Jenius Bank sponsors 2025 Pickleball World Championships

Jenius Bank is serving as the title sponsor for the 2025 Pickleball World Championships.

Jenius Bank, the digital banking division of SMBC Manubank, is aiming to net potential customers through partnerships with Major League Pickleball and Professional Pickleballers of America, the bank announced on Wednesday.

The bank also teamed up with the Carvana PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball presented by DoorDash tournaments as a partner through the end of 2025.

The tournament partnership and the title sponsorship are both part of Jenius Bank’s marketing strategy to rally interest in the bank’s digital offerings among the rapidly growing fan base for the sport. In 2024 alone, the Pickleball World Championship attracted over 4,200 players and more than 57,500 attendees.

“We did a lot of market data analysis and research, and one of the things we’ve identified is that the typical pickleball player or fan very closely aligns with our target customer set,” John Rosenfeld, president of Jenius Bank, told American Banker. “It was a perfect match for us, and the opportunity to work with both leagues within the pickleball world was very compelling.”

The digital bank hopes to court pickleball players and fans alike through a physical presence at tournaments throughout the 2025 season, bolstered by giveaways and in-person interactions.

“We’re excited about the fact that we’re going to be seeing our customers and they’re going to be seeing us at places other than online,” Rosenfeld said.

Rosenfeld is himself an avid pickleball player in his home state of Florida, but credits the idea of sponsoring professional pickleball to the bank’s marketing team.

“They were looking for something creative and new,” he said. “This is our first entry into sports marketing in the United States. SMBC has done a lot of sponsorships of baseball, rugby, golf, and other sports outside of the U.S., but those are tied to consumer banking in Japan. So this is our opportunity to make a statement here in the States.”

Rosenfeld believes that the mission of Jenius Bank will be a smash hit with “digital-forward consumers” who are looking for an approachable way to build their wealth.

“The neat part about pickleball is it has an incredibly low barrier to entry — you can walk up to a pickleball court and pretty much put your name on a chalkboard and get to play,” Rosenfeld said. “The concept aligns very well with what we’re doing at Jenius Bank. We’re trying to make the world of finance a lot easier to understand and easier to play as well.”

The Jenius Bank Pickleball World Championships will be held in Farmers Branch, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, during the first week of November. Last year’s event accounted for $15.7 million in local economic impact, according to a study by the city of Farmers Branch.

“Partnering with Jenius Bank marks a major milestone for our sport, reflecting the increasing interest from forward-thinking, national brands that recognize the power and potential of our community,” said PPA Tour and MLP CEO Connor Pardoe. “This partnership is a testament to how far pickleball has come and where it’s headed as we continue to elevate the game alongside the biggest sports in America.”