Women’s Pro Singles Recap
#1 player Anna Leigh Waters, who spent last week turning 16 and getting surprised by PPA title sponsor Carvana with a new car, continues to run roughshod over the Women’s pro pickleball tour. Read More
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Monday, February 6, 2023
2023 PPA Desert Ridge Open
Singles
6:50:16 Anna Leigh Waters vs Lea Jansen
Doubles
1:24:31 Gold Medal: #2 Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau vs. #4 Lea Jansen/Allyce Jones
1:39:41 Highlight: Allyce Jones, dives after a net dribbler, head first into the Kitchen (Point Of The Tournament)
5:03:39 Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau vs Irina Tereschenko/Meghan Dizon
8:20:47Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau vs Anna Bright/Vivienne David (1st, 7-3-2)
Mixed Doubles
7:21 Gold Medal: #1 Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters vs. #2 Matt Wright/Lucy Kovalova
0:28 - #1 Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters vs. #32 Erik Forsythe/Kelsey Grambeau
1:03:37 - #1 Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters vs. #8 JW Johnson/Jorga Johnson
3:37:14 - #1 Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters vs. #4 AJ Koller/Jessie Irvine
Sunday, February 5, 2023
New York Times: Will Pickleball Be as Fun to Watch as It Is to Play?
Now investors and executives within the sport must figure out how to convince recreational pickleball enthusiasts that professional pickleball is worth watching on television and paying to see in person. As this year’s professional tournaments get underway, those in the pro ranks must persuade those who don’t already follow professional pickleball that the sport’s most popular players — such as Anna Leigh Waters, Ben Johns and Lee Whitwell — are just as fun to watch as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka.
“How many sports are there where grandparents can play with their grandkids?” Chuck Menke, chief marketing officer of USA Pickleball, said.
The sport is already showcasing examples that make success look attainable: Anna Leigh Waters, 16, considered to be one of the best players in the sport, plays women’s doubles with her mother, Leigh Waters, 43. (Read More)
Sunday, January 29, 2023
2023 Major League Pickleball Mesa
20:07 New Jersey 5's vs St. Louis Shock
- Fault! James Ignatowitch - Aggressive Split Step At The NVZ Line
- Anna Leigh Waters Loses Her Hat and Glasses Racing Sideline To Sideline Playing A Dreambreaker Against Simone Jardim.
6:50:08 New Jersey 5's vs. New York Hustlers
New Jersey 5's
Anna Leigh Waters, Lea Jansen, James Ignatowich, Hayden Patriquin
St. Louis Shock
Jay Devilliers, Simone Jardim, Allyce Jones, Erik Lange
New York Hustlers
Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin, Rafa Hewett, Lacy Schneemann
California BLQK Bears
Andrea Koop, Dylan Frazier, Federico Staksrud, Maggie Brascia
Milwaukee Mashers
Callie Jo Smith, Lucy Kovalova, Andrei Daescu, DJ Young
Press
- NML Blog: 2023 Mesa Season 1 – Live Random Thoughts
- Tennis.com: MLP Mesa shows pickleball can be just as easy to consume as it is to play
"On Saturday, January 28, fans at MLP Mesa, at Legacy Sports USA—a massive, 320-acre sports and entertainment complex—witnessed a clash between the New Jersey 5’s and St. Louis Shock. Within that match-up, we saw New Jersey’s Anna Leigh Waters and Hayden Patriquin take down St. Louis’ duo of Simone Jardim and Jay Devilliers in an intense mixed doubles match.
The significance of that result is that Waters is just 16 years old, while Patriquin is only 17. That’s a doubles team with a combined age of 33 years on this planet, yet one of their opponents, Jardim, is 43." - (Tennis.com)
The significance of that result is that Waters is just 16 years old, while Patriquin is only 17. That’s a doubles team with a combined age of 33 years on this planet, yet one of their opponents, Jardim, is 43." - (Tennis.com)
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Carvana Surprises World’s No. 1 Female Pickleball Player Anna Leigh Waters With One-of-a-Kind Sweet 16 Gift
Leading Online Auto Retailer Stuns Rising Pickleball Star With Her New Dream Ride At Signature Car Vending Machine
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carvana, an industry pioneer for buying and selling used cars online, recently surprised pickleball star Anna Leigh Waters with her new dream ride, in celebration of the burgeoning athlete’s 16th birthday. With the help of Anna Leigh’s mother and favorite double’s partner, Leigh, the Carvana team planned and executed the heartwarming surprise moment at one of the company’s signature Car Vending Machines.
“So we decided to follow-up on our promise to create joyful experiences and drive people happy and create a one-of-a-kind birthday surprise for one of our favorite pickleball players.”
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Anna Leigh was under the impression that she would be touring one of Carvana’s 33 state-of-the-art steel and glass Car Vending Machines when she dropped in the commemorative, oversized Carvana coin and activated the automated vending process. Little did she know she would be getting a front-row seat to watch her vehicle descend through the brightly lit vending structure from the heart of the all-glass tower. And while Anna Leigh may be anything but your typical 16-year-old, the exhilarating thrill a young adult experiences sitting behind the wheel of their very first car applies to anyone—even an emerging pro athlete who has taken the pickleball world by storm and shot to the pinnacle of a wildly exploding sport last year. Now, Anna Leigh’s birthday ride can represent a small token of Carvana’s dedication to serving up happiness in the pickleball community.
“At Carvana, we know 16th birthdays are a really big deal. That’s because there’s nothing quite like sitting in the driver’s seat of your first vehicle,” said Ryan Keeton, Carvana co-founder and Chief Brand Officer. “So we decided to follow-up on our promise to create joyful experiences and drive people happy and create a one-of-a-kind birthday surprise for one of our favorite pickleball players.”
“When the car came down the Vending Machine and they handed me the keys—I couldn’t believe it! My parents and Carvana really pulled off quite the surprise. Thank you Carvana for making 16, and the start of the pickleball season, so sweet already,” added Waters.
This year, Carvana will champion America’s fastest growing sport at 25 tour stops across the country as the title sponsor of the Carvana PPA Tour – the home of all things pickleball and the pro circuit where professional pickleball players such as Waters compete. With the Carvana PPA Tour as the engine for pickleball’s meteoric growth thanks to its inclusive tournament structure, pro player personalities, robust broadcast partnerships, largest prize pool in history, and dynamic approach to fan engagement, the tour is positioned to attract millions of new fans and players alike in 2023. (Read More)
Kitchen Konversations: Interview With Leigh and Anna Leigh Waters
Leigh and Anna Leigh Waters: Rising Tide
0:00 Intro New Kitchen Konversation Podcast 1:35 Leigh and Anna Leigh Waters 2:40 Foray into pickleball 6:16 The maturity of a fifteen year old 7:46 Anna Leigh's competition 11:36 Dominance + Pickleball IQ 13:40 Coaching from the bench 17:06 Coaching The 5's in MLP 19:36 New partnership with Anna Bright 27:36 Paddle Technology 34:16 Mother/Daughter relationship 36:05 State of pro pickleball 38:15 Tennis and soccer background 41:21 ACL 43:36 Leigh's wardrobe 44:35 Transition from playing to coaching 47:04 Christian Alshon 51:20 Pickleball growing pains 55:05 Training 57:36 Team Waters 58:35 Getting to 5.0
NOTE: Today, is Anna Leigh's 16th Birthday.
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