The Indian Open 2026, organised by Global Sports, will be held from April 1 to 5 at Crosscourts in Hyderabad and has been sanctioned as a PWR 1000 event by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA).
According to organisers, the tournament will feature more than 1,500 participants competing across 56 categories, with a total prize pool of USD 50,000.
This will be the fourth edition of the Indian Open organised by Global Sports. Previous editions have collectively attracted more than 4,000 pickleball players from 19 countries.
The sanctioning by the IPA integrates the private tournament series into the national governing structure for the sport in India. The IPA received recognition as the official National Sports Federation for pickleball from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
IPA president Suryaveersingh Bhullar said the partnership aims to create a unified system for the sport in India.
“This partnership is a milestone for Indian sports. By bringing Global Sports into the IPA fold, we are ensuring that every volley played in the Indian Open contributes to a single, unified vision for the country. We are committed to providing our athletes with a world-class platform that is governed by the highest standards of integrity and excellence,” Bhullar said.
Shashank Khaitan, co-founder and partner at Global Sports, said the alignment with the national governing body would strengthen the tournament structure and recognition for players.
“At Global Sports, our mission has always been to build a robust infrastructure for Pickleball. Aligning with the IPA allows us to formalise our efforts and ensure our players receive the national recognition they deserve. The Global Sports Indian Open becoming a PWR 1000 event is just the beginning of a long and fruitful journey to make India a global hub for the sport,” Khaitan said.
Global Sports has previously organised pickleball events in India including the Monsoon Pickleball Championship and the Grand Slam. Organisers said the shift of the Indian Open to a PWR 1000 event will introduce a uniform ranking structure, centralised governance and standardised competition formats.
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