The year was 2020. As the world sought new ways to stay social safely, who knew that pickleball would emerge as such a strong national pastime?
The Madison Area Sports Commission did.
“We were on hiatus from hosting IRONMAN Wisconsin, a world-class event we’d welcomed since 2002,” says Brandon Holstein, Senior Sports Account Manager at the Madison Area Sports Commission (MASC). “As much as we missed bringing thousands of IRONMAN athletes and fans to our capital city, it gave us time to explore what sports were trending—and where Madison’s offerings may have been lacking. We knew pickleball was rising in popularity and the Professional Pickleball Association had just been established, so we got to work.”
Getting it Off the Ground
In the early days of Madtown Pickleball Open, there were new community leaders to meet. Key partnerships to make. Format decisions and pricing to set. Every aspect was a balance of leveraging what the team already knew about running tournaments—and learning what they didn’t know.
Holstein recalls, “The biggest challenge was getting comfortable just taking the risk and trusting our gut instincts. At the end of the day, our primary goal was to create a tournament that got people playing at all levels. And to make sure everyone had a great time doing it.”
With the nearby Sun Prairie community signed on as host and top sponsors engaged, the inaugural 2022 Madtown Pickleball Open welcomed 250 players. One unique aspect to this tournament was adding a fundraising component, with net proceeds supporting the MASC Youth Grant program, which was not only well received, but it also immediately went to supporting local programs that foster leadership, participation and teamwork through sports.
By all accounts, year one gave the green light to grow the event for future years. Since 2022, the tournament has seen a 65% increase in participants, making Madtown Pickleball Open not just the largest outdoor pickleball tournament in Wisconsin—it’s one of the largest in the entire Midwest.
Serving up Success
But growing the tournament is just one of the metrics that matters to the Madison Area Sports Commission team.
It’s also focused on inclusivity.
“Pickleball is a game for everyone,” says Holstein, “which perfectly matches Madison’s mantra of ‘all are welcome’ in every sense—and that includes sports. Our simple premise of ‘grab a paddle, grab a partner’ reinforces that our tournament is super accessible.”
Inclusivity is also at the heart of an ongoing commitment to securing MASC Youth Grant donations through this event. “We exceeded 100 registrations within a week of opening the 2025 tournament, with a goal of 500 picklers and more than $20,000 raised for the MASC Youth Grant,” says Holstein. In total, Madtown Pickleball Open has contributed more than $35,000 the Youth Grant program, which bolsters sports programs for underserved communities and families. The gifts support everything ranging from practice facility fees to coaching compensation to uniforms and equipment for the teams.
Holstein adds, “Those are the tangible things. But the stories that have been shared with us about how kids in our community are flourishing from this program are immeasurable—the confidence, the leadership skills, the relationships—multiply every single gift players provide. And who knows? We hope to see some of those same kids playing the Madtown Pickleball Open someday.”
Why Madison? Why Now?
It’s only a two-hour drive from Chicago. Athletes love competing in Madison. And, we were recently ranked the #1 most courteous destination in Wisconsin.
“We’re not shy about sharing the reasons why we’re a stellar sports town,” quips Holstein. “From jumping around with the Badgers to welcoming niche sports we can geek out about, our capital city is sports-crazy and athletes, friends and fans thrive in that environment.”
Plus, Madtown Pickleball Open is in its prime. We’ve created a marquee championship court experience, from the four-game guarantee to wow-worthy trophies. (And just wait until you see what’s inside our swag bags!)
Now’s the time to register and get set to make Madison your summer getaway.
Questions? Learn more about Madtown Pickleball Open or contact Brandon Holstein for details about accommodations, brackets or sponsorships.
