Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships
Posted on April 29, 2026 by Ching under Pickleball, Travel.
Yes, you read that right. The Minto US Open is now Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships – at least this year, anyway. To get a recap from previous years, read this and this.
You can’t go to the US Open and not take a picture in front of this wall. It is iconic. I love how they add every single year so it’s easy to tell what year you were there. They’re starting to run out of room, though.
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Some key differences between this year and previous years – besides the obvious absence of two major sponsors (Minto and Margaritaville) – the player goody bag was just a basic string bag and not as nice as past year’s bags, and there was not much in it this year in terms of swag. You still got a tournament shirt, though, which was nice and always appreciated. Since Franklin is the title sponsor, players also got a commemorative Franklin X40 ball this year. Brian and I ran into a few people at the tournament such as Ramon’s friend Johnny (whose last name I forget) and William and Rosti Sobek (below). |
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We also had a fun Lunar sighting. This young kid named Nicholas from California is sponsored by Lunar.
The usual suspects were there – Kyle Yates and Rob Cassidy.
We got to see Rich Lively, a senior pro who we met through our friend Susie Ternes because she hosted him one year.
And we got to watch Jack Oxler play several matches throughout the week.
And, of course, we also watched our favorite pro Jay Devilliers. He got to partner with Anna Leigh Waters in mixed doubles which was amazing!
My friend Laurie Adams and I played together in 3.5 women’s doubles 40-49 age group on Thursday. I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of us in our matching Chicken N Pickle team uniforms!
Then on Saturday I played 3.5 mixed doubles 40-49 age group with Michael Cheung. We played in our matching Lunar shirts.
I actually got accept for 3.5 singles 40-49 age group as well but the event was on Saturday, April 11, the day we were flying in so I had to withdraw. At least I withdrew early enough that I didn’t have to pay for the event that I couldn’t play in.
I was a bit more subdued this year and didn’t hound people for pictures. Something I deeply regret because I love looking back at photos and there’s not as much for me too look back on from this last trip. However, I did get participate in the iconic US Open flag ceremony this year.
Brian didn’t want any part of it so he just stayed in the Fan Zone while Michael and I walked with the Philippine contingency. It was so cool. The flag ceremony is one of the most unique and distinctive features of the US Open tournament and I was grateful to be part of it. I want to bring the Wichita flag next year.
Besides spending time at the tournament, Brian and I got to eat some good (albeit expensive) food and do some touristy things while we were in Naples. I’ll share more about those activities in the next post. Stay tuned!
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