The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) today announced the return of a fan-favorite international team competition back to the APP calendar, the APP Atlantic Cup. Featuring the world’s best pickleball players, Team USA will face Team Europe on Friday night, December 4, 2026, at The Fort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla, in an event that will be nationally televised on CBS from 4:30–5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 5.  

The event coincides with the 2026 APP Tour Championships, the APP Tour’s season finale, taking place at The Fort from December 3 to 6, 2026. Returning for the first time since March 2024, the APP Atlantic Cup will mark the second edition of the event in APP history. Team USA won the inaugural event, held in Miami.

“The APP Atlantic Cup brings a different energy to the court, with players competing for their teammates, national pride, and fans rallying behind Team USA and Team Europe,” said APP Founder Ken Herrmann. “We’re excited to showcase this unique APP event to a historic audience and add another reason for fans to join us as we close out the 2026 APP Tour season.”

The team-based competition brings an international rivalry to the APP Tour’s season-ending celebration, giving fans the opportunity to watch leading American and European players compete together for the APP Atlantic Cup. The teams will compete in a series of mixed doubles events to crown its champions.

The full Team USA and Team Europe rosters will be unveiled in the coming weeks, and will feature top-end talent from the APP Tour.

How the APP Atlantic Cup Works:

• Team USA vs. Team Europe: Each team features six players—three women and three men—with every match played as mixed doubles.

• Six Sprints open the competition: Teams compete in six (6) mixed doubles games, using a different pairing for each Sprint. Every player competes in exactly two Sprints. Each Sprint will be played on an eight-minute timer.

• Every rally counts: The competition will use rally scoring, meaning a point is awarded on every rally, regardless of which team serves. When time expires, any rally in progress is completed; a tie is settled by one deciding “Golden Rally.”

• Sprint wins create a head start: Each Sprint victory earns one starting point in the Championship Relay. For example, winning four of six Sprints gives a team a 4-2 lead entering the final.

• A final Championship Relay decides the Cup: The Championship Relay features one decisive 24-minute mixed doubles match with a new pairing entering every four minutes. Every player competes in two rotations. The results of the Sprints will determine the “head start” a team has entering the Championship Relay.

• Win the final, win the APP Atlantic Cup: The team that leads when the 24-minute clock expires will win the APP Atlantic Cup. If the score is tied, the next rally wins the Cup.

The Fort, the world-class venue home to the APP’s official headquarters and player development center, will provide the setting for both the APP Atlantic Cup and the 2026 APP Tour Championships, bringing international team competition and the season finale together in one of pickleball's biggest hotbeds: Fort Lauderdale.

Additional information about the APP Atlantic Cup and the 2026 APP Tour Championships will be available at TheAPP.global.