Former tennis player now among world's best on another court
In a remarkable athletic second act, former University of South Carolina women’s tennis player Leigh (Eichelberger) Waters has reemerged as one of the top professional pickleball players in the world—this time, as part of a mother-daughter duo with her then-13-year-old daughter, Anna Leigh Waters.
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| January 22, 2001 |
Waters describes pickleball as deceptively fast-paced, with dynamic exchanges and a growing emphasis on aggressive play. She and Anna Leigh brought a tennis-style “banger” approach that disrupted the traditional slow, “dinking” style associated with the sport’s older demographic. Their impact helped usher in a younger, faster era of pickleball.
Waters, once ranked 6.4 on the sport’s 6.5-point rating scale, has now embraced a full-time pickleball lifestyle, trading in her legal career to travel the country for competitions, teach the sport, and build brand partnerships. Meanwhile, Anna Leigh balances pickleball with homeschooling, competitive tennis, and high-level soccer.
Reflecting on her roots, Waters fondly recalls her time at South Carolina and the camaraderie of the Gamecock athletic community. Though her days on the tennis court are over, she’s found a new kind of family and fulfillment—on a slightly smaller court, with a paddle in hand and her daughter by her side. (Source: 2020 South Carolina Gamecocks Article)
