DUPR, the global pickleball rating system, has partnered with Courtly, a platform used by Indian players to find courts, book games and enter tournaments.
The tie-up brings ratings closer to where Indian players actually play, and it comes at an interesting time for the sport in the country.
Pickleball in India is still young. Courts are being built, tournaments are growing, and more players are picking up the sport every month. Unlike the United States, where pickleball built its community first and added technology decades later, India is doing both at the same time. Courts, competitions and digital systems like ratings are all coming up together.
DUPR already has a foothold in India. The India Pickleball Association adopted DUPR as its official rating system in December 2025, and IPA events are now DUPR Verified from 2026 onwards. This means a player’s rating can now travel with them across clubs, cities and tournaments, instead of being decided fresh every time they join a new group.
The Courtly partnership adds another piece to this. As players use Courtly to discover games and join tournaments, their DUPR rating can be linked directly to that activity. This could help newer players understand where they stand and find suitable opponents, rather than guessing their level.
At the same time, there is a balance to be struck. Ratings work well when they help serious players find better competition. They can become a problem if casual players start treating every game as something that affects a number. Part of what makes pickleball appealing is how easy it is to just show up and play.
For India, the bigger picture is this: courts, communities and ratings are being built almost together, unlike older pickleball markets. If done well, this could give Indian players a smoother path from their first game to serious competition, without losing the simple, easy-to-join nature of the sport.