PICKLEBALL INC., UNITED PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION AND DUPR (DYNAMIC UNIVERSAL PICKLEBALL RATING) ANNOUNCE A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO DELIVER THE BEST-IN-CLASS EXPERIENCE FOR ALL PICKLEBALL PLAYERS

Dallas and Austin, TX (April 12, 2024) –  In a milestone deal for pickleball, Pickleball Inc. and the United Pickleball Association (UPA), the parent company of Major League Pickleball (MLP) and The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour), and DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) today announce a strategic partnership to provide pickleball players with a best-in-class experience when engaging in pickleball play, including tournaments, leagues, club and recreational play.

This partnership unites the pickleball play industry leaders to deliver the following:

• UPA has designated DUPR as the official rating across its properties and competitions. DUPR elected to align with UPA due to the organization’s gold-standard competition entities and unmatched global audience of pickleball enthusiasts. 

• Pickleball Inc., will adopt DUPR as the exclusive rating provider for its leading software and technology, including Pickleball Brackets, Pickleball Tournaments, and Pickleball.com’s club, league and ladder software. 

• DUPR will exclusively utilize Pickleball Inc.’s Pickleball Play Solutions to run DUPR-owned events and will benefit from Pickleball Inc.’s reach and powerful technology to receive the most comprehensive competitive player match data in pickleball.

“This partnership with Pickleball Inc. and UPA aligns us with the industry leaders across pro and amateur pickleball and positions DUPR as the common language of pickleball,” said Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR. “UPA, Pickleball Inc. and DUPR are united in growing and providing a best-in-class pickleball play experience to establish the foundational systems of the sport that will grow the game for generations to come. With DUPR, players, organizers and fans have a simple way to know their skill level, find and organize better events and have more fun on the court.”

“DUPR has established itself as the standard for player ratings in pickleball, and we are excited to move forward as industry leaders together,” said Connor Pardoe, CEO of Pickleball Inc. and Founder and CEO of the PPA Tour. “Integrating DUPR ratings across our properties will enhance our industry leading pickleball play software solutions, as well as competitive, pro and amateur events.” 

About DUPR 
DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the premier global pickleball rating system, trusted by the world’s leading clubs, tournaments, leagues and players. DUPR’s dynamic rating system unifies pickleball across age, gender and location by analyzing match results to accurately evaluate all players across a 2.000 – 8.000 scale. Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more. Today, DUPR has over half a million users, a 20% month-over-month growth rate since its founding, and a presence in over 140 countries, including China, India, Germany, and the UK. 

In early 2024, DUPR welcomed new board members and investors, including David Kass, tennis legend Andre Agassi, and others to support its mission of unifying the pickleball community with a common language through an accurate, global rating system. The company’s partners and supporters include Life Time, The Picklr, JOOLA, Gamma Sports and many others.

About Pickleball Inc.
Pickleball, Inc. is the go-to organization for all things pickleball. Across amateur and professional events, world-class instruction, premier content, data and software, unrivaled commerce and more, Pickleball, Inc. serves fans and players alike with everything they need to enjoy the sport. Entities overseen by the organization include: The Carvana PPA Tour, the competitive circuit for the best professional players in the world and the host of more than 25 pro and amateur events at top venues across the country; Pickleball Central, the leading pickleball omnichannel retailer with gear for people of all ages and levels;  Pickleball Tournaments and Pickleball Brackets, leaders in tournament software delivering a next-generation experience for events, leagues, and ladders; PickleballTV, the 24/7 pickleball network; Pickleball.com, the go-to source for pickleball news and information; and TopCourt, the premier provider of online pickleball and tennis instruction.

About the United Pickleball Association
The United Pickleball Association (UPA) is the steward of the fastest-growing sport in the United States and brings the world’s best professional and amateur pickleball to millions of people globally. As the parent company of the Professional Pickleball Association (Carvana PPA Tour), Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville) and the United Pickleball State Championship Series, UPA serves as the go-to entity for players and fans to compete in world-class events and enjoy the top pickleball athletes on the sport’s biggest stages.