The Association of Pickleball Players (APP), the official tour of pickleball, expands its global influence to new heights today with the unveiling of the APP Asia Tour and the addition of two veteran leaders to lead its rapid global expansion. Comprised of six events in six countries and regions, the 2026 APP Asia Tour brings a newfound level of excitement and prominence for pickleball, spearheaded by the sport’s true leader in international stewardship.  

The 2026 APP Asia Tour features the following events, with full dates to be announced soon:

• July - APP Penang Open, Malaysia

• Oct - APP China Open, China

• Oct - APP Bangkok Open, Thailand

• Nov - APP Taipei City Open, Chinese Taipei

• Nov - APP India Open, India

• Dec - APP Ho Chi Minh City Open, Vietnam

In addition to the six APP Asia Tour events, the APP is enhancing its partnership with D-Joy Pickleball, the leading pickleball entity in Vietnam. Under the Global Pickleball Alliance (GPA) event calendar, three of D-Joy's2026 tournaments, taking place in June, September and November of this year, will officially be “Powered by the APP”.  

The APP Asia Tour builds upon the creation of the Global Pickleball Alliance (GPA), a unified global coalition to align professional pickleball organizations, harmonize competitive structures and world rankings, and build the sport’s first truly connected world calendar. Among the fastest-growing continents for pickleball is Asia, where YouGov reported close to 812 million people have played the sport at least once, with 282 million playing at least once monthly across Asian countries. In addition, those between ages 18 and 35 have played pickleball the most among any age group in Asia, mirroring trends found in the United States and beyond. Thus far in 2026, the GPA has already held major events in Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam and India, and the APP Asia Tour further enhances the international calendar.

“This is another monumental day for the APP, and for our pickleball friends across the globe,” said APP Founder Ken Herrmann. “There has been an unbelievable growth in participation across Asia, and we’re proud tofurther establish our roots with the APP Asia Tour. We’re proud to serve these players, provide unmatched resources and experiences, and bring another competitive platform to aspiring pro players across the globe.”

“The creation of the APP Asia Tour is a direct result of the overwhelming support from global event operators in partnering with the APP,” Herrmann continued. “There has been an explosion of interest to facilitate more and more large-scale pickleball events, stemming from the great success we’ve seen at GPA events thus far. It’s our honor to work alongside side these nations, lift them up, and usher in a new era of global pickleball.”

Two pickleball industry veterans, Yui See Lau and Yuki Chen, have been named the Senior Vice President of Global Expansion and Director of Global Expansion for the APP, respectively. Lau and Chen will work in tandem to elevate and enhance the APP’s role as the standard-bearer for pickleball’s growth internationally.  

Yui See Lau joins the APP with more than a decade of experience in sports, entertainment, and international brand development. Lau has been at the forefront of the pickleball movement in both North America and Asia, co-founding the Canadian National Pickleball League now in its fourth season, and serving as DUPR’s Director in China, scaling it to being the most widely-used rating system in the country. Lau will oversee the APP’s strategic growth initiatives, forging partnerships, cultivating new markets, and driving its mission to bring professional pickleball to fans around the world.

Reporting to Lau is Yuki Chen, who cut her teeth as DUPR China’s Project Manager and owner/operator of the DUPR Tournaments WeChat Mini-Program, serving China’s biggest online pickleball community of over 20,000 players and more than 500 clubs. Chen will help operationalize APP’s global expansion strategies, ensuring smooth integration into emerging markets and maximizing opportunities for players, sponsors, and fans.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Yui See and Yuki to our leadership team,” Herrmann said. “Their combined expertise in global pickleball growth, brand development, and operational excellence will accelerate our expansion and strengthen APP’s presence around the world.”

“It is both an honor and a privilege to join the longest-standing professional pickleball tour in the world and to lead its global expansion efforts in Asia,” said Lau. “I look forward to drawing on my experience growing the game internationally to ensure the APP’s world-class standards continue to define the sport on a global stage.”

“We are incredibly excited to support APP Tour’s international expansion,” Chen commented. “We believe deeply in its inclusive, collaborative approach to growing the sport and welcome the opportunity to build on the strong legacy established in the United States and bring it to the global stage.”  

More information on 2026 APP Tour events can be found via TheAPP.global, and more on the Global Pickleball Alliance can be found via GPAPickleball.org. The pickleball community can stay in the know on the latest APP updates by following the APP’s Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn channels.

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