage, big names. | More community-oriented stops, often more players & spectators mingling; good for seeing rising stars. | The team drama, “home team” feel, playoffs add extra fan interest; mixed doubles & coed play formats can be more entertaining for some fans. |
Pros & Cons of Each, from Different Perspectives
Depending on whether you’re a pro, amateur, fan, or someone looking to get involved, each tour has its advantages and drawbacks.
Pros and Cons of Each Tour
Depending on whether you’re a pro, amateur, fan, or someone looking to get involved, each tour has its advantages and drawbacks.
For Pros and Elite Players
Professional players tend to gravitate toward tours that offer visibility, financial stability, and high-caliber competition. The PPA provides the biggest stage, with major prize money, deep media coverage, and a roster of contracted stars that ensures top-tier matchups. MLP, on the other hand, offers a different kind of spotlight through its team-based format, where players gain recognition not just for individual skill but for how they contribute to a squad’s season-long success. For rising pros, the APP often presents the clearest entry point, with more open draws and frequent events that create opportunities to gain experience and build a competitive résumé.
For Amateurs and Developing Players
If you’re an amateur or a player on the rise, the APP is generally the most accessible tour. Its events often guarantee multiple matches, use more inclusive structures, and attract a wide range of skill levels. The PPA also offers amateur divisions, though they tend to be larger, more competitive, and sometimes overshadowed by the pro side of the tour. MLP remains the least accessible for amateurs since it is built almost entirely around pro teams and league play, with limited opportunities for non-pro participation.
For Fans and Spectators
Each tour delivers a different fan experience. The PPA appeals to viewers who want polished broadcasts and marquee showdowns between the sport’s top-ranked pros, especially in singles. MLP delivers a more entertainment-driven atmosphere, with team rivalries, dramatic momentum swings, and formats like the Dreambreaker that create unique, high-energy moments. Fans who enjoy discovering new talent or experiencing events that feel more community-focused often connect with the APP, where rising pros and amateurs compete side-by-side and the atmosphere tends to be more accessible and local-friendly.
What’s Changing and What To Watch For
Pro pickleball is evolving quickly, especially with the PPA and MLP now operating under the United Pickleball Association (UPA). Even though each tour still maintains its own identity, the merger is meant to reduce scheduling conflicts and bring more stability to the pro calendar.
At the same time, the sport is working through differences in rules, equipment standards, rating systems, and formats. USA Pickleball–sanctioned events, DUPR vs. UTR ratings, and new match formats like MLP’s team-based structure are all part of a shifting landscape. As pickleball continues to grow, expect more experimentation — and eventually more alignment — as tours figure out what works best for players, fans, and the future of the sport.
Which Pickleball Organization Is Right For You?
If you’re trying to figure out which tour or league fits your playing style—or even just which one you enjoy following—here are a few quick scenarios to help you sort it out.
| If you … | Might prefer … |
| Are / want to become a top pro, want big media exposure, high stakes, big purses | PPA (especially for singles events) and MLP if you like team format |
| Are improving, want regular competition, multiple matches, possibly more affordable & accessible events | APP (or “lower-tier” events under PPA / APP) |
| Prefer team formats, mixed doubles, fan-friendly / entertainment formats | MLP (team matches, playoffs, etc.), and also APP when it includes mixed or “crowd”-friendly events |
| Want rules / format consistency with governing bodies, USA Pickleball sanctioning, etc. | APP is more aligned to USA Pickleball; PPA is more independent in some respects. |
Your Next Step in the World of Pickleball
PPA, MLP, and APP have each played a major role in pushing pickleball into the spotlight, and all three bring something different to the sport. The PPA delivers a polished, pro-focused environment; the APP creates space for players at every level; and MLP brings a unique team-based energy that feels completely different from traditional tournament play.
As pickleball continues to grow, we’ll likely see more collaboration, clearer standards, and new formats that keep the sport fresh. For players, choosing which tour to pursue comes down to your goals, experience, and the type of competition you enjoy most. For fans, the variety just makes the pro scene more fun to follow.
If you’re inspired to get more involved in the sport yourself, consider joining a PickleRage club near you—it’s one of the easiest ways to play Pickleball more, meet people, and stay connected to the game as it grows.