The Dink Minor League Pickleball National Championships to Bring the Nation’s Best Amateurs to Compete in December

Players in The Dink Minor League Pickleball National Championships will face off at Missouri Pickleball Club in a Thrilling Coed Team Pickleball Format in a Bid for a National Title, $50,000 in Prize Money, and a trip to Dubai to compete in the Pickleball World Series.

Nov 19, 2024

[Fenton, Missouri] The Dink, in collaboration with DUPR, announced The Dink Minor League Pickleball (The Dink MiLP) National Championships will be held at Missouri Pickleball Club on Dec 13-15, 2024. 

In 2024, over 11,000 amateur pickleball players have competed in more than 135 nationwide and international events to move up the national leaderboard and qualify for the National Championships. 

Out of those who competed, 500 players qualified for the ultimate showdown, where they will battle for a prize purse of $50,000, the largest in The Dink MiLP’s history and the second-largest amateur pickleball purse ever. The winners of the DUPR 22, or advanced, division will secure an all-expense-paid trip to Dubai, UAE, and a spot to compete in The Pickleball World Series in 2025.

The Dink Minor League Pickleball, powered by title sponsor Pickleball World Rankings, has grown over 300% in both 2023 and 2024 and has now held or scheduled events across the US, Canada, Australia, Mexico, India, China, and the UAE. Its hundreds of local competitions create the foundation of the National Pathway, which includes seven Regional Playoffs and the National Championship.

The Dink MiLP has served as a stepping stone for players aiming for professional careers, including touring pros Connor Garnett, Kate Fahey, Kaitlyn Christian, Jack Munro, Alex and Angie Walker, and Max Manthou. While the competition can reach the highest levels, the league is primarily geared toward amateur participants with multiple divisions for beginners and advanced players.

Event Structure

Teams are divided into 6 pools, separated by skill level based on their collective DUPR rating (DUPR 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22). Each team competed in a round-robin, playing women’s doubles,  men’s doubles, and two mixed doubles games. If there is a tie, the teams compete in a unique format called a Dreambreaker, in which all team members play a game of singles, swapping out players every four points.

The winners of the DUPR 22 bracket will receive $3,500 in prize money and secure a place at the Pickleball World Rankings National Championships in Dubai. The players will compete in a traditional tournament bracket earning an additional $3k appearance fee for each event they play.

“We’re thrilled to be partnered with DUPR to put on the most exciting amateur competition in pickleball. The drive these players and teams have to claim the title of the top amateurs in the country is out of this world. There really is nothing else like it!” — Thomas Shields, Founder & CEO of The Dink.

Spectators can watch the National Championships in person at the Missouri Pickleball Club or tune in online via The Dink YouTube channel.

About The Dink

The Dink Pickleball stands as the premier pickleball media outlet with over 1 million subscribers, followers, and listeners, while also offering events and its leading pickleball subscription box, The Pickleball Box. As a dedicated source for all things pickleball, The Dink delivers top-notch content, highlights, tips, news, and engaging experiences to its audience, including amateur tournaments, celebrity pro-ams, and pro exhibitions. For more information, visit thedinkpickleball.com.

About The Dink Minor League Pickleball 

Minor League Pickleball offers an innovative team competition format, bringing together teams consisting of four players (two women and two men). Spanning multiple days, our events feature a unique and engaging format with exciting variations on traditional match-ups and scoring systems for games, matches, and tiebreakers. With events hosted in 25 states across the nation, including 108 confirmed events and 7 Regionals, Minor League Pickleball has attracted over 8,000 players since its inception in 2022, providing a dynamic and competitive platform for pickleball players of all skill levels For more information visit www.dupr.com/minorleague.

About DUPR

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. Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more.