The APP Tour arrives in Asia for the very first time this February, and Kuala Lumpur is ready to make a statement.

Running from 9 to 14 February at PLAYA Racquet Club @ PARC Subang, the Leapmotor APP Kuala Lumpur Open 2026 brings together a record-breaking 1,760 participants across Professional, Amateur, and Junior APP NEXT divisions, making it the largest pickleball tournament ever held in Malaysia.

More than 20 elite APP US professionals headline the pro field, including APP Tour all-time career medals leader Megan Fudge, 2025 men’s gold medal leader Jack Munro and 2025 women’s gold medal leader Sofia Sewing, joined by top competitors from Asia and Australia. With new conditions, unfamiliar opponents, and international pride on the line, this week promises far more than routine results. For many players, this is about adaptation, chemistry, and proving that their game travels.

Women’s Pro Singles

Can anyone disrupt the rhythm at the top?

Women’s Pro Singles arrives with a clear benchmark and several credible challengers.

Sofia Sewing enters Kuala Lumpur as 2025’s reigning number 1 ranked, and the most composed and consistent players on tour. Her ability to control tempo, absorb pressure, and win extended rallies makes her game travel exceptionally well. In a new environment, that steadiness becomes an even bigger asset.

Kat Stewart brings experience and tactical awareness that can frustrate rhythm-based players. If Stewart can extend points and force Sewing or other top seeds out of structure, she becomes very dangerous late in matches.

The Netherlands’ Roos van Reek, competing in her first APP Tour event, , remains one of the most intriguing variables in the field. When her timing is sharp, she is capable of overpowering opponents and flipping momentum quickly. The question will be if van Reek can maintain consistency across multiple rounds.

What to watch is who dictates pace early. If challengers can turn matches into physical and tactical battles, the draw opens quickly.

Men’s Pro Singles

Depth, danger, and very little separation

Men’s Pro Singles may be the most volatile division of the week.

APP Tour veteran Ryler DeHeart arrives with proven pedigree and the ability to go on extended runs when confidence clicks. If he settles early, he becomes a serious title threat.

Ronan Camron, an APP Tour breakout star of 2025, adds athletic unpredictability, capable of breaking opponents’ expectations and forcing uncomfortable exchanges.

From the Asian contingent, Thomas Yu brings consistency and adaptability, traits that matter in long tournament days and unfamiliar conditions. His ability to problem solve mid-match makes him a difficult opponent to eliminate.

Out of Hong Kong, Jack Wong can turn matches into sprints, applying pressure with fast hands and attacking patterns that reward confidence and punish hesitation.

This is a draw where early round matches may feel like finals.

Men’s Pro Doubles

New partnerships. Proven pairs. No margin for error.

Men’s Pro Doubles in Kuala Lumpur is defined by contrast, with fresh combinations stepping onto court against one of the most established duos on the APP Tour.

Jack Munro and Ryan Fu arrive as a new partnership, but on paper, it is one of the most intriguing pairings in the field. Munro’s ability to control the kitchen and manage points complements Fu’s speed and attacking instincts from the baseline. Early rounds will test their chemistry, but if they settle quickly, this team has the potential to dictate matches.

Tanner Tomassi and Richard Livornese Jr represent stability and experience. As one of the top APP Tour pairs, they bring familiarity, trust, and an aggressive style that thrives on pressure. Their ability to speed up rallies and force errors makes them a measuring stick for every team they face.

Thomas Yu and Max Manthou also make their debut as a new partnership. Yu’s consistency and all court awareness paired with Manthou’s adaptability create a pairing that can win in multiple ways. If they read the conditions well, they could become one of the most disruptive teams in the draw.

Harsh Mehta, the men’s doubles champion from India’s 2025 Monsoon Pickleball Championships, carries one of the most aggressive mindsets in the field. Fearless shot selection and speed make him a threat to higher profile names, especially if he finds early momentum.

Women’s Pro Doubles

Star power meets fresh chemistry

Women’s Pro Doubles features some of the biggest names in the field, with several high-profile new partnerships looking to establish themselves immediately.

Megan Fudge and Sofia Sewing headline the division as a new partnership that brings instant credibility. Both are proven champions in their own right, and their combined experience, shot selection, and mental toughness make them immediate contenders. The question will not be talent, but how quickly they find rhythm together.

Shelby Bates and Roos van Reek also debut as a new pairing. This team brings aggression and pace, with both players comfortable taking time away and applying pressure at the kitchen. If their communication clicks, they have the tools to challenge anyone in the field.

Nicola Schoeman from Australia and Xiao Yi Wang Beckvall from Hawaii, competing in their first APP tournament, arrive as an established partnership with a tactical edge. Their structured approach and disciplined shot selection can expose teams still finding their chemistry, making them a dangerous early round matchup and a threat to go deep.

Mixed Pro Doubles

New combinations searching for answers

Mixed Pro Doubles in Kuala Lumpur is stacked with fresh team-ups, making chemistry and role clarity the defining factors of the week.

Richard Livornese Jr and Megan Fudge step onto court as a pair of APP Tour veterans. Livornese’s pace and willingness to attack pairs well with Fudge’s calm decision making and experience in closing tight matches.

Jack Munro and Roos van Reek pair up for the first time. This combination offers variety and unpredictability, with the ability to apply pressure from multiple positions on court. Their success will hinge on how quickly they establish patterns that suit both players.

Ryan Fu and Shelby Bates form another new partnership built on speed and counterpunching. If they find rhythm on defense and transition quickly to offense, they can flip matches in short bursts.

Casey Diamond and Sofia Sewing stand out as one of the top established APP Tour pairs in the division, having won one gold medal together and three additional medals in 2025. With familiarity, balance, and a clear identity, they enter Kuala Lumpur with a built-in advantage over many newly formed teams. Their ability to control tempo and minimize errors makes them a tough out in any round.

The Bigger Picture

The Leapmotor APP Kuala Lumpur Open 2026 represents more than a single stop on the calendar. It marks the official kickoff of the 2026 Global Pickleball Alliance Tour, with the APP Tour playing a central role in bringing top level professional pickleball to new regions around the world.

As the first APP Tour event ever held in Asia, Kuala Lumpur becomes the opening chapter of APP’s broader expansion across the continent. For the players, this means new environments, new audiences, and unfamiliar conditions. For the sport, it signals a shift toward a truly global competitive footprint.

What happens this week will set the tone not only for the GPA season ahead, but for how professional pickleball establishes itself in Asia moving forward. Results matter, but so does the statement.

Venue

PLAYA Racquet Club @ PARC Subang

Jalan SS12/1 Taman Subang Ria Subang PARC, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

How to Watch

The Leapmotor APP Kuala Lumpur Open 2026 will be livestreamed globally on

• APPTV via The APP Tour YouTube channel  
  

• SelkirkTV YouTube channel  

• Leapmotor Malaysia YouTube channel
  

Championship Court

Wednesday, 11 Feb | 9 am - 10 pm [GMT+8] | Round of 16

Thursday, 12 Feb | 9 am - 10 pm [GMT+8] | Quarterfinals

Friday, 13 Feb | 8 am - 10 pm [GMT+8] | Semi-finals

Saturday, 14 Feb | 9 am - 6 pm [GMT+8] | Championship Saturday

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