Your sneak peek of the 2025 Australian Pickleball Championships

The biggest event on Australia’s pickleball calendar is back, and it’s going to be even bigger in 2025! With a brand new venue, updated tournament scheduling, and over 230 events on offer for all ages and abilities, this year’s Trilogy Funds Australian Pickleball Championships (APC) is shaping up to be a landmark moment for pickleball across Australia.

Beyond the Court was invited to join the 2025 APC official launch with first access to all the exciting details (including a few surprise updates for this year), and now we get to share them all with you!

So whether you’re a seasoned tournament player or eyeing your first-ever comp, here’s everything you need to know to start planning now.

Get the key details locked in early! Here’s your quick guide to the 2025 Australian Pickleball Championships:

• Event: 2025 Trilogy Funds Australian Pickleball Championships (APC)
• Dates: Monday 29 September – Monday 6 October, 2025
• Location: Pimpama Sports Hub*, Gold Coast QLD
• Hosted by: Pickleball Australia, in partnership with Experience Gold Coast and Trilogy Funds
• Registrations open: Sunday, 21 April on pickleballtournaments.com
• Expected players: 2,000+ from across Australia and beyond

This year marks the second of a four-year partnership bringing APC to the Gold Coast. After an incredible turnout in 2024, the 2025 event is expected to break records yet again.

*The Pimpama Sports Hub is the largest sports precinct on the northern Gold Coast. Learn more about the venue and architecture here and here!

Pimpama Sports Hub will be will be transformed into a full-scale ‘pickleball paradise’, creating a purpose-built tournament atmosphere the likes of which we haven’t seen before in Australia.

• Approx. 56 dedicated pickleball courts
• Two broadcasted show courts for livestreaming key matches
• Entertainment hub to keep the action pumping off court
• Player recovery zone to keep everyone competing at their best

Plus, for the first time, the event will run for eight full days, allowing more events, more flexibility in scheduling, and a smoother experience for players and spectators.

We also saw the announcement of this year’s APC Ambassadors: Lachy Donnelly, Shannon Burr, Dion Reweti, Deb Simpkins, Martin Simpkins, and Katy Hart! This amazing group of players will help champion the event in the lead-up to September.

One of the standout (and my favourite) aspects of the APC is its commitment to being a truly national, inclusive event, offering playing opportunities across all ages, levels, abilities, and formats.

Your 2025 APC will feature:

• 230+ events on offer
• Categories from juniors to 80+, including:
  • Gender doubles
  • Mixed doubles
  • Singles
  • Skinny singles
  • Split age and hybrid doubles

In 2025, we will also see the introduction of a new event, the 125+ combined age doubles. That should be a fun one!

We also have updated scheduling from day five for the amateur levels:

• Friday: Men’s doubles + Women’s split age
• Saturday: Women’s doubles + Men’s split age
• Sunday: Mixed doubles
• Monday: Singles + Skinny singles

So, whether you’re coming to compete or to spectate, I can guarantee there’s something for you at the APC.

While this event is grounded in community, the professional draw is getting a spicy little upgrade in 2025. This year’s pros will compete in a progressive draw format:

• Players will play one match of each discipline per day (singles, doubles, mixed)
• Winners progress to the next round on the following day
• Losers enter a back draw for additional matches

There will be a max entry of 32 players and teams in the pro draw, with DUPR as the official rating of Pickleball Australia determining who gets accepted.

The action culminates with an exciting championship finals day on Monday, 06 October where the top pros will compete for a share of the $30,000+ prize pool.

Whether you’re signing up to compete or joining me on the sidelines, there’s heaps of ways to get involved.

• Players: Register from 21 April via pickleballtournaments.com
• Spectators: Free entry across all days
• Streaming: Follow matches from home via live broadcast of show courts
• Public transport: 50c fares across Queensland + direct bus access to the Pimpama Sports Hub

October on the Gold Coast brings the sun… and the heat. Be tournament-ready with:

• Sunscreen and sun-protective clothing
• A good hat or umbrella (some might even recommend a bucket hat)
• Plenty of water (and definitely some electrolytes)

And if you’re a bit ~overprepared~ like me, I also like to bring along a rechargeable portable fan, a refillable ice pack, plenty of snacks, and a camping chair or towel to watch from the sidelines!

With more players, more courts, more socials, more money, and more community than ever before, the 2025 APC is set to be unforgettable. If you’re keen to stay updated on all things pickle in Aus, be sure to follow @_beyondthecourt for the latest!

And, look out for the official APC media release from Pickleball Australia coming soon.

See you in Pimpama!

xo,

Tati