In just one week’s time the 2025 season kicks off with the first stop on this year’s extended tour. And that the tour was in need of an extension became very clear once registrations opened – and before many of us even realized – became full! More than a month in advance all spots for the women’s, men’s and mixed categories were sold out which came as quite a surprise for a lot of us because unless you are talking about the US Open in Naples Florida, sold out pickleball events are not that common. But that is what happened in Malmö and looking at it from an RTA perspective, I suppose it’s the best start of the year possible as it really shows how massive the interest is for the RTA tour and how fun this year will be! From the players perspective – always a disappointment for those who could not play a tournament they had been looking forward to playing. But there will be more tournaments coming up and we will make our best efforts to make sure all of you not coming to the actual tournament will be able to follow the action and excitement – before, during and after it through articles, videos, live-streaming and more.
So, let’s take a look at what we have on this first tour stop: NYP on Tour hosted by Malmö Pickleball Center 7-9 March.
NYP for starters is short for Nyköping Pickleball – one of the very first pickleball clubs in Sweden, still one of the biggest and best in terms of overall quality of players. While Swedish pickleball is ripe with family constellations, e.g. the Swedish Pickleball Twins – Alma & Klara, Team Balldin – famed by Dan, but also with Markus, Fredrik not to forget Bengt and Melker (and even Karin), the OG’s is the Dahlin family from Nyköping which nowadays is more of clan with an extended family including e.g. Pialena Ander, Jörgen Encke and more!
For many years the Dahlin’s hosted one of the most popular invitational tournaments assembling the crop of European players in Nyköping. The overall atmosphere, as well as a generous player lounge with great drinks and dining options, was the basis for attraction. Last year it turned into an RTA tournament and with Jörgen Encke at the helm as Tournament Director raised the bar even higher with referees and live streaming from all courts.
So, while Malmö is a new city for RTA, the team behind it is most certainly not. In Malmö they have access to one of the very best pickleball arenas in Sweden. With five courts on hardcourt, they have a bigger venue, yet could probably have use of an even bigger place given the massive interest! The arena will be packed with people, especially on the Saturday, which bodes well for a really tight atmosphere with electric crowds close to the court action and cheering on at every turn. I am hoping the crowds will not only generate a heated atmosphere around the courts but also raise the actual temperature on them as well..! Because the Swedish winter could be a factor with lower temperatures making the official ball – JOOLA Heleus – cannon ball hard, which could risk turning the tournament into a slug fest. So, my hope goes to the crowds to generate enough heat to make the balls Florida soft and give us the long rallies we all love to see!
Looking at who was able to secure tickets we have a really interesting mix of established players well-known in the RTA universe coupled with an equal amount of new faces who can stir things up!
Three countries on the rise in European pickleball with limited previous RTA exposure playing in Malmö:
Hungary – did you know last year’s Hungarian Open was one of Europe’s largest tournaments? Size matters (as I like to point out as often as I can) and this country is a potential powerhouse in the making. This year we are seeing more of the country’s players travelling elsewhere to showcase their skills and I for one will be very interested to see their level. Among many exciting players I look forward to seeing young star sensation Fruzsina Szeli who my scouting reports tell me “is a nightmare to meet since she just keeps getting every ball back”!
Ireland – these guys have been more frequently travelling Europe visiting other countries to gain experience and develop their game. Well-known for being among the nicest and friendliest pickleball community out there, you’re always happy seeing them in the participant list for reasons of what they bring to a tournament not only on the court. Now, with an RTA 2000 on the line – will this be another tournament that will add to their experience or where they will make some noise on court as well? The crowds will cheer for the latter as I will not be alone rooting for the Fitzpatricks & friends!
Denmark – one of the fastest growing pickleball communities in Europe last year – already had some players featured in RTA and with Thor Due – already enjoyed a lot of success with Thor finishing top 5 in the Arlberg Championship end of last year. But in Malmö it’s not all about Thor as we are seeing record number of Danish players entering the tournament. Not the biggest surprise as Malmö is very conveniently located next to Copenhagen/Denmark connected by the Öresund bridge, but nevertheless very fun to see a lot more Danish players on the RTA tour. And after a top 5 finish last time, let’s see if they can get someone top 3!
Three established RTA countries and who they are bringing to Malmö!
Poland – while the 2023 Arlberg Championship was maybe this country’s breakthrough on the European pickleball scene in winning against the continent’s best, the 2024 season was just a strong solid effort from start to finish. Many new players established themselves on both the women’s and men’s side and with the start of the RTA 2025 season even more are looking to do the same. Coming to Malmö with a strong squad of both men and women, two players probably stand out the most. Bartosz Karbownik – reigning Arlberg singles champion – captured the triple crown last time he came to Malmö. To secure the three-peat he is partnering up with Swedish players in both men’s doubles and mixed. I look forward to seeing how that plays out first-hand… 🙂 Then we have Karolina “Wow-czarek” who is making a stop in Malmö on what seems to be her pickleball world tour. Her practice partners in Poznan say they rarely see her these days as she is out and about playing tournaments across the world all the time. Happy we get to see her in Malmö and what new tricks she is bringing to the table from all her travel experiences!
While Polish players had a strong year overall in 2024, British players are just making their case for European dominance stronger and stronger with each tournament it seems. Their local Premier Pickleball League is huge and just had its finales play out recently. Two players that stood out there are also coming to Malmö. First of all, Thaddea Lock, who the PPL commentators described as “an amazon warrior” commanding the court. Some of her most spectacular battles came against James Chaudry who is just such a solid can-do-it all player. In Malmö he is teamed up with playmaker Carlos Perez. Now that’s a team I’m really looking forward to watch! I will also keep an eye on Stuart Parminter who had a strong finish end of last year and is a player on the rise.
In terms of RTA routine and with two Arlberg Championship finals in a row among many other pickleball feats, you can not not mention Basti and Felix from Germany. While being close to an institution in European pickleball this time we will actually see them apart – playing with new partners. I have seen them playing with others before but not in a tournament they’ve both been part of from what I recall. What if they face each other – how will they play it? Very fascinating stuff. In terms of routine this is also what we have in Caroline Nothnagel. The Arlberg Championships in 2023 was her international breakthrough in pickleball and following the 2024 season she is now one of the most established players in Europe. That now comes with some expectations, but I think that will only boost her confidence even more!
See you soon in Malmö!