New Global Championship Gives Everyday Players the Opportunity to Represent Their Country on the International Stage

Delray Beach, FL. — DUPR announced the launch of the Nations Cup, a new international team competition that will debut as part of The Dink 2027 Minor League Pickleball Championships, taking place in February.

Minor League Pickleball is already the largest team-based pickleball league in the world, with 20,000 players competing every month across more than 20 countries providing structured, DUPR-based team play for players of all skill levels. Designed to expand access to international competition, the Nations Cup introduces a first-of-its-kind pathway that allows players of all skill levels to earn the opportunity to represent their country through the MiLP ecosystem.

While most international pickleball events are reserved for elite professionals, the Nations Cup opens the door to the broader pickleball community. Through domestic and regional qualification pathways, players from around the world will have the chance to compete for a spot on their nation's roster and wear their country's colors on one of the sport's biggest stages.

"Pickleball's growth has been fueled by everyday players, not just professionals," said Caroline Luelf, Director of Minor League Pickleball at DUPR. "The Nations Cup was created to celebrate that reality. This competition gives players from across the world something truly special to compete for: the chance to represent their country alongside teammates who have earned their place through performance and competition."

The Nations Cup will feature a nation-versus-nation team format built around the proven Minor League Pickleball structure. Teams will compete in DUPR-based divisions, creating meaningful international competition for players at multiple skill levels.

To ensure broad international representation, participation will be capped at one qualifying team per country within each division. Teams will earn their place through designated domestic and regional qualification events, creating a clear pathway from local competition to the international stage.

The introduction of the Nations Cup marks another milestone in the continued evolution of Minor League Pickleball, which has become one of the fastest-growing team-based formats in the sport. By combining DUPR's skill-based divisions with national team competition, the event aims to create exciting and balanced international matchups while giving players a new goal beyond local and regional tournaments.

The Nations Cup will be held alongside the Minor League Pickleball Championships, bringing together top MiLP teams, club players, rising competitors, and international delegations for a week-long celebration of team pickleball.

Additional details regarding qualification pathways, participating countries, division structure, and registration timelines will be announced in the coming months.

About the Nations Cup

The Nations Cup is an international team competition created by Minor League Pickleball that allows players of all skill levels to qualify and compete on behalf of their country. Built around DUPR-based divisions and the MiLP team format, the Nations Cup creates a pathway from local competition to international representation for pickleball players around the world.

About Minor League Pickleball

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, Global Pickleball Federation (GPF), United Pickleball Association (UPA), Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), Major League Pickleball (MLP), Pickleball.com, Life Time, The Picklr, National Team Pickleball League, 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.