Hometown Showdown

All you need to know going into the 2025 Chicago Open

Daniel Sagerman

August 27, 2025

It’s good to be home.

As our summer circuit comes to a close, there’s no better place to celebrate than Chicago, birthplace of the APP Tour. Our ninth tournament of 2025 is officially here, as the seventh annual APP Chicago Open gets underway.

The world’s first and world’s best pickleball tour returns to Danny Cunniff Park and the brand-new Club Pickle & Padel in Highland Park for five days of elite pickleball action. Pickleball players from around the world will hit the courts to battle for hardware, featuring amateurs of all ages, pickleball’s elite pros and the AARP Champions (50+) and AARP Masters (60+) divisions.

In addition to national television coverage on CBS Sports Network, the APP Tour is bringing four full days of livestream coverage on Championship Court on APPTV on YouTube and Marquee Sports Network, home of MLB’s Chicago Cubs., as well as Players Court coverage on APPTV on YouTube.

The APP Tour pros are ready to ring in Labor Day Weekend in style. Here are the top pro storylines heading into the 2025 APP Chicago Open.

SWEET HOME CHICAGO

The APP Tour returns to the place where it all began - its hometown of Chicago - for the seventh annual APP Chicago Open. Danny Cunniff Park in Highland Park will host the world's top pro pickleball players and hundreds of amateur players over five action-packed days of competition.

SUPER SOFIA

Sofia Sewing may be the top-ranked APP Tour women's singles pro in 2025, but she's also emerged as a top doubles player. At the 2025 APP Great Lakes Open, Sewing took home her first career gold medals in both women's pro doubles and mixed pro doubles, and has her sights set on a Triple Crown in Chicago.

FUDGE ON TOP

Megan Fudge returns to action as the APP Tour's all-time leader in total career medals (75). Fudge took home a bronze medal in women's pro doubles in Midland with Jill Braverman, and the duo are the top seeds in Chicago once again.

GOING BALLISTIC

Richard Livornese, Jr. and Tanner Tomassi took home their second-straight men's pro doubles title in Midland, and much like the 90's Bulls, will look to make it a three-peat in Chicago.

DON'T MESS WITH THIS KAT

Katerina Stewart remains on an unstoppable tear in womens' pro singles, taking home her second gold medal in a row. Stewart will once more look to defend her crown as the No. 4 seed in Chicago.

MONEY MUNRO

Jack Munro returns to action tied for the most total medals among APP Tour men's pros in 2025 (13). The Austin, Texas native owns the top seed in men's pro doubles with Will Howells, and is the No. 2 mixed doubles seed with Megan Fudge. Munro also threw out the First Pitch at Monday's Chicago White Sox game!

OSHIRO ALL DAY

Bobbi Oshiro is has 11 total medals, including six golds, in 2025 and after medaling in all three women's events in Midland. The Hawaii native won the women's pro doubles title with Sofia Sewing and took home silver in mixed pro doubles and women's pro singles. Oshiro pairs up with Will Howells in mixed pro doubles and Allison Harris in women's pro doubles in Chicago.

PURPLE POWER

Max Manthou and Erik Lange reunite as the No. 2 men's pro doubles seeds in Chicago. The purple-clad Pacific Northwest duo have two silver medals as a team in 2025, and took home bronze medals together in last year's APP Chicago Open.

BRAVERMANIA

Jill Braverman took home two bronze medals at the APP Great Lakes Open, raising her 2025 medal total to 12. Braverman and Megan Fudge are once again the top seeds in women's pro doubles heading into Chicago, and Braverman also pairs up with Callan Dawson in mixed pro doubles.

CHICAGO'S VERY OWN

Ammar Wazir, a former Univ. of Illinois-Chicago tennis standout, won his first career APP Tour gold medal in Midland as the men's pro singles champion. Wazir also earned his first career doubles title - taking home bronze in men's pro doubles with Randy Blanco.

RAISING THE BARR

Susannah Barr ranks third all-time in APP Tour history for total career medals (55) and eighth all-time for gold medals (17). A proud supporter of college pickleball, Barr was recently named the APP's College Player and Program Liaison for the APP Selkirk Collegiate Series. Barr pairs up with Alexa Schull in women's pro doubles and Brandon Lane in mixed pro doubles in Chicago.

DON’T MISS THE ACTION

Live coverage from the 2025 APP Chicago Open begins Thursday, August 28 on APPTV on YouTube and Marquee Sports Network, and continues through Sunday, August 31. CBS Sports Network will carry a linear television recap show in the coming weeks. Dorian Craft, pro pickleball coach Dominic Catalano and APP U.S. National Team head coach Chad Edwards will be on the call.

Fans can stay posted on all the action on UTR Sports and by following the APP’s social media pages: @OfficialAPPTour on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Threads and APP Tour on Facebook.

Venues:

Danny Cunniff Park

2700 Trail Way

Highland Park, IL 60035

Club Pickle & Padel

2205 Skokie Valley Rd.

Highland Park, IL 60035

Broadcast Info (all times Eastern):
Championship Court

Thursday, 8/28 | 11 am - 5 pm | APPTV on YouTube, Court Sports Network, Facebook

Thursday, 8/28 | 11 am - 4 pm | Marquee Sports Network

Friday, 8/29 | 1 - 7 pm | APPTV on YouTube, Court Sports Network, Facebook

Friday, 8/29 | 1 - 6 pm | Marquee Sports Network