February 27, 2026 — DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) today announced plans to develop a new wheelchair pickleball rating system, a groundbreaking initiative designed to expand inclusion and competitive fairness in the sport. The new system will integrate seamlessly into DUPR’s existing platform, ensuring adaptive athletes benefit from the same unified rating structure that powers pickleball globally.

Developed in partnership with wheelchair athletes, tournament organizers, and the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships, which features a dedicated wheelchair division, this initiative reflects a shared commitment to advancing adaptive competition. With the Franklin US Open celebrating its 10th anniversary in Naples, Florida, the collaboration underscores a powerful moment to elevate visibility, access, and competitive integrity for wheelchair pickleball on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

“Inclusion is at the heart of pickleball’s growth, and this rating system is a critical step forward,” said Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR. “We’re proud to work alongside leaders like the US Open Pickleball Championships team to create a system that reflects the true diversity of our sport. While we finalize the technology, we’re excited to share more details soon.”

“This is exactly the kind of progress our sport needs, measurable, meaningful, and built with athletes at the center,” said Ben Weinberger. “At the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships, we’re proud of our inclusivity mission and the role our wheelchair division plays in welcoming and celebrating adaptive competition. There is no better place to spotlight and launch this initiative than our 10th anniversary, in front of a global pickleball community that believes everyone deserves a fair and competitive playing field.”

The new rating category will enable tournaments, clubs, and players to create more balanced matchups, refine seeding accuracy, and track player progression with greater precision. By aligning with DUPR’s global ecosystem, wheelchair athletes will gain the same opportunities for competitive development as their peers.

“This partnership with DUPR is a milestone for adaptive athletes,” said Ryan Anthony, wheelchair pickleball athlete and advocate. “Having a rating system that recognizes our skill level and progression means we can compete with confidence and continue growing the sport we love.”

As development progresses, DUPR and its partners, including the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships, will share updates on the system’s availability and features. The collaboration reinforces a collective vision for a more inclusive future in pickleball, where every athlete can compete, improve, and be recognized with the same standard of excellence.

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About DUPR‍

DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the premier global pickleball rating system and technology platform, 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. DUPR is the official pickleball rating of leagues, tournaments, and clubs around the world, including USA Pickleball, United Pickleball Association (UPA), Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), Major League Pickleball (MLP), Pickleball.com, Life Time, The Picklr, National Team Pickleball League, and National Pickleball League. It also owns and operates Minor League Pickleball and Collegiate Pickleball, two of the biggest amateur leagues in the sport. Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more.

About the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships

‍Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships is the sport’s signature destination event and home of The Biggest Pickleball Party in the World™. Founded in 2016 and held annually in Naples, Florida, at the USOP National Pickleball Center at East Naples Community Park, the event welcomes athletes and fans from around the globe for a week of competition across professional, senior professional, amateur, junior, and wheelchair divisions, plus entertainment and onsite activations. The US Open Pickleball Championships is owned by Spirit Promotions LLC, a Pickle4 Company. For more information, visit www.usopenpickleball.com or follow The Open on Instagram @usopenpickleball, Facebook, and X @usopenpicklebal.