Team USA wins inaugural Major League Pickleball Nations Cup
Team USA was the clear favorite heading into this weekend’s first-ever Major League Pickleball Nations Cup at Brookhaven Country Club in the Dallas suburb of Farmer’s Branch, Texas.
With a star-studded lineup of Ben Johns, CJ Klinger, Will Howells, Anna Bright, Tyra Black and Kate Fahey, it would have been a surprise if they didn’t take the title.
Not only did they win, but they did it in dominant fashion, with four of the team’s five victories coming in regulation.
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On Championship Sunday Team USA beat Team Europe-East 3-1 in the semifinals before cruising to a win over Team Latin America 3-0 in the final.
“(Our players) are definitely all patriots,” Team USA Captain Johnny Goldberg said. “They were all really proud playing for their country. Coming into it I knew they were all great players, but we really got them to come together as a team in 24 hours. They bought into everything and I felt like we were playing our best pickleball in that last match.”
Bright said the experience of playing for her country made the end result extra special.
“It feels absolutely incredible,” she said. “… All the USA chants, all the support, really meant so much and helped us feel like we were playing for more than just ourselves. I knew coming into this event that it would be a good time, but it was way more fun than I thought it would be. It was super fun representing the USA with the team.”
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The first-ever Nations Cup featured eight teams and 48 players representing key regions from around the world: Asia Domestic, Europe West, Canada, United States, Asia International, Australia, Europe East and Latin America.
Team USA and Asia Domestic emerged from pool play in Group A to make the semifinals, while Europe-East and Latin America made it out of Group B.
In the first semifinal match on Sunday, Latin America beat Asia Domestic 3-1.
The event served as the official kickoff to the 2026 Pickleball World Championships, which will run over 10 days from Oct. 30-Nov. 8 at Brookhaven Country Club.
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Last year the Pickleball World Championships set new attendance, participation and viewership records for pro pickleball, and this year’s event promises to be even bigger. Find the full schedule of events here.
