UPA spends a lot of money on professional pickleball players

(Dan Tri) - The United States Pickleball Association (UPA) has just announced a plan to invest 20 million USD (more than 527 billion VND) a year in the professional athlete reward fund.

According to the announcement from UPA, this organization will still pay 11 million USD in guaranteed salaries and add 20 million USD in bonuses each year for professional athletes around the world.

UPA is creating the same level of treatment for professional athletes as other major sports (Photo: Quyet Thang).

The total prize money and expected income of athletes can reach 31 million USD per year, this is the largest number ever in the history of pickleball.

More importantly, the UPA’s decision is to move from a fixed salary model to a performance-based bonus model, similar to how major sports like tennis and golf operate. This means that in addition to a guaranteed salary, athletes will receive additional bonuses corresponding to their competition results.

Under the new calculation, contracts signed between 2024 and 2026 will be adjusted: Instead of receiving the full guaranteed salary in 2026, this amount will be divided equally over three years, from 2026 to 2028. This change helps maintain financial stability for players, while also extending professional contract benefits by two years.

The UPA has earmarked $15 million for domestic tournaments and $5 million for international tournaments. The new scheme is expected to create a more intense competition among players, encouraging them to maintain their peak performance throughout the season to maximize their earnings.

UPA's move to raise compensation is seen as a strategy to promote the global development of pickleball. This attractive compensation and income not only strengthens the professional foundation but also promises to attract a large number of talents from all over the world .

In addition to salaries and bonuses, UPA athletes will also have access to high-end facilities and sponsorship to appear on television (Photo: Quyet Thang).

Experts believe that pickleball is entering a new era, becoming a sport with extremely large income potential for athletes.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/upa-manh-tay-chi-tien-cho-vdv-pickleball-chuyen-nghiep-20251014133720472.htm