Pickleball has been quietly but steadily making its way across Asia, and this September, Warping Point gave the movement a major push with the Quang Duong China Tour.
Spanning three cities, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Suzhou, from September 13 to 16, 2025, the tour was more than just a string of exhibition matches. It was a showcase of culture, energy, and ambition to expand pickleball’s footprint in one of the fastest-growing regions for the sport.
For Warping Point, the brand known for combining performance innovation with a bold, community-driven spirit, the pickleball playing event was about creating touchpoints for fans, players, and curious newcomers to experience pickleball in a way that felt vibrant and accessible.
Featuring exhibition games, fan challenges, live clinics, and meet-and-greet sessions with Quang Duong, one of the sport’s most charismatic figures, the tour left a mark on China’s growing pickleball community.
Why China, Why Now
Our decision to take pickleball on the road in China was a straightforward one. Across Asia, the sport is gaining traction among recreational players, fitness enthusiasts, and young athletes looking for something different from traditional badminton or table tennis.
China, with its booming urban recreation sector and appetite for emerging sports, presented the perfect stage.
By building a tour around Quang Duong, we aimed to tap into both performance credibility and star power. Quang’s blend of technical skill and approachable personality made him an ideal figurehead for an initiative designed not just to showcase pickleball, but to invite people into it.
The cities were chosen with care. Shenzhen, with its youthful energy and tech-driven culture, was the natural launch point.
Shanghai, as China’s international hub, brought cosmopolitan visibility. Suzhou, with its mix of tradition and modernity, provided a powerful reminder that pickleball can find a place in both established and emerging sports communities.
Shenzhen: A High-Energy Kickoff
The tour launched on September 13 at PickleHead Pickleball Club in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District.
From the moment players and fans gathered, the atmosphere carried the charge of something new arriving. Our team didn’t just set up a series of matches; it put in place an event that felt like a festival.
The exhibition matches were a highlight, not for the scores, but for the sense of spectacle. Fans were drawn into the rhythm of the game, fast-paced volleys, sharp footwork, and Quang’s signature charisma.
But beyond the court, what stood out most was how approachable the format was. Pickleball was being presented not as an elite, closed-off sport, but as something anyone could pick up and enjoy.
The fan challenge matches offered exactly that chance. Locals, some playing pickleball for the first time, stepped onto the court against Quang himself. Laughter, applause, and the occasional surprised rally brought the energy of Shenzhen into full bloom.
Our team was able to provide connection, which was more important than competitiveness.
Shanghai: A Cosmopolitan Spotlight
Two days later, the tour rolled into Shanghai, stopping at InLove Pickleball Club in Huangpu District. If Shenzhen was about energy, Shanghai was about scale.
Our organization leaned into the city’s international character, ensuring that the pickleball event drew not just local players but also members of expat communities who had already fallen in love with pickleball abroad.
Here, the live pickleball clinic came into sharp focus. Quang Duong led an on-court session that broke the game down into digestible, inspiring lessons. Rather than overwhelming new players with technical jargon, he emphasized movement, positioning, and the joy of rallying.
Warping Point’s framing of the clinic underscored its goal: to lower the barrier to entry and make pickleball approachable for everyone, whether they were athletes, families, or casual fitness enthusiasts.
The event’s media presence was stronger here too. Shanghai’s platforms for lifestyle and sports coverage amplified the tour’s reach, giving pickleball exposure to a broader audience than the courts could hold. Our brand’s choice of Shanghai as a centerpiece stop showed its understanding of how visibility fuels growth.
Suzhou: Closing with Community
On September 16, the tour wrapped up in Suzhou at Xtep Running Club in Huqiu District. Where Shenzhen was youthful and Shanghai cosmopolitan, Suzhou’s stop carried a distinctly community-driven vibe.
Families came out, younger players mingled with seasoned athletes, and the event felt less like a spectacle and more like a celebration.
The awards ceremony and autograph session capped the tour with a personal touch. Fans who had watched from the sidelines got the chance to interact one-on-one with Quang Duong and our brand ambassadors.
Smiling faces, photos snapped on phones, and signed paddles captured the real victory of the tour: pickleball wasn’t just shown to people, it was shared with them.
Warping Point’s Role in Pickleball’s Global Future
For our organization, the Quang Duong China Tour wasn’t just about three cities in four days. It was part of a broader strategy to position pickleball as a truly global sport and themselves as a brand that doesn’t just sell paddles and gear but also builds community.
By structuring the tour around accessibility, through clinics, fan challenges, and meet-and-greet moments, we aimed to ensure that pickleball wasn’t framed as something distant or exclusive. The company’s ethos of blending style, performance, and inclusivity came through in every stop.
The China Tour also showed how our brand views cultural engagement as inseparable from sports promotion. By choosing venues that ranged from pickleball-specialist clubs to multi-sport community hubs, the brand highlighted pickleball’s adaptability. It can thrive in high-tech districts, global metropolises, and family-centered communities alike.
Looking Ahead
As the final matches wrapped in Suzhou and fans carried home their signed paddles and selfies with Quang, it was clear that our team had achieved what it set out to do: spark curiosity, generate excitement, and deepen the roots of pickleball in China.
The momentum doesn’t end here. With the success of this tour, it’s easy to imagine our brand expanding similar initiatives into other Asian markets, from Tokyo to Bangkok, and further cementing its role as one of pickleball’s most forward-thinking ambassadors.
Pickleball may have started as a backyard pastime in the United States, but actual playing events like the Quang Duong China Tour show how it is evolving into a cultural and global movement. Warping Point, with its fearless approach and commitment to community, is ensuring that the sport’s next chapters are written not just in North America, but worldwide.