Thursday, December 21, 2023

2023 Review


TOP 10 PICKLEBALL POINTS OF THE YEAR

THE ABC’S* OF 2023 By Jim Ramsey

ANNA LEIGH WATERS:

Medals: Anna Leigh’s 47 medals in 2023 were all gold medals. She averaged 2.76 gold medals per tournament played in 2023. 

Singles: Waters won 14 times in 17 tournaments. The gold medal matches were against four different opponents. The three times she did not reach the finals: She lost to Catherine Parenteau in the semifinals at the Florida Open; she lost to Hurricane Tyra Black in the quarterfinals at the Takeya Showcase, and she withdrew from the Hertz Gold Cup (at Daytona Beach).

Doubles: Waters was undefeated in Women’s Doubles. She won ten times with Catherine Parenteau, including the last five tournaments of the year, and seven times with Anna Bright. The 17 gold medal matches were against 14 different teams. (Read More)

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Pickleball Magazine: November/December Cover

 



Pickleball Y’all! “Everything is bigger in Texas” proved true during the 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships powered by Invited and the PPA Tour where more than 50,000 attendees descended upon Brookhaven Country Club to take part in the biggest event in the history of pickleball. By Drew Wathey

What Anna Leigh Waters is doing on a pickleball court is unprecedented and it’s almost unimaginable that a 16-year-old is dominating a sport such as she is. Already having captured 19 career Triple Crowns, Waters began her quest to unlock the tie with Ben Johns in that category and easily won the mixed doubles crown with Johns by beating her practice partners back in Florida, Anna Bright and James Ignatowich, who were the #2 seeds, 11-6, 11-5 and 11-3. For the top-seeded Johns-Waters pairing, the win marked their 14th gold medal of the year. “There are some pros and cons about playing Anna and James and it’s pretty weird, but I’m glad to see that they made it to the finals this year,” said Waters. (Read More) (Instagram Post)


Waters, Hingis take the court together in Switzerland 

By Will Daughton Pickleball.com

Saturday, December 2, 2023

2023 PPA Tour Finals CBS Weekend News

 

 


Pickleball Reaches New Heights with Historic Goodyear Blimp Match

Iconic blimp provides aerial coverage of sport's finals for the first time



The fastest growing sport in America has officially arrived. This week, pickleball soared to a whole new level - literally - as a match was played inside the iconic Goodyear Blimp. Soaring 1,500 feet above Carson, California, pros Anna Leigh Waters, Catherine Parenteau and Jay Devilliers made history with the first-ever pickleball game in the blimp. And in another milestone for the emerging sport, the blimp is providing aerial coverage over this weekend's Professional Pickleball Association Tour Finals, marking pickleball's debut appearance under the watchful eye of the famous airship.


For over 90 years, the Goodyear Blimp has been an integral part of American culture and sports broadcasting. As Goodyear Blimp pilot Taylor Deen explains, "We basically invented aerial broadcasting of sports." From World War II to christenings by Amelia Earhart and Sally Ride to emergency broadcasting, the blimp has borne witness to history. And since 1955, when Goodyear provided the first live aerial TV broadcast of the Rose Bowl, the blimp has been a staple at major sporting events. Says Deen, "We fly over all the largest events - Super Bowls, NASCAR, World Cups, Stanley Cup, NBA Finals - so if we're there, it's usually a pretty big event." Pickleball now joins the ranks of these legendary competitions.


16-year-old Anna Leigh, the #1 ranked pickleball player globally, has dreamed of this moment. "I've always been like, alright, your sport's kind of made it if the Goodyear blimp comes to it. So I guess pickleball's made it now!"


Indeed, since the pandemic, pickleball has exploded across America, with nearly 9 million players. Waters has watched the sport grow tremendously during her 4 years on the pro circuit. With the game's pioneers taking it to new heights - both on the court and in the sky - pickleball has certainly earned its blimp-worthy status.

Monday, November 6, 2023

World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters And Scottie Scheffler Exchange Pickleball, Golf Expertise

 


Pickleball superstar Anna Leigh Waters and six-time PGA Tour winner Scottie Scheffler are the top-ranked athletes in their respective sports, so it’s only natural that they join forces for the Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, TX.

Waters and Scheffler got together for a practice session on Tuesday in Dallas to begin preparing for the exhibition matchup that will also feature a host of current and former pros, including Tony Romo, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Tyler Seguin, and John Isner. (Read More)



Friday, November 3, 2023

MLP 2023 Dallas

  

 Utah Black Diamonds
  • Anna Leigh Waters
  • Irina Tereschenko
  • Thomas Wilson
  • AJ Koller

Brooklyn Aces

  • Catherine Parenteau
  • Andrea Koop
  • Hayden Patriquin
  • Tyler Loong

Miami Pickleball Club

  • Federico Staksrud
  • Tyson McGuffin
  • Hurricane Tyra Black
  • Mary Brascia

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Pickleball Dot Com: Anna Leigh, As I See Her

 



October 15, 2023 by David Boyle
Beyond the Facade of America’s Pickleball Prodigy

Who is Anna Leigh Waters? At first glance—on and away from the court—one sees an ordinary sixteen-year-old, cheerful, effervescent, quick with a smile, a joke, a funny face. Upon closer examination one would find themself looking at America’s most recognizable pickleball player, a winner of nineteen triple crowns and eighty-something gold medals, and, more, a tireless ambassador for the sport. Other than that she seems… normal.

Often called ALW, Anna Leigh has attitude and drive in equal measure. Sponsorship deals and tournament prizes have likely made her a millionaire. If that’s true—a self-made millionaire! (Read More)

2023 PPA Las Vegas

 

 

Mixed Doubles

  1. Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns vs Dylan Frazier/Lauren Stratman Quarterfinal
  2. Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns vs Vinienne David/Thomas Wilson Semifinal
  3. Ben Johns & Anna Leigh Waters - Interview

Doubles