Happy New Year, pickleball fam! Ace here, writing to you from a gorgeous January week in Austin where the courts have been absolutely packed with people working off their holiday cookie guilt. There’s something special about the first week of a new year in pickleball—fresh goals, new gear under the tree, and that optimistic feeling that this will be the year you finally master the two-handed backhand. For the pros, 2026 officially kicked off this week with the PPA Masters in Palm Springs, and for the entire pickleball community, we’re confronting a serious problem that’s been growing in the shadows: counterfeit paddles. Let’s dive in.

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Happy holidays, pickleballers! Ace here, coming at you between Christmas and New Year’s with some major developments that are shaping what 2026 is going to look like for professional pickleball. While most of us are enjoying time off, eating too many cookies, and getting court time in when we can, the business side of pro pickleball just went through a seismic shift that’s going to impact how the sport operates for years to come. Let’s break it down.

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The 2026 USA Pickleball Rulebook is a structural reorganization, not a gameplay overhaul. For recreational players, the game remains unchanged. The major updates involve separating tournament rules from general play, consolidating inclusive/adaptive rules into a dedicated section, and requiring a “USA Pickleball Approved” seal on new paddles manufactured starting in 2026.

Let me guess – you saw “new pickleball rules for 2026” and immediately started wondering what part of your game just became illegal.

Relax. You can still hit that third shot drop. Your serve is fine. And no, they didn’t change the kitchen rules (again).

The 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook (effective 1/1/26) is less of a game-changer and more of a spring cleaning. Think of it like reorganizing your garage – everything’s still there, it’s just way easier to find what you actually need.

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If you thought the holiday season was going to slow down the pickleball news cycle, you thought wrong. We just witnessed history in New Delhi, saw tennis royalty pick up a paddle in Mumbai, and now we’re staring down the barrel of the final PPA event of the year where a certain mother-daughter duo is making a comeback.

The garlands have been handed out, the draws are out, and the jet lag is real. Let’s dive in.

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Hey there, pickleball fam! Ace here, and what a week it’s been. While most of us in the States are knee-deep in holiday shopping and trying to squeeze in court time between family obligations, the pickleball world has been absolutely buzzing with international developments that are legitimately changing the landscape of our sport. From dramatic finals in India to a game-changing global alliance, plus some killer last-minute gift ideas—we’ve got a lot to cover. Let’s get into it.

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