Padel Chief Expands Into Pickleball with Inaugural SLAM25 Tournament

Sri Lanka’s competitive racket-sports platform Padel Chief has expanded into Pickleball, staging its inaugural SLAM25 Pickle tournament at Air Sports Club on July 25.

The event marked the first time the SLAM25 competition format, developed and refined through more than 50 Padel tournaments, was applied to Pickleball.

A total of 13 players competed across three courts in a rotating-doubles format, with partnerships and opponents changing throughout the tournament. The results will now form part of Padel Chief’s wider competitive rankings ecosystem.

Sahan Claims Inaugural Title

The tournament produced a closely contested battle at the top of the standings, with Sahan and Burhan both finishing with 10 wins from 12 matches.

Sahan secured the inaugural SLAM25 Pickle title after recording a tournament-best +50 point differential, edging Burhan’s +40.

Yoosuf completed the podium with nine victories and a +27 point differential.

Final standings:
🥇 Sahan
🥈 Burhan
🥉 Yoosuf

The format placed a strong emphasis on consistency, with matches played to 11 points under rally scoring and players required to adapt to changing partners and opponents throughout the competition.

Pickleball Joins Padel Chief Rankings

The expansion represents the first major step in taking Padel Chief’s tournament infrastructure beyond Padel. The platform provides tournament administration, player ratings, draws, match tracking, results management and season-long competitive progression.

Pickleball had been part of the platform’s broader plans from the outset, with Padel Chief noting a natural crossover between the two player communities. Its network of more than 500 active Padel players already includes participants who play Pickleball or have expressed interest in the sport.

The organisation aims to apply its established competitive framework while recognising Pickleball’s own rules, playing characteristics and growing community.

The inaugural tournament was held in partnership with Air Sports Club, whose air-conditioned Pickleball courts hosted the competition.

Following the successful launch, SLAM25 Pickle is scheduled to continue as a weekly competition every Tuesday night at Air Sports Club, providing players with regular opportunities to compete in structured, ranked matches.

The move comes as Pickleball continues to gain popularity alongside Padel in Sri Lanka, while introducing a more structured competitive pathway where players can build rankings through consistent tournament participation.