Arlberg Pickleball Championship 2026: How Amateurs Can Play at Austria’s Top Event
Anyone who plays pickleball in Austria knows the major tournaments of the year. One is still to come, and it’s the most international of them all: from 18 to 20 December 2026, the RTA European Finals, better known as the Arlberg Pickleball Championship, take place at the Arlberg WellCom in St. Anton.
What makes it special: while Europe’s professional elite competes for the title, an amateur tournament runs alongside it. You play in the same hall as the pros and can watch their matches between your own. That combination is rare on the European tournament calendar.
The Pros: RTA European Finals
© TVB St. Anton am Arlberg & Patrick Bätz
The Finals conclude the Road to Arlberg, a tournament series with stops across Europe. The top eight players or teams in each category qualify, and participation is by invitation only.
The schedule:
Friday, 18 December: Women’s singles and men’s singles
Saturday, 19 December: Women’s doubles and men’s doubles
Sunday, 20 December: Mixed doubles
New this season: the Finals are played in a best-of-five format. That means longer, more intense matches at the highest European level.
The Amateur Tournament: A Team Event
This is where it gets interesting for recreational players. Unlike classic tournaments, you don’t enter as an individual or a doubles pair in St. Anton, but as a team. That makes the event sociable and takes the pressure off individual matches.
How a team is structured:
A team consists of four or five players. Two must be female, two male, and a fifth player may be of any gender. Each individual may have a maximum DUPR rating of 5.199. In addition, a cap applies per round: the three players fielded in a round may have a combined maximum of 14.000 DUPR points. This keeps the balance between teams even.
How a round works:
Each round against an opposing team consists of three best-of-three matches. Games are played to 11, win by two, with a golden point at 15. Importantly, even if one team wins the first two matches, the third is still played. Every line-up must include at least one woman and one man, with the third player free to choose.
The tournament format:
Friday and Saturday feature the group stage, where each team plays every other team in its group once. The best four or eight teams, depending on the size of the field, advance to Sunday’s knockout stage. The finals take place on centre court and are streamed live. Each team is guaranteed 18 games, regardless of how far it progresses.
© TVB St. Anton am Arlberg & Patrick Bätz
Cost and What’s Included
The entry fee is 500 euros per team, which works out at roughly 100 to 125 euros per person depending on team size. Each player receives a JOOLA Vision II backpack worth 49.90 euros and a JOOLA towel worth 19.90 euros.
The prizes are worth noting too. The winning team receives a summer weekend at a four-star hotel in St. Anton for the whole team, plus a three-day Premium Card per person and a one-year DUPR+ membership. Second place earns starting spots at the Arlberger Wadlbeisser including accommodation, third place receives Premium Cards.
Registration
Registration runs through the RTA platform or the Tournated app. First, the captain creates a team in their profile under “My Teams” and adds teammates using their registered email addresses. The team is then entered into the tournament with four or five players selected.
Pickle & Ski: Clinics the Week Before
Those arriving earlier can join the Pickle & Ski clinics from 13 to 17 December, combining training sessions with optional extras such as skiing or a candlelit dinner. For many international participants, this blend of sport and alpine resort is the real reason for the trip.
Getting There and Staying
St. Anton am Arlberg is directly accessible by Railjet from Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Zurich. The nearest airports are Innsbruck and Zurich. For accommodation, the organisers have put together dedicated offers for tournament participants together with the St. Anton tourist association, alongside several partner hotels. You’ll find an overview on the tournament website.
Is It Worth It for You?
If you play regularly and can put together three or four teammates from your club or home venue, this tournament is one of the most interesting opportunities of the year. You compete in a format that values team spirit over individual performance, on professionally prepared courts, in an atmosphere that feels more like a winter sports holiday than a tournament hall.
And if you’d rather watch, this weekend offers pickleball at the highest European level, right in the heart of the Alps.
🎾 Looking for a venue to train at? Venue overview
👥 Still need players for your team? pickleball-community.org
🛒 Gear for the indoor season: shop-pickleball.at
All information according to the organiser, as of November 2026. Details and any changes at arlberg-pickleball.com.
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