We’ve reached the one-third mark of the 2024 PPA Tour season, with 8 events completed and 16 remaining until the CIBC PPA Finals. Players are accumulating PPA Points at each tour stop to secure a spot in the season-ending championships. The top 8 singles and 16 doubles players will qualify for the year-end event.
Depending on the tournament’s level, a different number of PPA Points are awarded in each one. The PPA Tour consists of three tournament tiers:
Slam: Slams are the largest tournaments on the PPA Tour, and the winner(s) earn 2,000 PPA Points. In 2024, there are four Slams on the calendar:
- The Masters (January)
- Vizzy Atlanta Slam (May)
- CIBC Atlanta Slam (September)
- United Pickleball Championships (November)
These events promise to deliver electrifying action, intense competition, and unforgettable moments. Don’t miss out on the excitement!
Cup: Cups are big tournaments on the PPA Tour, with the winner(s) earning 1,500 PPA Points. There are five Cups on tour in 2024
- Mesa Arizona Cup (February)
- North Carolina Cup (April)
- Orange County Cup (June)
- Seattle Cup (July)
- Virginia Beach Cup (October)
Open: Open events are the smallest amount of points available, with the winner(s) earning 1,000 PPA Points. The remaining 15 tour stops are all Open events.
Here is a breakdown of the points earned in each of the different events:
PPA Points serve two purposes: tournament seeding and qualification for the PPA CIBC Finals. Let’s dive into the seeding aspect:
Key Terms:
- Rank: A player’s ranking based on their total points earned in the last 52 weeks.
- Overall Points: The cumulative points a player has earned.
Seeding Importance:
Seeding is crucial on the PPA Tour, as it determines the draw for the first and second rounds. A favorable seeding can lead to easier matchups, while a lower seeding can result in tough early-round opponents.
Example:
Hunter Johnson, a top player on the APP Tour in 2023, has limited PPA Points due to playing on a different tour. As a result, he is seeded No. 30 in the men’s singles draw at the PPA Red Rock Open despite his impressive skills. This highlights the significance of PPA Points in determining seeding and tournament draws.
At the start of the 2024 season:
- Overall Points: Players exceeded their points from the 2023 season, providing a foundation for their current ranking.
- Race Points: All players started with a clean slate, earning new points from the 2024 season onwards.
This reset allows players to build on their previous year’s performance while providing a fresh start for the new season.
Rundown of Race Points in 2024
We’re one-third of the way through the 2024 season! Let’s check the current Race Points rankings, which determine the coveted spots for the CIBC Finals in December.
Explore More:
Visit the PPA Website for:
- Entire Points Race standings
- Overall Player Rankings
- New feature: Sort by Overall Points or Race Points for a customized view!
Stay up-to-date with the latest rankings and player performances!
Women’s singles
As expected, the world’s top women’s singles player, Anna Leigh Waters, leads the pack by a significant margin, with a perfect record of four wins in four events!
The top eight female players will qualify for the CIBC Finals, and currently, Lauren Stratman is just outside the qualifying zone despite her impressive performance at the LA Open. The battle for a spot in the finals is heating up!
Men’s Singles
Federico Staksrud has been unstoppable in singles this year, claiming either silver or gold medals in all eight events!
Race for the Finals
The gap between Jaume Martinez Vich (2,150 Race Points) in 8th place and Jay Devilliers (1,650) is significant, but there’s still hope for other players to qualify. Several players are waiting outside the top 8, eager to make a move and secure a spot in the CIBC Finals. The battle is far from over!
Women’s Doubles
The top 16 women’s doubles players will qualify for the CIBC Finals, and the stakes are high! The player with the most points will earn the coveted No. 1 seed and get to choose their partner. The next highest seed will then select their partner, and so on.
As it stands, Anna Bright leads the pack and gets to pick her partner, who is likely choosing Anna Leigh. This would leave Catherine Parenteau to select a partner, and the dominoes would continue to fall. The pressure is on to earn the most points and secure a top seed!
Men’s Doubles
The recent split between Federico Staksrud and Pablo Tellez has significant implications for the men’s doubles landscape. Currently sitting at No. 3, Thomas Wilson appears poised to maintain his position for later of the year.
As the season unfolds, seeing if Wilson can sustain his ranking and who he might choose as his partner for the CIBC Finals will be fascinating. Will he form a new powerhouse duo or reunite with a former partner? The dynamics are shifting, and the men’s doubles competition is heating up!
Mixed Doubles – Women
The competition for the CIBC Finals reaches its peak intensity in the mixed doubles field, with only eight coveted spots available for each gender. The PPA Tour’s professional doubles game is incredibly strong, reflecting the current standings. If the season were to end today, notable players like Catherine Parenteau and Jorja Johnson, among others, would narrowly miss out on the mixed doubles finals, highlighting the exceptional talent and fierce competition in this field.
Mixed Doubles – Men
The men’s mixed doubles competition is poised for a thrilling conclusion, with a small margin of just 1,000 points separating the 20th and 8th spots. The final four to five spots will likely go down to the wire, with players fighting for every point until the last tournament.
Ben and Thomas’s consistent dominance has created a high-stakes game of “musical chairs,” players must navigate each week’s challenges to secure a spot in the semis and quarterfinals. The tension is palpable, and the season’s finale promises to be an electrifying spectacle!
We’ve covered the progress of the 2024 PPA Tour season! With eight tournaments down and sixteen to go, players are accumulating points to qualify for the prestigious CIBC PPA Finals at the year’s end. Follow the PPA tour social media or website for the latest information; we also update the information in the upcoming tournament.
