Pro pickleball event to give QC a $1.2M boost

A professional pickleball tournament is headed to the Quad Cities, which means a lot of visitors, hundreds of hotel rooms filled and a $1.2 million boost to the local economy, according to tourism and pickleball tournament officials. “This will be a win-win for sports and our local economy,” Joan Kranovich, vice president of business growth […]

A professional pickleball tournament is headed to the Quad Cities, which means a lot of visitors, hundreds of hotel rooms filled and a $1.2 million boost to the local economy, according to tourism and pickleball tournament officials. “This will be a win-win for sports and our local economy,” Joan Kranovich, vice president of business growth and director of Sports QC for Visit Quad Cities, said Wednesday, Dec. 11, while helping announce the tournament’s plans. The pro pickleball tournament will be played at the Quad City Tennis Club, 1522 47th Ave., Moline,  from Friday through Sunday, Aug. 8-10, 2025.

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The event is expected to be much more than just a sports tournament. It will be a “celebration of community” that will attract 600 players, fill 700 area hotel rooms and greatly help the local economy in the areas of lodging, retail sales and food and beverage sales, added Ms. Kranovich during a brief news conference held in the lobby of the Quad City Tennis Club. The tournament in Moline is expected to generate about $1.2 million in revenue for local businesses, according to information released by tournament officials. Tennis club leaders said they are looking forward to the pickleball event next summer, and are ready for the crowds. Facilities at the Quad City Tennis Club include:

• Six indoor hard-surface tennis courts that can be adapted for pickleball.
• Nine indoor pickleball courts designed for year-round play.
• Two outdoor tennis courts that can convert into four pickleball courts.
• Observation windows that provide views to six courts, and seating for up to 100 spectators.

“On any given day, we have 50 people here playing pickleball,” said Dylan Wiemers, the club’s operations manager. As part of the robust pickleball scene, the Quad Cities area offers 34 individually fenced outdoor pickleball courts in several communities, along with several indoor options. Some of those courts are in Davenport, Bettendorf, Eldridge, DeWitt, Moline, Rock Island, Coal Valley, Silvis, Geneseo and other areas, according to Visit Quad Cities. In fact, a $7 million indoor sports complex is now under construction in Muscatine, Iowa. That facility – to be called the Musco Sports Center – will feature six pickleball courts and a multi-use artificial turf field that can be used for many sports and non-sports activities. “The Quad Cities combines top-tier facilities, passionate community and Midwestern hospitality to create unforgettable sports experiences,” Ms. Kranovich said in a news release issued before the news conference. The pickleball tournament is part of the Professional Pickleball Association’s inaugural session of the PPA Tour Challenger Series. The Quad Cities tournament – to be called the Quad Cities PPA Challenger Powered by JOOLA  –  will feature amateur and aspiring professional players competing for a $10,000 prize pool and a shot at joining the Carvana PPA Tour. “We have been excited to create more grassroots opportunities for amateur players as well as a structured pathway to the Carvana PPA Tour for aspiring professionals for a long time and we have done just that with the Challenger Series Powered JOOLA,” Connor Pardoe, the founder and CEO of the Carvana PPA Tour, said in the release. “This new tour will not only elevate the level of play, but also inspire and motivate amateurs to reach new heights in their pickleball journey while bringing the PPA tour’s brand of electric pickleball action to new levels of intensity.” The August tournament events will have pro players on the same schedule as the amateur players. That schedule features men’s and women’s singles play on Aug. 8; gender doubles on Aug. 9; and mixed doubles on Aug. 10. All pro and amateur players will receive a grounds pass with their fee to participate in the event. There will also be $15 grounds pass tickets for sale to friends, family and fans. Go here for ticket information.