While pickleball’s top stars were competing for the sport’s biggest title at the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships over the weekend, the champions of tomorrow were battling for PPA Tour contracts at the PPA Challenger Showdown.

Only the top eight unsigned players and teams from the 2026 PPA Challenger season in each division qualified for the event.

Each bracket began with pool play and concluded with the semifinal and final rounds on Saturday; the winner(s) in each division won a coveted PPA Tour contract.

Read on to see who left the Lone Star State with the opportunity of a lifetime.

Women’s Singles: Eileen Wang

Wang defeated Jessica Ho 6-11, 11-5, 13-11 in an instant classic that gave fans several memorable moments, including a point-of-the-year candidate.

Men’s Singles: Matt Burkhardt

Burkhardt defeated Troy Akin 11-0, 12-10 for the title in a rematch of their pool play clash, which Burkhardt also won 11-5, 11-8.

Burkhardt was game point down at 9-10 in Game 2, but he finished the match on a three-point run to close out the contest in straight games.

Women’s Doubles: Allie Reichert and Madalina Grigoriu

Reichert and Grigoriu defeated Marisa Ruiz and Kelsey Laurente 9-11, 11-8, 11-0 in an impressive comeback win.

They were down a game and 1-5, but they ended the match on a 21-3 run across the final two games, including a pickle performance in Game 3.

Men’s Doubles: Riley Inn and Alex Emery

Inn and Emery defeated Connor McCartney and Wade Heerboth 6-11, 11-7, 11-6 for the title in a rematch of their pool play clash, which they also won 11-7, 12-10.

The meeting in Saturday’s final was far more complicated, as Inn and Emery overcame a 0-5 deficit in the deciding game to take the title.

Mixed Doubles: Anne-Sophie Courteau and Juan Varon

Courteau and Varon defeated Madalina Grigoriu and Garrison Eaby 11-6, 10-12, 11-7 in the final, avenging their pool play loss to the same team.

They saw two match points come and go in Game 2, but they rebounded to take the win in Game 3 in the final Challenger match of the weekend.

The future is bright for these athletes—and the entire PPA Challenger Series.