The Philippines is seeing growing interest in pickleball, and Filipino-American pro Marcela Aguila Ampon is helping bring the sport closer to local communities. Her “Marcela Comes Home: PH Tour 2026” featured two mall stops aimed at introducing more Filipinos to the fast-growing sport.
Key Takeaways From Ampon's Tour
- Marcela Ampon brought her “Marcela Comes Home” tour to SM City East Ortigas and SM City Marikina.
- The initiative, organised with SM Active, Palakol, and Paloo, aims to celebrate the growing pickleball community and encourage active lifestyles.
- SM Prime reported opening six new courts at SM City East Ortigas, bringing its total to 108 courts across 33 malls nationwide.
- Ampon turned professional in 2024 and competes on the PPA Tour in women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
Fil-Am Star Marcela Ampon Brings Pickleball Home
For Marcela Ampon, the “Marcela Comes Home: PH Tour 2026” offered an opportunity to connect with the Philippines' growing pickleball community. The tour stopped at SM City East Ortigas and SM City Marikina, with the aim of celebrating the sport's expansion and encouraging more people to get involved.
Organised in partnership with SM Active, Palakol, and Paloo, the initiative promotes active lifestyles by making pickleball more accessible to the public.
Ampon's visit also came just a couple of days before fellow professional Anna Bright arrived in the Philippines for her own tour. Bright had travelled from Hong Kong, where she won Women's Doubles gold alongside Anna Leigh Waters at the Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam.
A Pro's Homecoming: From Tennis to Pickleball
Ampon competes on the PPA Tour in women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. She turned professional in 2024, following a background in tennis that helped ease her transition into competitive pickleball.
Through her homecoming tour, Ampon is helping introduce more Filipinos to the sport while connecting with a community that continues to expand.
The SM Mall Movement: More Courts, More Access
Ampon's tour is part of a broader effort to bring pickleball to more Filipino communities. Through mall-based activities and partnerships, SM Active and its collaborators aim to encourage more people to pick up a paddle and incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
The timing also coincided with an expansion of the sport's facilities. On 23 October, SM Prime reported that six new pickleball courts had opened at SM City East Ortigas. The addition brought its nationwide total to 108 courts across 33 malls.
The growing network of courts provides more opportunities for people to discover and participate in pickleball, complementing community initiatives such as Ampon's tour.
The Future of Pickleball in the Philippines
With professional players returning to connect with local communities and more courts becoming available, pickleball continues to gain visibility in the Philippines.
Ampon's “Marcela Comes Home” tour highlights how mall-based activities and partnerships can help introduce the sport to new audiences. Together with ongoing court development, these efforts support the broader goal of making pickleball more accessible to Filipinos.
As the country's pickleball community expands, initiatives that encourage participation and active lifestyles could play an important role in sustaining that growth.
