CARY, N.C. — The sound of pickleballs striking paddles is echoing across Cary this week as the town welcomes some of the sport’s biggest names for the inaugural Veolia Pickleball National Championships, bringing professional competition, amateur players and thousands of spectators to Cary Tennis Park.
The weeklong tournament, running Aug. 31 through Sept. 6, marks the opening event of the 2026-27 Carvana PPA Tour season and is the first PPA Slam tournament held in North Carolina. More than 1,400 players are participating, with the professional fields featuring many of the highest-ranked athletes in the sport.
The tournament is being played at Cary Tennis Park, a major public racquet-sports facility at 2727 Louis Stephens Drive. The event combines elite professional competition with amateur divisions, giving recreational players an opportunity to compete at the same venue where the sport's stars are battling for national titles.
At stake for the professionals is more than $1.6 million in total payouts and 2,000 PPA ranking points for each division winner. The tournament features five professional divisions: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.
Among the athletes attracting attention is women's world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters, while longtime men's standout Ben Johns is also competing. North Carolina players, including highly ranked competitors Kate Fahey and Brooke Buckner, add a local connection to the national event.
Organizers have positioned the championships as a weeklong celebration of pickleball rather than simply a professional sporting event. Fans can expect entertainment, food, live music, clinics and other activities alongside the matches.
The tournament's arrival also represents a significant moment for Cary's growing reputation as a destination for major sporting events. Previous PPA events in the area generated a combined economic impact of more than $6 million, according to local officials and event organizers.
Local businesses are also benefiting as players, families and fans travel to the Triangle for the competition. ABC11 reported that thousands of spectators are expected to attend, with organizers describing strong ticket demand and emphasizing Cary's infrastructure and community support as reasons for bringing the national championship to town.
For Cary, the event comes at a time when pickleball continues its rapid expansion. The sport, which combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, has moved from a recreational pastime into a growing professional sport with major tournaments, sponsorships and increasingly large audiences.
