Team to compete as transcosmos NEXUS in PX LEAGUE, Japan’s first professional pickleball league
TOKYO, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — transcosmos today announced that it co-sponsors Pickleball X, a professional pickleball player development project, as a team owner. Pickleball is gaining popularity worldwide, and participation in the sport is growing rapidly in Japan. In October 2026, PX LEAGUE, Japan’s first professional league with a corporate team ownership system, will launch as the third series of Pickleball X. As the owner of transcosmos NEXUS, transcosmos will contribute to the professional player development project.
https://jp.corp-sansan.com/pickleball/pickleball-x/
■ Background of the sponsorship and origin of the team name, transcosmos NEXUS
Pickleball is easy to take up and accessible to people of all ages and genders. This aligns closely with transcosmos’s business, which connects people with people, businesses with society, and the digital with the real world, as well as its Purpose, “Make It Real Together. By transcending limits and connecting people through technology, we open a universe of possibilities for growth and success.” This strong affinity led transcosmos to co-sponsor the project as a team owner. In addition, pickleball is a rapidly growing sport that aligns with transcosmos’s culture of pursuing growth through continuous innovation even after celebrating its 60th anniversary. The name NEXUS refers to a central point or connection where multiple things and elements come together, representing transcosmos’s business and Purpose.
■ PX LEAGUE overview
PX LEAGUE is a mixed-gender team league consisting of six teams. The league will be held over a seven-month period from October 2026 to April 2027, with Sansan Pickleball Court Ikebukuro (Toshima-ku, Tokyo) serving as the primary venue.
Each team will consist of six players, three men and three women, who will compete in five categories: women’s doubles, men’s doubles, men’s singles, women’s singles, and mixed doubles. The league adopts a format that ensures all players participate in every match, with no player left out of competition, fostering a strong sense of unity within each team. Following the regular season, the top three teams will advance to the playoffs to crown the PX LEAGUE annual champion.
Player applications will be open to the public from August 10 to 23, with teams to be formed at a draft scheduled for September 12. Approximately 300 applications were received across the first two series of the program. The coaching staff will include former U.S. pickleball champion Daniel Moore and Rika Fujiwara, who represented Japan in tennis for 11 years before going on to achieve success in international pickleball competitions.
■ Pickleball X overview
Pickleball X provides selected players with the highest level of coaching and training environment available in Japan, with the aim of developing top players capable of competing on the international pickleball stage.
・ First series: Selected 12 players and provided training (March 2025 to September 2025)
・ Second series: Selected 24 players and provided training (November 2025 to July 2026)
・ Third series: Launch of PX LEAGUE, a team league competition featuring a corporate team ownership system (October 2026 to April 2027)
https://jp.corp-sansan.com/pickleball/pickleball-x/
■ About Pickleball
Pickleball is a sport that originated in the United States in 1965 and combines elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton. Played with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball on a court the same size as a badminton court, the sport has seen rapid growth in participation worldwide. As of 2025, the number of pickleball players in the United States had reached approximately 24.3 million, making it the second most-played racket sport after tennis. Participation is also growing rapidly in Japan and is estimated to reach approximately 330,000 players in 2026, about seven times the previous year’s level. (Source: PICKLEBALL ONE Inc.)
*transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. in Japan and other countries.
*Other company names and product or service names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies.
■ About transcosmos inc.
transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have united superior “people” with cutting-edge “technology” to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients’ business processes, focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 188 bases across 36 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of the e-commerce market on a global scale, transcosmos provides comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients’ excellent products and services to consumers in 46 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos is committed to treating the challenges of its clients and society as its own—discussing and addressing their issues from planning to execution—and Make It Real, Together. Visit us here https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/
Contact for Media Inquiries
transcosmos inc. Public Relations & Advertising Department
Email: pressroom@transcosmos.com
SOURCE transcosmos inc.