On June 28, 2025, the 3rd Austrian Junior Pickleball Championships were held at Tennisweber in Schwechat. For the first time, the tournament took place as a standalone event – an important milestone for this young sport. In addition, champions were crowned in two age categories (U14 and U18) for the first time. The photo gallery from Racketista – The Racket Sport Magazine is available on our Facebook page:
Link: Photo Gallery on Facebook
On the tennis hard courts in Schwechat, the participants delivered impressive performances. Especially for the many youth tennis performance players who train at the facility, Pickleball offers an exciting change of pace. A permanent Pickleball court at the venue is set to provide even more young people with access to Pickleball in the future.
U14 Results
In the U14 age group, Moritz Karner / Ben Harrer dominated and secured the championship title with a strong tournament performance. The top 3:
- Moritz Karner / Ben Harrer
- Nico Foltas / Daniel Maurer
- Nico Harrer / Felix Karner
Moritz and Ben impressed with precise play and excellent teamwork. They prevailed in direct duels against their strongest rivals – including a narrow 16-14 victory over Foltas/Maurer.
U18 Results
In the U18 category, Elias Bratic / Nicolas Palka were crowned Austrian youth champions. They delivered an impressive performance and remained undefeated throughout the tournament:
- Elias Bratic / Nicolas Palka
- Moritz Karner / Felix Karner
- Martin Wurdits / Ben Harrer
As a reward for their performance, the duo received a special highlight: a sponsorship contract from ProKennex. All participants were also happy to receive great prizes provided by the sponsor.
“I’m overwhelmed. We did not expect to become Austrian champions.” – Nicolas Palka
“Our play at the net and our teamwork made the difference.” – Elias Bratic
In the final, Bratic/Palka especially showcased their strength at the net and their tactical maturity. They clearly defeated Moritz Karner / Felix Karner 11-4, 11-2.
Voices on the Tournament
“This year we were able to host the Austrian Youth Pickleball Championships for the third time – for the first time as a standalone event. And for the first time, we managed to crown champions in two age categories: U14 and U18. This shows that more and more people are playing Pickleball – in all age groups. A big thank you goes to Jochen Nowak, who is driving Pickleball forward in Schwechat and prepared his players very well for this event.” – Peter Robic, President of Pickleball Federation Austria
“There was great interest from our players. It was a fantastic event that everyone really enjoyed.” – Jochen Nowak, Tennisweber
Pickleball on the Rise in Schwechat
With the new permanent Pickleball court at Tennisweber in Schwechat, an important milestone has been set for the development of the sport in Austria. The court is now open to all interested players and is expected to help make Pickleball even more popular.
