Is Pickleball an Olympic Sport? Where It Stands in 2026

Self-Rated 4.0 Pickleball Hat, Embroidered

Quick answer: No. Pickleball is not an Olympic sport, and it is not on the program for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The first step, recognition of a single world governing body by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has not happened yet: as of October 2026, two rival world bodies are both working toward it. The earliest realistic chance is Brisbane 2032, and that would need recognition first and then a decision to add it. Pickleball is, however, a medal sport at several other multi-sport events, including the Special Olympics USA Games and the National Senior Games, which is where the confusion often comes from.

Pickleball and the Olympics: the status in October 2026

Question Answer
Is pickleball in the Olympics now? No
Was it in Paris 2024? No
Will it be in Los Angeles 2028? No. LA28's five added sports, approved by the IOC in October 2023, are baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash.
Brisbane 2032? Not decided. The Brisbane program was still being set in 2026, and pickleball would need an IOC-recognized world body first.
Does pickleball have an IOC-recognized federation? No
Could it be a "demonstration sport"? Not in the old sense. The IOC stopped holding official demonstration sports after 1992.

What it takes to become an Olympic sport

  1. One recognized world body. The IOC recognizes one international federation per sport. That body has to follow the Olympic Charter and the World Anti-Doping Code, and show the sport is widely played around the world.
  2. A place on a program. A recognized sport still has to be added to a specific Games. Since the IOC's 2014 reforms, the host city can propose extra sports for its own Games, which is how cricket, flag football and others got into LA28. The IOC now also looks at sports discipline by discipline, weighing global appeal, cost and venues.
  3. A vote. The IOC Session approves the final program.

Pickleball is still on step 1.

Why pickleball is not in the Olympics yet

The main reason is that the sport has not agreed on who runs it internationally. In 2026 there are two main world bodies:

  • The Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) was announced in late 2023. It reported 76 member countries at the end of 2025 and says it has entered the process for IOC recognition, meeting with SportAccord and IOC stakeholders in Lausanne, Switzerland. It named DUPR its official rating system and partnered with the International Testing Agency on an anti-doping program.
  • The World Pickleball Federation (WPF) is the result of a merger of the International Pickleball Federation and the older World Pickleball Federation. Members of both voted to merge in June 2025, keeping the WPF name and a base in Lausanne. In its statements it calls itself the Unified World Pickleball Federation. In October 2026 it announced in-competition anti-doping testing at the European Open.

In December 2025 the GPF and the unified WPF announced a joint task force to work toward a single world body. As of late October 2026, we found no announcement that they had merged.

Other hurdles: the IOC looks for sports played widely across several continents, and pickleball's growth is still centered in North America; and anti-doping testing is only now being introduced at international events.

Where pickleball is already a medal sport

These events are real, and they explain why people think pickleball is "Olympic." None of them is the Olympic Games.

Event Pickleball status
Huntsman World Senior Games (Utah) Included since 2003
National Senior Games (often called the "Senior Olympics") Added in 2008
Maccabiah Games (Israel) Exhibition sport in 2022; full medal sport in 2026, according to the WPF
African Games (Accra, 2023) Demonstration sport
Special Olympics USA Games (Minnesota, 2026) Official medal sport, with eight divisions, according to USA Pickleball

When could pickleball be in the Olympics?

Brisbane 2032 is the earliest Games most people point to, but no one can promise it. For it to happen, the world bodies would need to unite (or one be recognized), the IOC would need to grant recognition, and pickleball would need to win a place on a program that the IOC has said will be smaller than LA's. If any step slips, the next chances are 2036 and beyond. Anyone giving you a firm date is guessing.

For how the sport got this far in 61 years, see the history of pickleball.

Frequently asked questions

Is pickleball an Olympic sport?

No. It has never been in the Olympic Games, and it is not on the LA 2028 program.

Will pickleball be in the 2028 Olympics?

No. The IOC approved LA28's additional sports in October 2023: baseball and softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. Pickleball was not among them.

Why isn't pickleball in the Olympics?

Mainly because no pickleball world body is recognized by the IOC yet, and two bodies have both been seeking that role. Recognition comes before any sport can be considered for a program.

Is pickleball in the Senior Olympics?

Yes. The National Senior Games, often called the Senior Olympics, added pickleball in 2008. It is not part of the Olympic Games.

Is pickleball in the Special Olympics?

Yes, at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, where it was an official medal sport for the first time, according to USA Pickleball.

Who governs pickleball internationally?

There is no single body yet. The Global Pickleball Federation and the World Pickleball Federation (which merged with the International Pickleball Federation in 2025) both claim the role and have announced work toward unifying. In the U.S., the governing body is USA Pickleball.

Is padel or tennis an Olympic sport?

Tennis is; it was in the early Games and returned to the program in 1988. Padel is not on the Olympic program. If you are curious how padel differs from pickleball, see Padel vs Pickleball.

No medals yet. Still worth the court time.

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