MLP Nations Cup 2026 Tournament Preview: Everything You Need to Know

Eight international teams, 48 professional players, and one championship. Major League Pickleball is going global.

Major League Pickleball is introducing an entirely new international competition this week, as the inaugural MLP Nations Cup takes place October 30–November 1 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas.

The three-day event will feature eight regional teams competing in the familiar MLP coed team format, with some of the world's biggest pickleball stars representing their home countries and regions.

Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Andrei Daescu, Judit Castillo, Sahra Dennehy, Eric Oncins, and Mari Humberg are among the 48 players participating in the event.

The Nations Cup will also serve as the official kickoff to the 2026 Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, which begin November 2 at the same venue.

Tournament Information


Event	Inaugural MLP Nations Cup
Dates	Friday, October 30 – Sunday, November 1, 2026
Location	Brookhaven Country Club
City	Farmers Branch, Texas (Dallas area)
Teams	8
Players	48
Format	Round-robin pool play followed by single-elimination playoffs
Broadcast	PickleballTV and PickleballTV app
Tickets	Official event and ticket information

Tournament Format

The eight teams are divided into two groups of four, with each team playing three round-robin matches across Friday and Saturday.

The top two teams from each group advance to Sunday's single-elimination championship bracket.

Friday, October 30: Six round-robin matches
Saturday, October 31: Six round-robin matches
Sunday, November 1: Two semifinals and the championship match

The semifinal matchups will cross groups: Group A's winner faces Group B's runner-up, while Group B's winner faces Group A's runner-up.

The winners advance to the final, where the first MLP Nations Cup champion will be crowned.

How to Watch: Broadcast Schedule

All matches will be available on PickleballTV or the PickleballTV app.

Date	Coverage begins	Broadcast
Friday, October 30	11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT	PickleballTV
Saturday, October 31	11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT	PickleballTV
Sunday, November 1 — Semifinals	11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT	PickleballTV
Sunday, November 1 — Championship	3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT	PickleballTV

Championship Court will be streamed on PickleballTV, with any Grandstand Court coverage available through the app.

Complete Match Schedule

Teams, Captains, and Rosters

Group A

United States • Canada • Europe – West • Asia Domestic

Team USA

Captain: Johnny Goldberg
Roster: Anna Bright, Tyra Black, Kate Fahey, Ben Johns, CJ Klinger, Will Howells

Team Canada

Captain: Steve Deakin
Roster: Victoria DiMuzio, Blaine Hovenier, Armaan Jiwa Mawji, Layne Sleeth, Ryan Torresin, Angie Walker

Team Europe – West

Captain: Chris Cantino
Roster: Judit Castillo (Spain), Helena Jansen (Spain), Will MacKinnon (Scotland), Theo Platel (France), Estee Widdershoven (Belgium), DJ Young (Spain)

Team Asia Domestic

Co-captains: Geoffrey Nguyen and Jeff Tsao
Roster: Augie Ge (China), Milan Rane (India), Jonathan Truong (Vietnam), Zoey Wang (Chinese Taipei), Jamie Wei (Chinese Taipei), Len Yang (China)

Group B

Australia • Latin America • Europe – East • Asia International

Team Australia

Captain: Sange Carter
Roster: Sarah Burr, Chris Crouch, Sahra Dennehy, Mitch Hargreaves, Danni-Elle Townsend, George Wall

Team Latin America

Captain: Juan Benitez
Roster: Nico Acevedo (Chile), Mari Humberg (Brazil), Rafa Lenhard (Brazil), Eric Oncins (Brazil), Alexa Schull (Puerto Rico), Charlie Trevino (Mexico)

Team Europe – East

Captain: Caleb Garrard
Roster: Andrei Daescu (Romania), Arwid Dahlin (Sweden), Ivan Jakovljevic (Croatia), Lina Padegimaite (Lithuania), Tina Pisnik (Slovenia), Daria Walczak (Poland)

Team Asia International

Captain: Madeleine Lim
Roster: Rika Fujiwara (Japan), Lingwei Kong (China), Jimmy Liong (Malaysia), Tama Shimabukuro (Japan), Jack Wong (Hong Kong, China), Macy Ybañez (Philippines)

Note: MLP's September 24 announcement had Hien Truong listed on this team, but an October 20 update confirmed Tama Shimabukuro has now replaced him.

A Few Things to Watch

1. Team USA Enters With a Loaded Roster

With Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Kate Fahey, Tyra Black, CJ Klinger, and Will Howells, Team USA has an impressive combination of MLP experience and elite doubles talent.

Johnny Goldberg will captain a team that figures to be among the favorites to win the inaugural title.

2. Group B Could Be Wide Open

Australia, Latin America, Europe – East, and Asia International will compete for just two semifinal spots.

Australia features Sahra Dennehy, while Latin America brings together Eric Oncins, Nico Acevedo, and Mari Humberg. Europe – East is led by Andrei Daescu, with former standout Tina Pisnik also on the roster.

3. A New Opportunity for International Players

The Nations Cup provides an opportunity for established international stars and emerging players to compete in the MLP format, including athletes who have not regularly appeared in traditional MLP competition.

The event also provides an international showcase immediately before the PPA Tour's biggest tournament of the year.

What's Next?

The Nations Cup is only the beginning of a busy stretch of professional pickleball in Dallas.

The 2026 Opendoor Pickleball World Championships will take place November 2–8 at Brookhaven Country Club, featuring another week of competition as the PPA Tour returns to Texas for one of its marquee events.