The Association of Pickleball Players (APP), and Canadian National Pickleball League (CNPL) today announced an enhanced partnership for players in all 2027 CNPL events to be eligible to earn APP Tour ranking points, strengthening the connection between Canadian competition and the APP Tour.

The expanded relationship reflects a shared commitment to developing talent and creating more opportunities for players to advance. By connecting CNPL results with APP Tour rankings, the partnership gives players added incentive to compete in Canada while building their standing within the APP’s international competitive ecosystem.

“Our partnership with the CNPL is about creating meaningful opportunities for players and strengthening the connections that help pickleball grow internationally,” said Yui See Lau, SVP of Global Expansion for the APP. “Giving CNPL players the opportunity to earn APP Tour ranking points adds value to their competition in Canada and brings more talented athletes into the APP ecosystem. We are excited to expand upon this relationship in 2027.”

The 2027 CNPL season will feature five regular season events, beginning the first weekend in May and continuing through mid-August, followed by the championship in mid-September. Each regular season event will carry Tier 4 status, with 500 APP Tour ranking points available in each format: men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles (men’s) and mixed doubles (women's). The championship will carry Tier 3 status, with 1,000 APP Tour ranking points available in each of those formats.

“This enhanced partnership gives our players another meaningful reason to compete and a stronger connection to opportunities beyond the CNPL,” said Mike McAninch, CNPL Commissioner. “Our athletes are at the heart of everything we do, and adding APP Tour ranking points to every event increases the value of our season. We look forward to working with the APP to showcase Canadian talent and support our players’ continued development.”

Together, the APP and CNPL are building a closer connection between their competitions, supporting player development and expanding opportunities for pickleball across North America. The CNPL and APP are member institutions of the broader Global Pickleball Alliance (GPA), which formally launched in December 2025.  

The complete 2027 CNPL schedule, including confirmed dates and locations, will be announced soon via CNPL.ca.