Marcela Ampon brings pickleball tour to SM malls

Filipino-American professional pickleball player Marcela Aguila Ampon brought her “Marcela Comes Home: PH Tour 2026” to SM City East Ortigas and SM City Marikina, encouraging more Filipinos to discover the fast-growing paddle sport.

The tour, organized in partnership with SM Active, Palakol and Paloo, celebrated the expanding local pickleball community and promoted active lifestyles through greater public engagement with the sport.

Ampon competes on the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour in women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. She turned professional in 2024, following a background in tennis that helped her transition to competitive pickleball.

Her visit to the two SM malls formed part of efforts to make pickleball more accessible to Filipino communities and introduce the sport to new players.

The initiative also aligns with the sport’s growing presence in local commercial spaces. SM Prime reported on 23 October that six new pickleball courts had opened at SM City East Ortigas, bringing the company’s nationwide total to 108 courts across 33 malls.

Through mall-based activities and community partnerships, SM Active and its partners aim to encourage more Filipinos to take up pickleball and make physical activity part of their everyday routines.