Protocol signed

The collaboration protocol between PTPICKLE – Portuguese Pickleball Association and the team of athletes who represented Portugal in the latest edition of the PWC Pickleball World Cup, held in Fort Lauderdale, United States of America, has been officially signed, consolidating a historic milestone for the development of pickleball in Portugal.

This agreement clearly and structurally establishes the official model for Portuguese national representation for the 2026/2027 competitive cycle, with PTPICKLE assuming institutional responsibility for representing Portugal in international competitions where it is recognized as the official organizing body and national representative.

The signing of this protocol represents a decisive step towards building a solid, transparent, and merit-based structure for Portuguese pickleball, aligned with international best practices and focused on the sustainable growth of the sport in Portugal.

The immediate competitive priority defined by the parties is Portugal’s participation in the next PWC Pickleball World Cup, which will take place in Vietnam between August and September 2026, a competition in which PTPICKLE will officially act as the entity responsible for national representation.

This formalized protocol follows the outstanding performance achieved by the Portuguese team at the Fort Lauderdale World Cup 2025, where Portugal secured 3rd place (bronze medal) — a result that placed Portuguese pickleball in the international spotlight and demonstrated the high competitive level of its athletes.

In this context, the initial structure of the Portugal Pro National Team has also been defined, composed of a core elite group of seven athletes forming the competitive foundation of national representation:

Men:
• Armando Ferreira
• Chris Beato
• Michael Coleman
• Alex Corado

Women:
• Joana Stark
• Steffi Ringelberg
• Patricia Martins

All athletes in this group currently demonstrate a high international competitive level, reflected in DUPR ratings of 5.0 or higher at the time of the elite group’s formation.

However, the National Team structure will not be closed or exclusive. The model now implemented предусматривает an open selection and development system, allowing the inclusion of new athletes through objective and transparent criteria.

Accordingly, two additional athletes (one male and one female) will be selected through a national competitive process, completing Portugal’s official roster for the 2026 World Cup. All athletes must hold Portuguese nationality, duly proven through a valid official document issued by the competent authorities.

Selection Criteria for the National Trial

Access to the National Trial Pool will be achieved through three distinct qualification pathways, designed to ensure a balance between competitive merit, national performance, and international consistency:

1. DUPR Ranking

The following will qualify:
• The top two male and top two female athletes with a DUPR rating of 4.5 or higher
• A minimum of 10 recorded matches in the DUPR system in the 12 months prior to the selection process

If no athletes meet the minimum DUPR requirement of 4.5 at the time of selection, the spots will revert to the PPT national ranking.

2. PPT National Ranking

The following will qualify:
• The leader of the PPT national singles ranking (18+)
• The leader of the PPT national doubles ranking by gender (18+)
• A total of two male and two female athletes

3. National Singles and Doubles Championship

The following will qualify:
• Winners of Men’s Singles Open
• Winners of Women’s Singles Open
• Winners of Men’s Doubles Open
• Winners of Women’s Doubles Open
• Winners of Mixed Doubles Open

The championship will be open to all eligible Portuguese athletes, except members of the current elite core of the Pro National Team 2026.

A minimum DUPR rating of 4.0 will also be required for eligibility through this pathway.

Official Dates

National Singles and Doubles Championship
📅 July 4–5, 2026
Location to be announced

Trial Pool Event (8 female athletes + 8 male athletes)
📅 July 11–12, 2026
Location to be announced

The qualification process will follow a clearly defined priority order:

1. National Championship

2. DUPR Ranking

3. PPT Ranking

Each athlete may qualify through only one pathway, ensuring greater openness and competitive diversity in the selection process.

The system has been designed to ensure maximum transparency, impartiality, and competitive rigor, enabling the identification of the athletes best prepared to represent Portugal at the highest international level. Final selection will be primarily based on results obtained during the Trial Pool Event.

In parallel, a Development and Reserve Group will be created, composed of five male and five female athletes, integrated into training camps, practice sessions, and future national team preparation activities.

The Senior (50+) and Junior (U16) National Teams will be the next competitive structures to be activated, reflecting PTPICKLE’s strategic commitment to the sustained and transversal development of the sport in Portugal. Their respective selection criteria will follow the principles and models defined for the Pro National Team, with necessary adaptations to the competitive, age, and organizational specificities of each category.

With this protocol, PTPICKLE reaffirms its commitment to:

• transparency in selection processes;
• the promotion of sporting merit;
• structured athlete preparation;
• the sustainable growth of pickleball in Portugal;
• and the development of a strong, professional, and competitive national representation internationally.

Portugal thus enters a new phase in the international consolidation of its national pickleball, with a clear vision, a modern competitive structure, and a stated ambition: to represent the country at the highest level in the PWC Pickleball World Cup Vietnam 2026.