Meet the Filipinos Competing at the 2026 Pickleball World Cup
Pickleball may be a relatively new sport in the Philippines, but the athletes carrying the flag in Da Nang are no strangers to competition.
From former national tennis players to athletes who have built their names in pickleball, Team Philippines brings together different generations and different sporting backgrounds for the 2026 Pickleball World Cup.
The tournament runs from August 30 to September 6 in Da Nang, Vietnam, where around 4,000 athletes from 80 countries will compete across five categories for a total prize pool of $500,000.
At the center of the Philippine campaign are Leander Lazaro and Sarah Jane Lim-Narvasa, two of the country’s highest-ranked players.
From Tennis to Pickleball
Lazaro knows the racket-sport world well. Before establishing himself as one of the Philippines’ leading pickleball players, he built his sporting background through tennis. His transition to pickleball in 2021 gave him a new competitive arena, but the fundamentals remained familiar: movement, timing, anticipation, and the ability to read an opponent.
That experience has helped Lazaro become one of the country’s most recognizable pickleball players. He also ranks among the leading Filipinos internationally, sitting at joint No. 36 in men’s mixed doubles and sharing the top Filipino position in men’s doubles at joint No. 51 globally.
Now, he will headline a men’s lineup that carries plenty of history of its own.
Ruben Gonzales and Johnny Arcilla both arrive in Da Nang with accomplished tennis careers behind them. Nik Isagan and Patrick Mendoza complete the Men’s Open roster, while Johwee Sam Bernales serves as the reserve.
Gonzales is one of the most experienced athletes in the group. He represented the Philippines in the Davis Cup and has been part of the national tennis program since 2010. His résumé includes two Southeast Asian Games gold medals in men’s doubles, giving him a level of international experience that extends well beyond pickleball.
His move into pickleball adds another chapter to a career that has already taken him across different courts. In 2026, Gonzales made his APP Asia Tour debut at the Kuala Lumpur Open, where he and Leander Lazaro reached the Last 16 in Men’s Pro Doubles. He is also currently the highest-ranked Filipino in men’s singles, sitting at joint No. 39 globally, with Jose Maria Pague next among Filipino players at joint No. 42.
Then there is Arcilla.
For Filipino tennis fans, his name carries a different kind of weight. Arcilla dominated the local men’s tennis scene for years and won the Philippine Columbian Association Open 10 times, with his most recent title coming in 2022 at age 42.
Pickleball became his next challenge in late 2024. He has since taken that competitive edge to the new sport, joining the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems in the Pickle Yard Conference League, the country’s first recognized professional pickleball league.
His presence alongside Gonzales creates an unusual but compelling pairing: two accomplished tennis players now chasing success with paddles instead of tennis rackets.
Isagan represents a different stage of that transition.
A former tennis player who switched to pickleball in 2023, Isagan has already found international success in the sport. He was part of the Philippine team that captured the inaugural Pickleball Champions League Asia title in Shenzhen, China, in 2025, sweeping Vietnam 3-0 in the final.
His progression reflects the growing number of Filipino racket-sport athletes who have found a new competitive outlet in pickleball.
Lim-Narvasa Leads the Women’s Open Team
The women’s side has its own blend of experience and momentum.
Lim-Narvasa will lead the Women’s Open team alongside Lauren Mercado, Fatima Amirul, Kelsey Laurente, and Medelene Saraza. Jessica Agra will serve as reserve.
Like Lazaro, Lim-Narvasa came into pickleball with years of experience in another sport. She spent 18 years playing tennis, including 16 years as a competitive athlete. She also became part of the national training pool for obstacle sports. That background helped shape her into one of the country’s leading pickleball players.
Lim-Narvasa’s international ranking reflects that standing. She is currently the highest-ranked Filipino in women’s doubles at joint No. 36 globally and also sits at joint No. 38 in women’s mixed doubles.
Her rise in pickleball has been rapid, but her approach to the sport has been anything but casual. She has built her game through repetition, competition, and a willingness to learn from every match. Her current status as one of the Philippines’ top-ranked players reflects that progression.
Amirul and Saraza also bring international championship experience into the group. Both were part of the Philippine team that captured the inaugural Pickleball Champions League Asia title in Shenzhen in 2025, with the pair earning joint MVP honors.
Building Philippine Pickleball Across Generations
The roster, however, does not stop with the Open divisions.
The Philippines will also compete in the Seniors, Masters, and Juniors categories. Annie Legaspi, Edshel Pagaiguron, Minerva San Jose, and Lilibeth Pulido will compete in Women’s Seniors, while Angelo Enad, Lucob Chan, Rico del Rosario, and Gilbert Medina will represent the country in Men’s Seniors.
Conrada Henson, Lea Camarao, Liza Badion, and Leah Aragon make up the Women’s Masters team. Jose Allan Avila, Carlos Darren Badion, Clinton Lee, and Allan Hermano will compete in Men’s Masters.
The youngest members of the delegation will have their own stage.
Mackonner Dy, Matt Daniel Navarro, Alva Bual, and Randy Lee Capoquian will compete in Boys’ Juniors. Syesha Bree Rivera, Rain Isabelle Astano, Rhenna May Tavera, and Adreanna Pastor will represent the Philippines in Girls’ Juniors.
Their inclusion says something about where Philippine pickleball is headed.
The country’s World Cup team no longer consists only of established athletes crossing over from other sports. It now includes players who can build their competitive identities within pickleball itself.
How Team Philippines Was Selected
That development is exactly what the Philippine Pickleball Federation hopes to encourage.
The federation’s selection process considered performances in notable and international tournaments and leagues, participation in federation activities, and open tryouts. The Selection Committee also assessed each player’s versatility across match formats and ability to work with different partners. Those qualities matter in a rotating team format.
The result is a team that reflects the sport’s evolution in the country.
Lazaro represents the athlete who helped build a bridge from tennis to pickleball. Lim-Narvasa represents a similar transition on the women’s side. Gonzales and Arcilla bring years of national-team experience. Isagan and the younger players represent the generation that has found competitive opportunities in pickleball itself.
Together, they give Philippine pickleball something more valuable than a single star.
They give it depth.
The Philippine Pickleball Federation has worked with Skechers to create more opportunities for Filipino athletes, from grassroots participation to international competition. Skechers Country Manager Suzette Pasustento also pointed to the Philippines’ rapid growth as a pickleball market and the country’s potential to host major tournaments in the future.
Ready for the World Cup
For now, however, the attention shifts to Da Nang.
The Philippines will enter the World Cup with athletes who have already represented the country on different courts, players who have built international experience in pickleball, and young competitors who are only beginning to discover how far the sport can take them.
The federation knows the significance of the moment.
“Pickleball has established its strong growth in the Philippines, and Team Philippines going to Da Nang is a significant show of competitiveness of our athletes,” PPF president Shawy Cu said.
For the players, the task is simpler.
Take the court.
Compete.
And show the world what Philippine pickleball looks like now.
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