Pickleball Fever Hits Split: Record-Breaking Tournament
The third summer tournament of the Adriatic Pickleball Tour 2026 brought together more than 50 competitors, and Split and Stobreč are quickly becoming the center of European pickleball.
The third summer tournament of the Adriatic Pickleball Tour 2026 brought together more than 50 competitors, and Split and Stobreč are quickly becoming the center of European pickleball.
Pickleball, a sport that has taken the world by storm in recent years, is firmly establishing its roots in Croatia. This is confirmed by the third summer tournament of the Adriatic Pickleball Tour 2026, held at the courts of Pickleball Club 002 Split, which broke the record for the number of participants. Over two days of competition, more than 50 players battled for medals in three different categories.
The first day of the tournament was dedicated to men's singles. The brightest medal went to local favorite Lukša Ivanković, who confirmed his dominance by defeating Krešimir Grancarić from Zadar in the final. In the bronze medal match, Ivan Jović from Zagreb proved better than Split's Šime Mladinić.
The second day of competition focused on doubles play. In mixed doubles, Lukša Ivanković clinched another gold, this time alongside Veronika Mahić. They outplayed Matea Renić and Tonči Knezović in the final, while Iva Buva and Nikola Mikulić took bronze after defeating Ivana Mustapić and Ivan Renić.
The men's doubles event drew the most attention, with as many as 14 pairs vying for the title. After tense group matches and quarterfinal clashes, Zoran Mamić and Ivan Matenda emerged victorious. In the final, they overcame Nenad Božiković and Ivan Renić, while Lukša Ivanković and Nikola Mikulić secured the bronze by beating Luka Stipinović and Tonči Knezović in the third-place match.
Pickleball Club 002 Split, the largest club of its kind in Europe, has no plans of slowing down. Already at the end of August, from August 28 to 30, 2026, the Croatian Open is scheduled, a tournament expected to attract top players from Croatia and numerous representatives from other European countries.
The same weekend, the nearby town of Stobreč will host an RTA tournament from the 2000 series, intended for professional pickleball players. These two events confirm that Split and Stobreč are set to become one of the main European centers for this increasingly popular sport at the end of August.
