MLP July 2026: Grand Rapids, San Diego, Chicago and Disney World
MLP July 2026: The Month That Decides Everything
Four events. Four weeks. The Mid-Season Tournament, San Diego, Chicago and Disney World — July is where the 2026 MLP season gets real.
The regular season is almost over. The standings are tightening. And July is where everything that has been building since Dallas in May finally comes to a head.
Four events in four weeks. Every team in the league competing for the same prize — a spot in the top 12, a ticket to the expanded 2026 MLP Playoffs. The math is simple. The pressure is not.
Here is what July looks like — and what is at stake at every stop.
July 8-12 — Mid-Season Tournament, Grand Rapids, Michigan
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Belknap Park | Beer City Open
This is the only event in the 2026 MLP season where all 20 teams compete at the same time — the Mid-Season Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan, held alongside the Beer City Open at Belknap Park.
This is the event that resets everything. For teams sitting comfortably in the top half of the standings — the St. Louis Shock, the LA Mad Drops, the New Jersey 5s — it is a chance to separate. For teams on the bubble — including a Dallas Flash that has been rebuilding on the fly — it is the first real test of what their new roster can do against the entire field in one place.
The Mid-Season Tournament is also the first time many of the season's best storylines will collide directly. The Shock's winning streak. Ben Johns and the Mad Drops. Anna Leigh Waters and the 5s. And a new-look Dallas Flash with Danni-Elle Townsend and Alix Truong — a duo the MLP itself called one that "just clicks" — playing together for the first time in a marquee setting.
What's at stake: Points here count toward playoff seeding. A strong Mid-Season Tournament can launch a team into the top four — the most coveted positions heading into the playoff bracket.
July 16-19 — MLP San Diego, California
San Diego returns to the MLP calendar as one of the most consistently strong markets for professional pickleball. The weather, the venue and the Southern California crowd make this one of the most enjoyable events on the circuit to attend in person.
On the court, the storylines that emerge from Grand Rapids will carry directly into San Diego — with only one week between events. Teams that win big in Michigan arrive in California with momentum. Teams that stumble arrive desperate.
What's at stake: With the regular season finale just two weeks away, San Diego is effectively the last chance for bubble teams to put themselves in a strong position. Every point matters.
July 23-26 — MLP Chicago, Illinois
Chicago joins the July calendar as one of the most passionate pickleball markets in the country. The Midwest crowd brings an energy that players consistently describe as one of the most electric atmospheres on the tour.
Chicago also carries a particular weight in July 2026 — it is the penultimate regular season event for most teams, meaning rosters will be as settled as they are going to get before the playoffs. The trade deadline will have passed. The waiver wire will be quiet. What you see in Chicago is what you get in the playoffs.
What's at stake: For teams on the playoff bubble, this is the second-to-last opportunity to earn standing points. For teams already locked in, it is about seeding — and seeding determines who you face in Dallas in August.
July 30 - August 2 — MLP at ESPN Wide World of Sports, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida
For the very first time in league history, the regular season finale will be hosted at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
This is not just a venue change. It is a statement. ESPN Wide World of Sports is one of the most iconic sporting destinations in the world — a complex that has hosted NBA bubbles, NCAA championships and international competitions. MLP arriving here for its regular season finale signals exactly where the league believes it belongs.
For the players, the setting could not be more dramatic. The last regular season points of 2026 will be decided under the lights of Disney World. The top 12 teams that emerge from Orlando will advance to the 2026 MLP Playoffs — beginning with Round 1 in Dallas, August 6-9.
What's at stake: Everything. This is the finale. Twelve teams move on. Eight go home.
The Playoff Picture Heading Into July
The St. Louis Shock enter July as the hottest team in the league — winners of 11 consecutive matches and Super Sunday champions at both St. Louis and St. Petersburg. They are the team everyone is chasing.
Behind them, the LA Mad Drops — winners of the Dallas opener — remain the most dangerous team when Ben Johns is locked in. The New Jersey 5s, with Anna Leigh Waters, are the most complete roster top to bottom.
And then there is the rest of the field — a group of teams that are talented enough to make noise but have not yet put together the consistency needed to challenge for a championship. July is where that changes — or it doesn't.
The Playoffs — What Comes After July
The 2026 MLP Playoffs will span three separate weekends across three locations: Dallas, Texas (August 6-9), Newport Beach, California (August 13-16) and New York City (August 28-30) — where Championship Weekend will crown the 2026 MLP champion.
The top 12 teams qualify. Every regular season point earned between now and Orlando counts toward that bracket.
July is not the playoffs. But it is where the playoffs are decided.
And with that said, fans of great sport — July 2026 has a variety of events that if you are in the area where they are being held, it is absolutely worth going to experience the spectacle in person.
Because one thing is watching it on television — and pickleball broadcasts very well, no question — but something completely different is being there. Feeling the rhythm of the rallies. Hearing the sound of the paddle against the ball two meters away. Watching the best players in the world move in real time, make split-second decisions, communicate with their partner with a single look.
Grand Rapids in July has the Mid-Season Tournament — all the teams, all the players, all in one place for the first time in the season. San Diego has the sun, the courts and one of the most passionate fan bases on the circuit. Chicago has that Midwest energy that players consistently describe as one of the most electric atmospheres of the year. And Orlando — Disney World — has something no other venue in MLP history has ever had: the magic.
Pickleball keeps growing. The show is ready for you.
The only question is — will you be there?
"See you on the courts."
— Dink Authority Editorial Team
MLP July 2026: The Month That Decides Everything
Four events. Four weeks. The Mid-Season Tournament, San Diego, Chicago and Disney World — July is where the 2026 MLP season gets real.
The regular season is almost over. The standings are tightening. And July is where everything that has been building since Dallas in May finally comes to a head.
Four events in four weeks. Every team in the league competing for the same prize — a spot in the top 12, a ticket to the expanded 2026 MLP Playoffs. The math is simple. The pressure is not.
Here is what July looks like — and what is at stake at every stop.
July 8-12 — Mid-Season Tournament, Grand Rapids, Michigan
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Belknap Park | Beer City Open
This is the only event in the 2026 MLP season where all 20 teams compete at the same time — the Mid-Season Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan, held alongside the Beer City Open at Belknap Park.
This is the event that resets everything. For teams sitting comfortably in the top half of the standings — the St. Louis Shock, the LA Mad Drops, the New Jersey 5s — it is a chance to separate. For teams on the bubble — including a Dallas Flash that has been rebuilding on the fly — it is the first real test of what their new roster can do against the entire field in one place.
The Mid-Season Tournament is also the first time many of the season's best storylines will collide directly. The Shock's winning streak. Ben Johns and the Mad Drops. Anna Leigh Waters and the 5s. And a new-look Dallas Flash with Danni-Elle Townsend and Alix Truong — a duo the MLP itself called one that "just clicks" — playing together for the first time in a marquee setting.
What's at stake: Points here count toward playoff seeding. A strong Mid-Season Tournament can launch a team into the top four — the most coveted positions heading into the playoff bracket.
July 16-19 — MLP San Diego, California
San Diego returns to the MLP calendar as one of the most consistently strong markets for professional pickleball. The weather, the venue and the Southern California crowd make this one of the most enjoyable events on the circuit to attend in person.
On the court, the storylines that emerge from Grand Rapids will carry directly into San Diego — with only one week between events. Teams that win big in Michigan arrive in California with momentum. Teams that stumble arrive desperate.
What's at stake: With the regular season finale just two weeks away, San Diego is effectively the last chance for bubble teams to put themselves in a strong position. Every point matters.
July 23-26 — MLP Chicago, Illinois
Chicago joins the July calendar as one of the most passionate pickleball markets in the country. The Midwest crowd brings an energy that players consistently describe as one of the most electric atmospheres on the tour.
Chicago also carries a particular weight in July 2026 — it is the penultimate regular season event for most teams, meaning rosters will be as settled as they are going to get before the playoffs. The trade deadline will have passed. The waiver wire will be quiet. What you see in Chicago is what you get in the playoffs.
What's at stake: For teams on the playoff bubble, this is the second-to-last opportunity to earn standing points. For teams already locked in, it is about seeding — and seeding determines who you face in Dallas in August.
July 30 - August 2 — MLP at ESPN Wide World of Sports, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida
For the very first time in league history, the regular season finale will be hosted at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
This is not just a venue change. It is a statement. ESPN Wide World of Sports is one of the most iconic sporting destinations in the world — a complex that has hosted NBA bubbles, NCAA championships and international competitions. MLP arriving here for its regular season finale signals exactly where the league believes it belongs.
For the players, the setting could not be more dramatic. The last regular season points of 2026 will be decided under the lights of Disney World. The top 12 teams that emerge from Orlando will advance to the 2026 MLP Playoffs — beginning with Round 1 in Dallas, August 6-9.
What's at stake: Everything. This is the finale. Twelve teams move on. Eight go home.
The Playoff Picture Heading Into July
The St. Louis Shock enter July as the hottest team in the league — winners of 11 consecutive matches and Super Sunday champions at both St. Louis and St. Petersburg. They are the team everyone is chasing.
Behind them, the LA Mad Drops — winners of the Dallas opener — remain the most dangerous team when Ben Johns is locked in. The New Jersey 5s, with Anna Leigh Waters, are the most complete roster top to bottom.
And then there is the rest of the field — a group of teams that are talented enough to make noise but have not yet put together the consistency needed to challenge for a championship. July is where that changes — or it doesn't.
The Playoffs — What Comes After July
The 2026 MLP Playoffs will span three separate weekends across three locations: Dallas, Texas (August 6-9), Newport Beach, California (August 13-16) and New York City (August 28-30) — where Championship Weekend will crown the 2026 MLP champion.
The top 12 teams qualify. Every regular season point earned between now and Orlando counts toward that bracket.
July is not the playoffs. But it is where the playoffs are decided.
And with that said, fans of great sport — July 2026 has a variety of events that if you are in the area where they are being held, it is absolutely worth going to experience the spectacle in person.
Because one thing is watching it on television — and pickleball broadcasts very well, no question — but something completely different is being there. Feeling the rhythm of the rallies. Hearing the sound of the paddle against the ball two meters away. Watching the best players in the world move in real time, make split-second decisions, communicate with their partner with a single look.
Grand Rapids in July has the Mid-Season Tournament — all the teams, all the players, all in one place for the first time in the season. San Diego has the sun, the courts and one of the most passionate fan bases on the circuit. Chicago has that Midwest energy that players consistently describe as one of the most electric atmospheres of the year. And Orlando — Disney World — has something no other venue in MLP history has ever had: the magic.
Pickleball keeps growing. The show is ready for you.
The only question is — will you be there?
"See you on the courts."
— Dink Authority Editorial Team
