The PPA Tour Asia wrapped up its 2026 season in Hong Kong, with several major upsets, familiar champions, and a few surprises at the biggest pickleball tournament ever held in Asia.
The Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam brought some of the world's best players to Kai Tak Arena, with 1,500 ranking points and a record Asian professional prize pool of up to $1.1 million on the line.
The tournament also marked the conclusion of the 10-event PPA Tour Asia season, with five gold medals awarded on Championship Sunday.
Here are the biggest storylines from Hong Kong.
Top Storylines
1. Anna Leigh Waters Leaves Hong Kong With Two More Gold Medals
Anna Leigh Waters did what Anna Leigh Waters does: win.
The world's top-ranked player captured two gold medals in Hong Kong, partnering with Anna Bright to win women's doubles and Ben Johns to claim mixed doubles.
Waters and Bright cruised past Hurricane Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson in the women's doubles final, winning 11-4, 11-6.
Later, Waters and Johns delivered an even more convincing performance, defeating Bright and Hayden Patriquin 11-4, 11-3 in the mixed doubles championship.
Two finals, two dominant victories, and another successful international appearance for Waters.
2. Staksrud and Patriquin Take Down Johns and Tardio
One of the biggest results of the tournament came in men's doubles, where Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin knocked off top seeds Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio.
Staksrud and Patriquin earned an impressive 11-6, 11-8 victory, preventing the world's top-ranked men's doubles partnership from adding another title.
The victory was especially significant considering the caliber of their opponents and the stakes of the first-ever PPA Asia 1500 event.
For Patriquin, the gold also capped an impressive tournament that included a second championship appearance in mixed doubles alongside Bright.
3. Hunter Johnson Continues His Singles Success
Hunter Johnson added another significant singles title to his resume, defeating Tama Shimabukuro 11-4, 6-11, 11-7 in the men's singles championship.
After dominating the opening game, Johnson watched Shimabukuro respond with an impressive second-game performance.
However, Johnson regrouped in the deciding game to secure the championship.
The victory continues an impressive stretch of singles success for Johnson, who also defeated Ben Johns in straight games to win the Las Vegas Open earlier this month and also won the Australia Cup last week.
4. Andie Dikosavljevic Emerges as Women's Singles Champion
With several of the tournament's biggest names eliminated before Championship Sunday, the women's singles draw produced an unexpected final between Andie Dikosavljevic and Judit Castillo.
Dikosavljevic capitalized on the opportunity, defeating Castillo in straight games to secure one of the biggest titles of her career.
The result was another reminder of the increasing depth in women's singles, particularly as international players continue to gain experience competing against established PPA Tour professionals. Dikosavljevic had just
5. Johns and Waters Get Their Revenge Against Bright and Patriquin
The mixed doubles championship featured a familiar matchup with a very different result.
Earlier this month, Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin defeated Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters in the Las Vegas Open final, 11-9, 11-7.
This time, Johns and Waters left little doubt.
Their 11-4, 11-3 victory in Hong Kong was a convincing response to that Las Vegas loss and ensured the top seeds finished their Asian appearance with another gold medal.
For Johns, the mixed doubles victory also helped salvage Championship Sunday after his men's doubles defeat earlier in the day.
Other Storylines Worth Mentioning
Noe Khlif Upsets World No. 1 Christopher Haworth
Noe Khlif delivered one of the biggest upsets of the week, defeating top-seeded Christopher Haworth 13-11, 11-3 in the men's singles quarterfinals.
Haworth entered the tournament as the world's top-ranked singles player and had won both previous PPA meetings against Khlif.
Tama Shimabukuro Continues to Impress at Just 15 Years Old
Although he fell short against Hunter Johnson in the championship, 15-year-old Tama Shimabukuro continued his impressive rise with another men's singles final.
His silver medal also completed his PPA Tour Asia Dragon medal collection, an achievement that speaks to his consistency throughout the international season.
Sahra Dennehy Falls Short of Another Singles Final
California Black Bears standout Sahra Dennehy made another deep run, reaching the women's singles semifinals before falling to eventual champion Andie Dikosavljevic 11-1, 11-3.
Dennehy entered Hong Kong with an opportunity to complete her Dragon medal collection, but Dikosavljevic ended those hopes for the second consecutive week.
Top Seeds Go Down in Women's Singles
Neither of the top two women's singles seeds reached the semifinals.
Judit Castillo eliminated top-seeded Kaitlyn Christian 11-9, 5-11, 12-10 in the quarterfinals, while eventual champion Dikosavljevic knocked out second-seeded Chao Yi Wang.
Christian's defeat ended her opportunity to capture a third consecutive Asian singles title.
What's Next? MLP Nations Cup and PPA Worlds
With the PPA Tour Asia season officially complete, attention shifts back to the United States for two major events in Dallas.
First up is the inaugural MLP Nations Cup, scheduled for October 30–November 1 at Brookhaven Country Club. Eight international teams will compete in a unique format featuring some of the world's top professional players. Look for a complete preview of that event on Tuesday, October 27th.
Immediately following the Nations Cup is the 2026 Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, November 2–8, also at Brookhaven Country Club.
With the biggest ranking-point opportunity of the season on the line at Worlds, the next two weeks promise plenty of high-stakes pickleball.
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