# Pickleballer — Monday, November 2, 2026 (Vol. 1, No. 1)

> The daily magazine of professional pickleball. Team USA rules the first Nations Cup, and Worlds begins today in Dallas. Everything you need before your first game.

## Cover story

[Team USA sweeps Latin America to win the first Nations Cup](https://pickleballer.world/stories/team-usa-sweeps-nations-cup/): Ben Johns, Anna Bright and a squad assembled in about 24 hours went undefeated in Dallas, closing with an 11-9, 11-1, 11-6 final.

## Front page

- [Five world titles, one week: what’s at stake in Dallas](https://pickleballer.world/stories/worlds-2026-preview/): The PPA World Championships begin today at Brookhaven. Here's the schedule, the stakes and the five storylines that will decide it.
- [Hunter Johnson is the man to beat in Dallas](https://pickleballer.world/stories/hunter-johnson-form-worlds/): Four singles golds since September, including an 11-1, 11-3 rout of Ben Johns, make him the form pick for the men's world title.
- [Bright and Patriquin vs. Johns and Waters: the rivalry that will decide mixed at Worlds](https://pickleballer.world/stories/bright-patriquin-mixed-rise/): Bright and Patriquin have beaten the best mixed team of the era twice this year. Johns and Waters just answered with back-to-back golds.
- [Watch Worlds like a coach: three things to steal from the pros this week](https://pickleballer.world/stories/watch-worlds-like-a-coach/): You won’t hit like a pro by Sunday. But you can learn to see the game the way they do.

## The Daily Dink

- **Eight tour cards on the line** The Challenger Showdown, Nov. 5–7 at Worlds, gives players without PPA contracts a shot at eight tour offers for 2027. (https://pickleball.com/news/complete-guide-to-the-2026-opendoor-pickleball-world-championships)
- **Wahlberg takes the court** Mark Wahlberg headlines the Worlds celebrity showdown on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. CT on Tennis Channel. (https://pickleball.com/news/complete-guide-to-the-2026-opendoor-pickleball-world-championships)
- **200 and counting** Anna Leigh Waters won her 200th career PPA title with a triple crown at the Chicago Cup. She is 55-0 in singles finals since June 2022, per the PPA. (https://pickleballer.world/stories/ppa-chicago-cup-recap/)
- **The streak** As of early September, Waters had not lost a singles match in more than 830 days, The Kitchen reported. Worlds is the next test. (https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/news/ppa-tour-2026-pickleball-national-championships-recap/)
- **Remember the name** Kiora Kunimoto, 18, upset top seed Kate Fahey on her way to the Las Vegas Open singles final. (https://pickleballer.world/stories/ppa-las-vegas-open-recap/)

## Scoreboard

- MLP Nations Cup, Final: Team USA def. Team Latin America 3–0 — https://pickleball.com/news/team-usa-sweeps-team-latin-america-for-mlp-nations-cup-crown
- MLP Nations Cup, Semifinal: Team USA def. Team Europe-East 3–1 — https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/news/major-league-pickleball-nations-cup-2026-recap/
- MLP Nations Cup, Semifinal: Team Latin America def. Team Asia Domestic 3–1 — https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/news/major-league-pickleball-nations-cup-2026-recap/
- Hong Kong Slam, Men's singles: H. Johnson def. T. Shimabukuro 11-4, 6-11, 11-7 — https://pickleball.com/news/heroes-of-hong-kong-dikosavljevic-johnson-go-back-to-back-in-singles-as-patriquin-staksrud-capture-second-title-of-2026
- Hong Kong Slam, Women's singles: A. Dikosavljevic def. J. Castillo 11-1, 11-5 — https://pickleball.com/news/heroes-of-hong-kong-dikosavljevic-johnson-go-back-to-back-in-singles-as-patriquin-staksrud-capture-second-title-of-2026
- Hong Kong Slam, Men's doubles: Patriquin / Staksrud def. Johns / Tardio 11-6, 11-8 — https://pickleball.com/news/heroes-of-hong-kong-dikosavljevic-johnson-go-back-to-back-in-singles-as-patriquin-staksrud-capture-second-title-of-2026
- Hong Kong Slam, Women's doubles: Waters / Bright def. Black / J. Johnson 11-4, 11-6 — https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/hong-kong-slam-recap-waters-wins-twice-staksrud-and-patriquin-stun-johns-and-tardio/
- Hong Kong Slam, Mixed doubles: Johns / Waters def. Bright / Patriquin 11-4, 11-3 — https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/hong-kong-slam-recap-waters-wins-twice-staksrud-and-patriquin-stun-johns-and-tardio/
- PPA Australia Cup, Men’s singles: H. Johnson def. C. Alshon 11-8, 5-11, 11-8 — https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/ppa-australia-pickleball-cup-recap-hunter-johnson-gabe-tardio-and-tyra-black-shine-down-under/
- PPA Australia Cup, Women’s singles: A. Dikosavljevic def. J. Castillo 11-6, 11-6 — https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/ppa-australia-pickleball-cup-recap-hunter-johnson-gabe-tardio-and-tyra-black-shine-down-under/
- PPA Australia Cup, Mixed doubles: Black / Tardio def. Todd / Alshon 7-11, 11-6, 11-7 — https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/ppa-australia-pickleball-cup-recap-hunter-johnson-gabe-tardio-and-tyra-black-shine-down-under/
- PPA Australia Cup, Men’s doubles: Tardio / Patriquin def. Shimabukuro / J. Johnson 3-11, 11-6, 11-7 — https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/ppa-australia-pickleball-cup-recap-hunter-johnson-gabe-tardio-and-tyra-black-shine-down-under/
- PPA Australia Cup, Women’s doubles: J. Johnson / Black def. Todd / Townsend 11-5, 11-6 — https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/ppa-australia-pickleball-cup-recap-hunter-johnson-gabe-tardio-and-tyra-black-shine-down-under/
- PPA Chicago Cup, Women's singles: A.L. Waters def. K. Fahey 11-1, 11-7 — https://www.ppatour.com/championship-sunday-standout-stats-from-the-veolia-chicago-cup/
- PPA Chicago Cup, Men's singles: R. Bellamy def. C. Haworth 11-4, 11-5 — https://www.ppatour.com/championship-sunday-standout-stats-from-the-veolia-chicago-cup/
- PPA Chicago Cup, Men's doubles: Patriquin / Staksrud def. Acevedo / Martinez Vich 11-1, 11-6 — https://www.ppatour.com/championship-sunday-standout-stats-from-the-veolia-chicago-cup/
- PPA Chicago Cup, Women's doubles: Bright / Waters def. Black / Parenteau 2-11, 11-3, 11-4 — https://www.ppatour.com/championship-sunday-standout-stats-from-the-veolia-chicago-cup/
- PPA Chicago Cup, Mixed doubles: Waters / Johns def. J. Johnson / J. Johnson 11-4, 11-4 — https://www.ppatour.com/championship-sunday-standout-stats-from-the-veolia-chicago-cup/

## This week

- 2026-11-02: PPA Worlds: pro qualifying, Brookhaven CC, Farmers Branch, TX (PPA Tour YouTube)
- 2026-11-03 to 2026-11-08: PPA World Championships main draw, Brookhaven CC, Farmers Branch, TX (PickleballTV)
- 2026-11-05: Celebrity showdown with Mark Wahlberg, Brookhaven CC, Farmers Branch, TX (Tennis Channel)
- 2026-11-05 to 2026-11-07: Challenger Showdown, Brookhaven CC, Farmers Branch, TX
- 2026-11-08: Championship Sunday: five world titles, Brookhaven CC, Farmers Branch, TX (PickleballTV)