Venise Chan Interviews Youngest Pickleball Queen, Anna Leigh Waters

 

Venise Chan: Pickleball University

VC: What is your motto in life and what do you love about pickleball? 

AW: My motto in life is have fun and do what you love! My pickleball motto however is Rip Bang Win Cake! Rip the ball, bang the ball, win the match, and celebrate with cake! I love a lot of things about pickleball, but some of my favorite things are getting to play a professional sport at a young age, traveling around the country with my family, and meeting new people! 

VC: Who do you train with and how do you train?

AW: I train with my mom, with JW Johnson (a top pro male player), and with local high level pickleball players and friends. I train pickleball 3-4 days a week unless there is a tournament! I do fitness and strength work about three days per week as well!

VC: You are so young and with incredible achievements already, what’s your next goal and how are you preparing for it?

AW: My next goal in pickleball is to win a triple crown! I have won 2 out of the three events for the past three tournaments so I would LOVE to will all of them! To achieve this goal, I am working on winning women’s doubles by working on certain shots and strategy that I feel will give me a shot at getting Gold!

VC: Do you prefer singles or doubles and why ?

AW: Most people will say I’m crazy but singles is my favorite because it’s just me on the court! Win or lose it’s all on me! (Read More)

Why Pickleball Should Be Your Next Hobby

2022 Arizona Grand Slam:  Anna Leigh Waters is here, there, then Leigh races across the court and hits an ATP winner. The crowd standing shoulder to shoulder cheers. (Watch Clip)

If you're seeking a game that'll get you moving and is easy to pick up, you should head to (or create) a pickleball court. 

Shape Magazine 

The smaller court size makes pickleball easier on the body — there's no need to cover a huge area on foot the way you may need to while playing tennis — so athletic prowess isn't a prerequisite here. This makes pickleball a great multigenerational option. Families can play together, with young children and seniors in the mix.

Leigh Waters, 42, and her daughter, Anna Leigh Waters, 15, appreciate that multigenerational appeal. They are the only mother-daughter duo to complete together in the world of professional pickleball, with both ranked among the top players in the United States. Waters, who was a tennis player in college, learned the game while visiting her father in 2017.

"It's probably the only sport where you can have a teenager, an 80-year-old, a novice player, and an advanced player on the same court, and you can still play a game and have fun," says Leigh. "There's something special about a sport that allows anyone to go play. I think that's [driving] the huge growth and success of the sport." (Read More)

2022 PPA Riverland Open

 

Anna Leigh Wins Triple Crown (Highlights/Interviews)

Mixed Doubles

3:36:33 Anna Leigh Waters / Ben Johns vs Allyce Jones / Spencer Smith 4:09:02 Leigh Waters/ Patrick Smith vs Jessie Irvine / Jay Devilliers 5:06:03 Anna Leigh Waters / Ben Johns vs Catherine Parenteau / Riley Newman 6:39:04 Leigh Waters/ Patrick Smith vs Allyce Jones / Spencer Smith 7:06:19 Leigh Waters/ Patrick Smith vs Lucy Kovalova / Matt Wright

17:33 Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters vs. Jessie Irvine/Jay Devillers (11-2,11-4,11-3) (Interview) (Gold)

Doubles

1:38:16 Kamryn Blackwood/Parris Todd vs Anna Leigh Waters/Leigh Waters

11:58 Simone Jardim/Lucy Kovalova vs Anna Leigh Waters/Leigh Waters

3:15:14 Anna Leigh Waters/Leigh Waters vs. Jessie Irvine/ Catherine Parenteau #TeamWaters (12-10,11-6,11-8) (Interview) Commentary: Lea Jansen (Gold)

Singles

5:38:54 Anna Leigh Waters vs Paris Todd (Game 1) End of Anna Leigh Waters vs Paris Todd match

5:20:33 Anna Leigh Waters vs. Lea Jansen (11-2,11-8,11-0) (Interview) (Gold)

2022 PPA Riverland Open: Press Release

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pro Pickleball Phenom Delray Beach Teen Anna Leigh Waters Seeks 10th Singles Gold Medal In Port St. Lucie

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL  (March 9, 2022 ) – The #1 Ranked Professional Pickleball Women’s Singles Player in the World Anna Leigh Waters, 15, is pursuing her 10th pro singles title Thursday at the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Riverland Open at the Riverland Sports and Racquet Club in Port St. Lucie, FL.

 

The teenage superstar has won at least one singles title over the past 7 months:

 

1. February 2022: Ororo PPA Indoor National Championships Lakeville, MN

2. February 2022: PPA Foot Solutions Arizona Grand Slam Mesa, AZ

3. January 2022: PPA Carvana Desert Ridge Open Phoenix, AZ

4. December 2021: Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, Indian Well, CA

5. November 2021: PPA Masters, La Quinta, CA

6. October 2021: PPA Texas Open Shootout, Rockwell, TX

7. September 2021: PPA Orlando Cup, Orlando, FL

8. August 2021: Tournaments Of Champions, Brigham City, UT

9. August 2021: PPA The Takeya Showcase, Newport Beach, CA

In January, Anna Leigh teamed up with Ben Johns,  the highest ranked men’s pickleball player in the world in all three divisions (singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles), to play mixed doubles. They are undefeated and are looking for their 4th consecutive championship this weekend. 

 

Anna Leigh will also be playing Pro Women’s Doubles with her mom, Leigh Waters. TeamWaters won the 2019/2021 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships Pro Women’s Doubles. 

 

Anna Leigh was a guest commentator on several matches at the 2021 National Championships. 

The TeamWaters Pickleball Story Began in 2017

“The mother/daughter duo picked up the sport back in 2017 when they evacuated their home in Florida due to Hurricane Irma and stayed with Leigh’s parents for a couple of weeks. Leigh’s dad introduced them to the sport and from there they were hooked. “I think we played like morning, noon and night for two weeks straight while we were up there and the rest is history,” said Leigh.”

The inspiring mother/daughter journey can be followed on Facebook and Instagram. 

TeamWaters Digital Press Kit (Interviews, Tournament Videos, Highlights, Photos, Schedules)

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Homeschooled Duo Win Ororo Indoor National Mixed Doubles Championship

 

The Ororo Indoor National Pickleball Professional Championship was held from February 24th thru February 27th, 2022. The homeschooled duo of Ben Johns (1) and Anna Leigh Waters (5) won the gold medal match. (Read More)

2022 PPA Ororo Indoor National Championships: News

 

Top Pickleball players in the county face off in Lakeville, Minn.
More than 600 amateur and professional athletes are competing at the Pickleball Indoor National Championships this weekend at Life Time in Lakeville. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anna Leigh Waters, 15, and Ben Johns, 22 Pro Pickleball Mixed Doubles Champions In Mesa, AZ

Pro Pickleball Phenom Teen Anna Leigh Waters and #1 Ranked Pro Men’s Player Ben Johns Seek Third Mixed Doubles Gold Medal In Lakeville, MN

LAKEVILLE, MN  (February 23, 2022 ) --  Last month, professional pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters (AL) celebrated her 15th birthday by winning a Gold medal with Ben Johns,  the highest ranked men’s pickleball player in the world in all three divisions (singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles), a Gold medal in pro Women’s Singles and a Bronze medal with her mother, Leigh Waters, in pro Women’s Doubles at the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Carvana Desert Ridge Open in Phoenix, AZ.  

 

Last  week at the PPA Foot Solutions Arizona Grand Slam in Mesa, AZ, AL won Gold medals in singles and mixed doubles with Ben as well as a Bronze medal with her mom. The 22 year old from Laytonsville, Maryland also won Gold medals in men’s singles and men’s doubles completing a Triple Crown.  “Triple Crown” refers to winning Gold medals in all three brackets. 

 

Currently a student at the University of Maryland majoring in Materials Engineering, Johns grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland playing tennis and table tennis. In March of 2016, he first picked up a pickleball paddle and instantly fell in love with the game.

 

This week the young pro pickleball superstars seek their 3rd consecutive title at the Ororo PPA Indoor National Championships that begins Thursday February 24 at Life Time Lakeville.

 

Out of the 18 stops on the PPA Tour this year, Anna Leigh is most looking forward to the Lakeville,MN tournament because the Delray Beach, Florida based teen wants “to see snow”. 

 

Anna Leigh is pursuing her 9th pro singles title in Lakeville,MN.

1. February 2022: PPA Foot Solutions Arizona Grand Slam Mesa, AZ

2. January 2022: PPA Carvana Desert Ridge Open Phoenix, AZ

3. December 2021: Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, Indian Well, CA

4. November 2021: PPA Masters, La Quinta, CA

5. October 2021: PPA Texas Open Shootout, Rockwell, TX

6. September 2021: PPA Orlando Cup, Orlando, FL

7. August 2021: Tournaments Of Champions, Brigham City, UT

8. August 2021: PPA The Takeya Showcase, Newport Beach, CA

 

At the 2021 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, Anna Leigh finished the year as the #1 pro singles player in the World Pickleball Rankings.

Anna Leigh was a guest commentator on several matches at the 2021 National Championships. 

Anna Leigh and Leigh (TeamWaters) won the 2019/2021 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships Pro Women’s Doubles title. 

The TeamWaters Pickleball Story Began in 2017

“The mother/daughter duo picked up the sport back in 2017 when they evacuated their home in Florida due to Hurricane Irma and stayed with Leigh’s parents for a couple of weeks. Leigh’s dad introduced them to the sport and from there they were hooked. “I think we played like morning, noon and night for two weeks straight while we were up there and the rest is history,” said Leigh.”

The inspiring mother/daughter journey can be followed on Facebook and Instagram. 

TeamWaters Digital Press Kit (Interviews, Tournament Videos, Highlights, Photos, Schedules)

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