The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) is introducing a new competition initiative, the APP Passport, in advance of anticipated high demand for its season-ending tournament at The Fort, the APP Tour Championships. Amateur medal winners at all APP tournaments in 2025 will win an APP Passport, guaranteeing their spots to register for the 2025 APP Tour Championships, held Dec. 10-14 at the APP’s global headquarters in Fort Lauderdale.
All APP events are open to amateur players of all skill levels–from 3.0 to pro–and all ages, across a variety of brackets, presenting an abundance of opportunities to earn an APP Passport for the 2025 APP Tour Championships. The APP Passport will be awarded to any amateur player who wins a medal (gold, silver, or bronze) in any APP event in 2025, up to the APP Tour Championships. Players who have already won medals in 2025 (prior to the launch of APP Passport) will be retroactively eligible for pre-qualification. The APP Passport does not apply to professional players including pro brackets, AARP Champions and AARP Masters divisions.
The Fort boasts 43 designated pickleball courts including 14 weatherproof courts, the world’s first pickleball stadium, and by December will feature a fully operating restaurant and bar, cabanas, a beach area, and much more.
“The APP Passport ushers in an exciting new era of competition across the APP events calendar,” said APP Founder Ken Herrmann. “By rewarding all APP medalists with a well-deserved spot in the APP Tour Championships, we’re ensuring a direct path for the best of the best to showcase their skills in what will be a spectacular final APP event of 2025 at The Fort.”
The first APP Passport-designated event will be the 2025 APP Vlasic Classic in Cincinnati, held May 7-11, with player registration for that event now live. That event is also a USA Pickleball Golden Ticket event, meaning medalists can pre-register for the 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships as well. All designated events are indicated on theapp.global, with additional registrations opening in the coming weeks.
The pickleball community can stay in the know on the latest APP updates at theapp.global, and by following the APP’s Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn channels.
