2026 Road To Arlberg Kicks Off: Bakó Bálint and Caroline Nothnagel Dominate RTA1000 Vienna
By Andrea Visibelli, picklespot.eu
The European competitive season is officially underway. The 2026 Road To Arlberg (RTA) Pickleball Tour kicked off its season in Austria with the highly anticipated RTA1000 Vienna stage. Hosted at Racket Revolution, the opening weekend awarded the first titles of the year across five categories over three days of intense action.
The tournament organisers, Magnus Stedile-Foradori and Stefan Grubmüller, put together a phenomenal stage that immediately showcased who the players to beat will be this season. The weekend belonged to two undeniable stars: Bakó Bálint and Caroline Nothnagel, who both left Austria boasting two gold medals each.
Bakó Bálint’s Double Gold
Bakó Bálint started his 2026 campaign flawlessly. He captured the men’s singles title by defeating James Chaudry in a thrilling final, while Mikołaj Biedermann rounded out the podium in third place.
Bálint wasn’t finished there. He teamed up with Italian standout Silvia Mocciola for the mixed doubles competition, dominating the field to secure his second gold of the weekend. They were followed by the silver-medal pair of Karolina Owczarek and Bartosz Karbownik, while Mateusz Matysik and Klara Thell-Lenntorp took home the bronze.
Nothnagel Takes Centre Stage
Matching Bálint’s incredible output, Caroline Nothnagel established absolute dominance in the women’s brackets. She clinched the women’s singles gold, pushing Karolina Owczarek into second place and Alma Thell Lenntorp into third.
Nothnagel then joined forces with Owczarek for the women’s doubles. The duo proved unstoppable, securing the gold medal ahead of the second-place pairing of Alma Thell Lenntorp and Klara Thell-Lenntorp.
Cawston and Platel Defend Their Crown
In the men’s doubles division, the narrative was all about legacy. The defending 2025 champions, Ben Cawston and Théo Platel, successfully protected their crown, winning the first title of the 2026 season. They fended off fierce competition from Mateusz Matysik and Stephen Preissler, who claimed second, and the third-place team of Joshua Bright and Arwid Dahlin.
Italy Makes Its Mark
As the PPA prepares to land in Italy, Italian players are already proving their mettle on the European circuit. Italy claimed two spots on the podium during this opening stage. Alongside Mocciola’s spectacular mixed doubles gold with Bálint, Francesca Rumi made waves in her very first appearance on the RTA circuit. Rumi partnered with Thaddea Lock to capture a hard-fought bronze medal in the women’s doubles category.
The RTA1000 Vienna stage sent a very simple, yet powerful message to the rest of the tour: Italy is present, competitive, and ready to fight for medals right from the very first serve.
Download the full March 2026 World Pickleball Magazine for free
Chris Beaumont
Founder and Editor-in-ChiefChris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…
View All Articles →
