The 2026 MLP regular season closed out in Orlando with what will go down as the best MLP event to date. MLP Orlando had everything. Close matches, playoff hopes on the line, the battle for the #1 seed, DreamBreakers going overtime, the GOAT vs. GOAT game, record crowds, and more. Fittingly, the very last match of the regular season not only went to a DreamBreaker, but a DreamBreaker that needed overtime. MLP Orlando had it all.

 

Let’s try to recap the many highlights and give some insight on the upcoming playoffs.

 

 

Coming in to Orlando, St. Louis and New Jersey were tied for first place. They had battled each other for supremacy all year. MLP Orlando would determine which team would hold the top seed in the playoffs. The two teams defeated all rivals in pool play, so they entered Super Sunday both undefeated this week. In the opening women’s doubles match, everyone was looking to see how Jorja Johnson would handle the likely targeting from St. Louis that we had seen at the Mid-Season Tournament. Johnson was ready for it, and played perhaps her best game of the year. Johnson and Anna Leigh Waters got the victory, 11-5. St. Louis evened the score with an 11-5 win in men’s doubles. That set up what was arguably the game of the year, an incredible mixed doubles match of Waters and Noe Khlif against Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin. It went back and forth, with each team having multiple game points. Waters and Khlif finally got the victory, 15-13. Everyone in the record crowd was exhausted from that match, but there was one more to go. But, the #2 mixed match proved anticlimactic, with New Jersey scoring an easy 11-2 win to secure the match and the top seed.

 

New Jersey will now control all choices in the playoffs, including match opponents and lineups. We will have to wait and see if that proves decisive.

 

 

 

Coming into Orlando, there were six teams fighting for three playoff spots. SoCal was not playing, so they had to sit it out and hope their rivals did not pass them by. California and Chicago held the 11th and 12th spots in the standings, the last two spots. But right behind them were Las Vegas and Orlando. Miami was also still alive, albeit as a longshot. All five teams chasing SoCal were in action in Orlando.

 

Las Vegas started hot with three wins over Phoenix, Orlando, and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn win was especially big, getting Las Vegas almost to the point of ensuring a playoff spot. But upstart Miami was not through yet. Miami started slow, with losses to St. Louis and Brooklyn. But Miami was not through yet. They needed about 10 things to go right, and those pins started to drop. Miami needed California and Chicago to do no better than fourth in their separate pool and California and Chicago both went 1-3 in their first four matches, keeping Miami alive. Miami did what they needed to do, beating Las Vegas and Orlando. Now, Miami needed to beat Phoenix 4-0 to keep their longshot bid going. Alas, Miami lost women’s doubles 11-9, mathematically eliminating Miami from the playoffs, despite the fact Miami went on to win 3-1.

 

 

Once Miami was eliminated, Las Vegas was in and Orlando was out. That left two teams fighting for one spot, California and Chicago. They squared off in pool play. California looked to have it, winning both women’s and men’s doubles. Chicago was toast, unless they could win both mixed matches and a DreamBreaker. But, that’s just what happened! The DreamBreaker was the best in the history of MLP. It was a back and forth affair. All eight players involved were giving 110%. Zoey Weil was the early star, dominating the fourth spot against Elsie Hendershot. California had a nice lead, but John Lucian Goins led them back in the third rotation, hitting unbelievable winners to give his team a chance. Both teams had their chances to close it out, and ultimately it came back to Weil vs. Hendershot. Hendershot won the last two points for the victory.

 

But Chicago was not done. They were alive, but needed a Super Sunday win over Miami to secure that 12th and last playoff spot. They won both women’s and men’s doubles easily by scores of 11-5 and 11-2. But give Miami credit. That team has all the heart in the world. They were playing only for pride, but pride carried them to two mixed doubles wins, the second one by 12-10, to force a DreamBreaker. Chicago won the DreamBreaker 21-15 to nail down the last playoff spot. But we all need to congratulate Miami for both fighting for that last playoff spot, and then giving Chicago all they could handle on Sunday.

 

 

 

The last match on Sunday meant nothing to the standings, but you could not tell that watching LA against Brooklyn. They traded wins back and forth, ending in a 2-2 tie. That meant the 2026 season would close with a DreamBreaker. Considering how close the matches were all week in Orlando, a season-ending DreamBreaker could not have been more fitting. But, there was more. It went back and forth, yet another DreamBreaker where both teams gave it their all and had a chance to win. Playing for nothing but pride, Stefan Auvergne and Hannah Blatt led a comeback that fell just short, with LA taking the win 22-20. An overtime DreamBreaker to close the season; yep, that felt just right.

 

 

 

MLP Orlando was an epic close to the 2026 regular season. But, the playoffs look like they can top it. Next week, MLP moves to Dallas where the top four teams will enjoy a bye. Teams in fifth through 12th place will battle it out for the right to go to Newport Beach and to try and upset the top four teams. Brooklyn gets to choose their opponent and likely will pick SoCal, as SoCal will be missing their top player, Armaan Bhatia. Expect Dallas to choose Chicago as their opponent. That will leave Palm Beach to pick Las Vegas, and Texas will end up against Atlanta. The higher seeds will all be substantial favorites. If you want to look for an upset, check Atlanta. They are playing well, and match up reasonably well against Texas.

 

 

Four teams will emerge from Dallas and go on to Newport Beach. There they will have the tough task of taking on the top four, New Jersey, St. Louis, LA, and Columbus. The four winners from Newport Beach go to New York for the semifinals and finals. After seeing what happened in Orlando, expect New York to be off the charts exciting.

 

All playoff games will be on Pickleballtv.

 

Follow me on X @pickleball_jim for updates.