Pickler of the Year: Just the Beginning for Anna Leigh Waters

 

The 2022 calendar year not only has been the year of pickleball, but it is also the year of Anna Leigh Waters. The two—pickleball and Anna Leigh Waters—may just about be synonymous at this point anyway. In 2022, the 15-year-old Waters (yes, we still need to identify her age because what she has accomplished at 15 years old is impressive to say the least) has achieved milestones within the sport of pickleball, but also major achievements that transcend pickleball. And, again, at just 15 years old… (Read More)

Anna Leigh's Tweet Goes Viral

 

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After playing in the PPA bubly Team Championships, Anna Leigh tweeted this on her trip back home: 

For many reasons, rally scoring is not the direction pickleball should go.

The PPA made the tweet go viral in the pickleball community by posting the above photo on their social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

2022 PPA bubly Team Championships

 

Day 2 

1:40:01 Anna Leigh Waters/Donald Young vs Catherine Parenteau/Jack Sock 1:49:13 Anna Leigh Waters/Jay Devilliers vs Catherine Parenteau/Spencer Smith

Day 1

1:53:06 Lucy Kovalova/Sam Querrey vs Anna Leigh Waters/Donald Young 2:09:30 Anna Leigh Waters/Jay Devilliers vs Lucy Kovalova/Riley Newman

1:51:20 Anna Leigh Waters/Donald Young vs John Isner/Jessie Irvine 1:55:30 Anna Leigh Waters/ Jay Devilliers vs Ben Johns/Jessie Irvine Exhibition 2:18:05 Jack Sock/John Isner vs Anna Leigh Waters/Jessie Irvine

Team Young: Donald Young, Jay Devilliers, Tyler Loong, Callan Dawson, Anna Leigh Waters, Callie Smith, and Yana Grechkina.

2023 MLP Draft Recap: Anna Leigh Waters to New Jersey 5's

 

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The top-ranked female and male players in pickleball were the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks, in the first of two Premier-level drafts for the upcoming season.

By TENNIS.com 

In a ceremony that aired live on Tennis Channel, the 2023 Major League Pickleball Draft sponsored by Margaritaville brought together the game’s best players and a constellation of celebrity owners to Las Vegas on Thursday evening to select teams ahead of a historic season.

Anna Leigh Waters, 15, and Ben Johns, 23, the top-ranked female and male players in pro pickleball, were the No.1 and No. 2 overall draft picks, respectively.

Waters recently clinched a triple crown at the USA Pickleball National Championships in Indian Wells—winning the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles titles at the same event—and will be heading to the New Jersey 5s (YouTube Channel)

The Delray Beach native, who made her pro debut at the age of 12, told reporter Hannah Johns it was “an amazing feeling” to be named first.

“Honestly [when I got the call] I was here in Vegas, and it was super loud. I got the phone call and I was like, ‘Wait, what did you say? Like are you sure?’ I was super excited,” Waters said.

“I'm super excited to be a part of the 5s as well. It's just an amazing feeling to be picked number one overall, both men and women.” (Read More)

Jupiter is planning for pickleball courts: Town council awaits county approval

 

JUPITER ― The town has a spring training stadium, a competition-sized swimming pool, a sparkling beachfront, nearly a dozen parks and even miniature golf — but for a municipality that prides itself on outdoor recreation, there are no public pickleball courts. (Read More)

MLP 2023 Mock Draft – Season 1

 

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Round 1

(1) Anna Leigh Waters – The 15-year-old has the biggest gap between her and the #2 female. She is the only female out there who can win a match all by herself at this stage. (NML Blog)

Pickleball Magazine Cover

 

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She's Golden! 

Anna Leigh Waters wins Triple Crown at the 2022 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships 

Teenage phenom Anna Leigh Waters may be the most dominant athlete in women's sports today.

The tournament venues may change. The competition may look different and pose diverse challenges. But the end results have mostly been the same for the past few years. Ben Johns capturing gold amongst the men, while standing atop the medal stand for the women is the familiar face of 15-year-old Anna Leigh Waters. (Pickleball Magazine Dec/Nov. 2022)