The youngest champion in professional pickleball history reflects on her breakthrough victory, the rise of the sport, and the resilience that powered her comeback.
Introduction:
While many 14-year-olds spend their summers at camp or lounging poolside, Anna Leigh Waters has been busy rewriting the record books of a rising American sport. At the Takeya Showcase in Newport Beach, the Florida teen became the youngest player in history to win a professional pickleball singles title — and she did it in dramatic, five-set fashion.
A Teen Star Rises in a Grown-Up Game
On a warm California weekend at the Tennis & Pickleball Club at Newport Beach, Anna Leigh Waters cemented her name in pickleball history with a comeback win that stunned both fans and seasoned pros. Facing Catherine Parenteau of Montreal — the world’s No. 3-ranked player — Waters showed resilience beyond her years, bouncing back from a 2-1 set deficit to claim the championship.
“It feels amazing,” Waters said after the match. “I’ve been working really hard to get there and I had to beat all the top pro women singles players to get to the finals. Winning my first pro singles tournament is a big step in my pickleball career.”
The final was a seesaw thriller. Waters came out swinging, taking the first game 11-3. Parenteau responded with back-to-back wins, 11-8 and 11-9. But instead of folding, the teenager regrouped. “Well I knew since I had won the first game that I could still win the match,” Waters said. “I just told myself to keep trying to execute my plan.”
She did exactly that, dominating the fourth game 11-6 and closing the match with a commanding 11-2 fifth-set victory.
Waters walked away with a $2,500 winner’s check — her largest singles payout to date — plus additional sponsor bonuses. Like many kids her age, she saves it all. “I put it into a savings account,” she said with a laugh.
From Hurricane to History
Waters' path to the podium began in unlikely fashion. In 2017, when Hurricane Irma forced her family to evacuate Delray Beach, they took refuge in Pennsylvania with her grandfather, Neil Eichelberger — who introduced Anna Leigh and her mom Leigh Waters to pickleball.
They never looked back. Within two years, the mother-daughter duo shocked the sport by defeating U.S. Open legend Simone Jardim and Corrine Carr at the Florida Grand Slam. In 2019, they captured the USAPA Margaritaville National Championships in Indian Wells.
Since then, Anna Leigh has emerged as one of the sport’s few true triple threats, competing in women’s doubles, mixed doubles, and singles — and winning in all three. She is currently ranked among the world’s top 10 women’s players.
Still, it hasn’t all been triumphs. At the PPA Orange County Cup in June, Waters fell in a tightly contested singles final to Lea Jansen, 29, in five sets. That loss, however, became fuel for her fire.
“I learned a lot from my last match of being in a final and I put a lot of those things toward this match,” she said. “The sport is getting faster. Some of the points we have are really incredible.”
Eyes on No. 1
Waters’ victory at the Takeya Showcase was more than just a tournament win — it was a statement. Entering the event with no ranking points after sitting out much of 2020 due to COVID-19, she had everything to prove.
“Since I didn’t play in 2020... I had zero points coming into this tournament,” she explained. “Now that I won, I have the confidence to go forward and know that I can reach the No. 1 ranking.”
She might just get there sooner than anyone expects.
Summary:
Anna Leigh Waters' victory at the PPA Takeya Showcase is a watershed moment for professional pickleball — a sport surging in popularity across the United States. At only 14, Waters didn’t just win a professional tournament; she did it by defeating some of the best in the world, showcasing technical precision, mental toughness, and tactical poise far beyond her years.
Her five-set win over Catherine Parenteau highlights a new generation’s arrival in a sport long dominated by veteran players. Waters' ability to learn from previous losses, notably her June final against Lea Jansen, underscores a maturity that suggests her success is not a flash in the pan, but the beginning of a long, dominant career.
Having started her pickleball journey under stormy circumstances — quite literally — her rapid rise to the sport’s elite ranks is as improbable as it is inspiring. Alongside her mother and doubles partner Leigh, Anna Leigh has been part of reshaping the competitive landscape of women’s pickleball. Now with a major singles title in hand, she is poised to lead the next wave of young stars.
More than just a teenage prodigy, Anna Leigh Waters is a symbol of the sport’s future — fast-paced, fiercely competitive, and full of possibility.
Storm to Serve v1
[Verse 1 – Jazz]
Smooth midnight sky, Delray Beach in the glow,
Fourteen and fearless, she’s ready for the show.
Pickleball paddle swinging, syncopated flow,
Anna Leigh steppin’ up, watch her confidence grow.
Soft cymbal taps, upright bass walks the floor,
She’s schooling seasoned pros, they keep on askin’ “How much more?”
Cool breeze through palms, corona light’s aglow,
History in the making: teen star’s latest blow.
[Chorus – ’90s Rap]
Yo, she’s the youngest champ, rockin’ courts coast to coast,
Serve it down low, then watch the paddle ghost.
From Irma’s hush to neon lights in Cali,
Storm to serve, watch the swing—she’s rally tally.
All the points get tight, but she’s takin’ flight,
Fourteen on the court, comin’ outta sight.
Hands up, crowd roar, that’s the pro’s new lyric,
Anna Leigh Waters, yeah, her game is serious!
[Verse 2 – Folk]
(Soft acoustic guitar strum)
When Irma rolled in, skies turned gray,
Mom and daughter fled, found a brighter day.
Pennsylvania porch, grandpa showed the way,
Paddles in hand, they chased the fear away.
Two hearts in harmony, learning every stroke,
Every dinking rally, every hopeful joke.
From that humble porch to the grandest court,
Their bond growing stronger, every winning report.
[Bridge – Jazz]
(Saxophone riffs)
Back-and-forth they trade, spin it like fate,
Parenteau’s challenge, couldn’t make her break.
“Keep the plan,” she whispered, rhythm in her soul,
Fourth set pride unleashed, fifth set took control.
[Chorus – ’90s Rap]
Yo, she’s the youngest champ, rockin’ courts coast to coast,
Serve it down low, then watch the paddle ghost.
From Irma’s hush to neon lights in Cali,
Storm to serve, watch the swing—she’s rally tally.
All the points get tight, but she’s takin’ flight,
Fourteen on the court, comin’ outta sight.
Hands up, crowd roar, that’s the pro’s new lyric,
Anna Leigh Waters, yeah, her game is serious!
[Verse 3 – Folk]
(Soft acoustic guitar continues)
Saving every dollar, dreams banked for more,
Learning from defeat, then stepping to the fore.
A mother-daughter team, setting every score,
In a sport on the rise, they’re the heart at its core.
Article: “Behind the Beats of ‘Storm to Serve’”
“Storm to Serve” sprang from the vibrant narrative of Anna Leigh Waters’ meteoric rise in professional pickleball. Inspired by her historic win at the Takeya Showcase and her refuges from Hurricane Irma, the songwriters wove together three distinctive musical styles—jazz, ’90s rap, and folk—to mirror Anna Leigh’s multifaceted journey.
The jazz verses capture the sleek confidence of a young prodigy on the court, complete with syncopated rhythms and smooth melodic lines symbolizing her fluid playstyle. The ’90s rap chorus delivers bold, rhythmic declarations, reflecting the energy and swagger of a championship moment, while the folk passages honor the humble beginnings on a Pennsylvania porch with her mother and grandfather—an acoustic nod to the heartwarming roots of her passion.
Collaborators held writing sessions over video calls, sharing clips of Anna Leigh’s matches to catch the perfect lyrical cadence. They experimented with upright bass and saxophone riffs to evoke the court’s tension, before layering turntable scratches and drum-machine loops for the rap sections. The folk bridge was born when a co-writer recalled family stories of evacuation and discovery, translating them into gentle guitar strums and earnest vocal harmonies.
The result is an upbeat, genre-blending homage that not only celebrates a record-breaking triumph but also honors the resilience and familial bonds that propelled Anna Leigh Waters from a hurricane-struck refuge to the pinnacle of professional pickleball.
