Record 1,400 Pickleball Players Set to Head to Bolton for English Nationals Tournament

A record number of 1,468 pickleball players are set to head to Bolton this week, as Pickleball England hosts its annual English Nationals tournament.

Taking place from Thursday 29th October to Sunday 1st November at Bolton Arena, this year’s English Nationals is set to be the largest on record and will comprise four days of high-level pickleball competition, with players competing across men’s and women’s doubles, mixed, junior and wheelchair events.

Players from ages 8 to 80 will take to the court, with over 50 age and skill events taking place across the four days. Among the competitors will be England’s top professional players, many of whom are leading competitors in Europe. The 2026 English Nationals will be a doubles-only event and will be sponsored by Franklin, with supporting sponsorship from Proflex, Skechers, Pickleball Shop and local tech re tailer SCAN.

With an estimated 85,000 active players and over 1,500 places to play in, pickleball has continued its rapid growth globally, making it one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

Karen Mitchell, CEO of Pickleball England said:

“Pickleball is growing day by day and the number of registrations in this year’s event is demonstrative of that. Last year, we had almost 1,200 players on court and this year we’re set to have nearly 1,500! We’ll have some of the top English players from a number of different age categories competing on court, so it’s set to be an exciting few days. We hope the English Nationals will inspire more people to try the sport we all love and give pickleball a go. We’d encourage anyone to come down and watch if they’ve never seen pickleball played before – we want to showcase the best of our sport in the North West.”

Play during the English Nationals will commence from 9am each day. Head to www.pickleballengland.org to find out more about the tournament schedule or head to the ‘Club Locator’ to find your nearest place to play.

• Pickleball is a hybrid of badminton, table tennis & tennis that is easy to learn and fun to
  play, ideal for all ages and abilities.
• The racket sport continues its booming growth globally and is currently one of the
  fastest-growing sports in the world.
• 1,468 players are set to compete in this year’s English Nationals event at Bolton Arena
  at the end of this month, making it the largest on record.
• An estimated 85,000 people are currently playing pickleball nationwide, with over 1,500
  venues now offering the sport.
• Head to www.pickleballengland.org to find your nearest place to play.