Anna Leigh Waters Signs Longterm Deal with Franklin Pickleball: What It Means for the Sport
The pickleball world received significant news recently when Anna Leigh Waters, the sport’s number one ranked player, announced a longterm partnership with Franklin Pickleball. This deal marks the end of her seven-year relationship with Paddletek and opens a new chapter in what has already been a remarkable career. For anyone following professional pickleball, this move represents more than just a player changing equipment sponsors—it signals the growing maturity and financial stakes of a sport that continues to expand at an unprecedented rate across the United States and beyond.
The announcement comes after weeks of intense speculation within the pickleball community. Waters had been spotted testing Franklin paddles and was seen wearing Nike apparel at recent events, fueling rumors that a major sponsorship shift was imminent. Now that the partnership is official, it provides clarity not only for Waters but also for fans eager to see what equipment their favorite player will be using on the professional tour.
Understanding the Significance of This Partnership
For those new to pickleball or unfamiliar with how professional sports sponsorships work, it’s worth taking a moment to explain why this deal matters so much. In professional sports, equipment sponsorships are crucial for several reasons. First, they provide athletes with financial support that allows them to focus on training and competing rather than worrying about income. Second, they connect athletes with research and development teams who can create custom equipment tailored to their specific playing style. Third, these partnerships help grow the sport by associating top talent with quality brands that recreational players can access.
Anna Leigh Waters isn’t just any professional pickleball player. She’s been ranked number one in the sport and has dominated competitions alongside her mother, Leigh Waters, in doubles play. Her success on the court has made her one of the most recognizable faces in pickleball, which means her equipment choices influence thousands of recreational players who look to emulate the techniques and gear of top professionals. When she switches from one paddle brand to another, it sends ripples through the entire pickleball market.
Franklin Sports is a well-established name in sporting goods, having been around for decades before pickleball became the phenomenon it is today. The company has invested heavily in pickleball equipment in recent years, developing the X-40 ball that has become the standard at many tournaments and creating innovative paddle technology. Their C45 paddle line, which Waters will be using in modified form, represents their commitment to staying at the cutting edge of equipment design. By signing the sport’s top player, Franklin is making a statement about their intentions to be a dominant force in the pickleball industry.
What the Deal Includes
According to the announcement, Waters’ partnership with Franklin encompasses several product categories. She’ll be playing with new iterations of the Franklin C45 paddle line, starting with her appearance at the PPA Masters. This means Franklin’s engineers have been working with Waters to customize the paddle technology to match her aggressive, powerful playing style that has made her so successful on the professional tour.
Beyond paddles, the deal includes collaboration on signature pickleball balls, bags, and accessories. This is particularly noteworthy because Waters will be working directly with Franklin Sports to codesign these products. This isn’t simply a matter of putting her name on existing equipment—she’ll have input into the development process, ensuring that the final products meet the standards of someone who competes at the highest level of the sport.
The partnership will also see Waters and Franklin developing a brand new, world-class professional pickleball to complement the existing X-40 ball line. Given that ball consistency and performance are frequent topics of discussion in professional pickleball, having input from the sport’s top player could lead to meaningful improvements that benefit players at all levels.
One interesting aspect of this deal is what it apparently doesn’t include. There’s no mention of apparel or footwear in the official announcement, which leaves room for speculation about whether Waters might have separate partnerships for those categories. This would be consistent with how many professional athletes structure their sponsorships, working with different brands that specialize in different product categories.
Waters’ Perspective on the Partnership
In her statement about the deal, Waters emphasized that performance was her top priority when selecting a new equipment partner. “When looking for the right partner for the future of my game, performance was a priority, and I’ve been so impressed by Franklin’s commitment to paddle innovation,” she said. This focus on performance makes sense for someone who has built her career on being the best player in the sport. At the highest levels of competition, even minor differences in equipment can affect outcomes, so Waters needed to be confident that Franklin could provide her with paddles that would allow her to maintain and build on her success.
Beyond the technical aspects, Waters also spoke about the personal connection she felt with the Franklin team. “Beyond the technology, I had an immediate connection with the team and felt like part of the family,” she noted. This relationship element shouldn’t be underestimated. Professional athletes spend countless hours working with their sponsors on product development, marketing activities, and promotional events. Having a positive working relationship with the people at the company can make a significant difference in how successful and sustainable a partnership becomes over time.
Waters also highlighted the shared vision for international growth between herself and Franklin Sports. As pickleball continues to expand beyond its American roots, having equipment sponsors who are committed to global expansion aligns well with the ambitions of top players who want to compete and promote the sport worldwide. This international focus suggests that we might see Waters and Franklin involved in promotional activities and tournaments in new markets as pickleball continues its remarkable growth trajectory.
Franklin’s Commitment to Elite Talent
Adam Franklin, President of Franklin Sports, expressed enthusiasm about bringing Waters into the company’s family of sponsored athletes. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the undisputed number one pickleball player in the world to the Franklin Sports family,” he stated. “Anna Leigh’s remarkable talent, competitive spirit, and passion for the game align perfectly with our mission to support athletes at every level while continuing to grow the sport globally.”
This statement reveals Franklin’s broader strategy. They’re not just focused on elite professionals—they want to support athletes at every level. By signing the sport’s top player while continuing to produce equipment accessible to recreational players, Franklin is positioning itself as a brand that serves the entire pickleball community. This approach can be particularly effective in a sport like pickleball, where the barrier between recreational and professional players is less pronounced than in many other sports, and where amateurs regularly have opportunities to watch and even play against professionals at tournaments and clinics.
Waters joins a Franklin pro roster that already includes notable players like Hayden Patriquin, Parris Todd, and Will Howells. This growing stable of professional talent gives Franklin credibility across different player types and styles, from power players to finesse specialists, from singles experts to doubles tacticians. Having multiple top professionals using and providing feedback on their equipment helps companies like Franklin refine their products and create offerings that work for a wide range of players.
The Financial Implications
While the official announcement didn’t disclose financial details of the contract, speculation within the pickleball community has been intense. Some observers have wondered whether this might be pickleball’s first ten-million-dollar deal. That question was even discussed by PicklePod co-hosts Zane Navratil, Nico the Lefty, and Thomas Shields, who analyzed what such a contract might mean for the sport’s financial landscape.
Whether or not this specific deal reaches that threshold, the fact that such numbers are being discussed seriously indicates how far professional pickleball has come in a relatively short time. Just a few years ago, professional pickleball players struggled to make a living from the sport. Prize money was modest, and sponsorship deals were limited. Today, top players can command significant contracts, and companies are willing to invest heavily to associate their brands with elite talent.
The financial growth of professional pickleball reflects the sport’s broader expansion. With millions of Americans now playing pickleball regularly, the market for equipment, apparel, and accessories has grown exponentially. Companies recognize that investing in professional players isn’t just about supporting athletes—it’s a marketing strategy that can drive significant product sales among the vast recreational player base.
What This Means for the Sport’s Future
Anna Leigh Waters’ partnership with Franklin represents more than just one player changing sponsors. It’s a signal of pickleball’s continued maturation as a professional sport. When top athletes can command longterm, presumably lucrative deals with major sporting goods companies, it validates pickleball as a serious competitive endeavor rather than just a recreational activity.
This deal is part of a broader trend of professional players signing new equipment contracts in 2026. As sponsorship dollars flow into the sport, more talented athletes may be attracted to pickleball, knowing they can build sustainable careers. This influx of talent will likely raise the level of competition, making the professional tour even more exciting to watch and follow.
For recreational players, deals like this one have practical implications too. When companies invest in partnerships with top professionals, they typically channel significant resources into research and development. The innovations created for elite players often trickle down to consumer-level products, meaning that the paddle technology Waters helps develop could eventually be available in some form to everyday players looking to improve their game.
The emphasis on international growth mentioned by both Waters and Franklin is particularly noteworthy. Pickleball has been primarily an American sport, but there are clear ambitions to expand globally. Having the sport’s top player aligned with a company that shares this vision could accelerate pickleball’s growth in new markets. As Waters competes in international events and participates in promotional activities abroad, she’ll be introducing pickleball to new audiences while representing Franklin’s brand.
The Road Ahead
Waters will debut her Franklin equipment at the PPA Masters next week, giving fans their first official look at how the new partnership translates on the court. There will be intense scrutiny of her performance, though it’s worth remembering that top athletes typically need time to fully adjust to new equipment, even when that equipment has been customized for their playing style.
The collaborative product development aspect of this partnership is particularly interesting to watch. Over the coming months and years, we’ll see signature Anna Leigh Waters products come to market. These items will be judged not just on their quality but on how well they reflect Waters’ input and whether they provide meaningful advantages to players who use them. The success of these signature products could influence how other companies structure their relationships with sponsored athletes.
This partnership also raises questions about the broader equipment sponsor landscape in professional pickleball. As more players reach the end of their current contracts, will we see additional high-profile moves? Will other companies step up their investments to compete with Franklin’s aggressive approach to signing top talent? The answers to these questions will shape the business side of professional pickleball in the years ahead.
Conclusion
Anna Leigh Waters’ longterm deal with Franklin Pickleball represents a milestone moment for professional pickleball. It demonstrates the sport’s financial growth, the increasing sophistication of equipment technology, and the global ambitions of both players and companies involved in pickleball. For Waters, it provides the support and resources to continue competing at the highest level while building her brand for the future. For Franklin, it associates their products with the sport’s most successful player, providing credibility and visibility in a competitive market.
As Waters takes the court with Franklin equipment at the PPA Masters and beyond, thousands of pickleball enthusiasts will be watching, analyzing, and discussing every aspect of her performance. But beyond the immediate competitive implications, this partnership signals something larger: pickleball has arrived as a professional sport capable of supporting serious athletes with serious sponsorship deals. That’s good news for everyone who loves the game, from weekend recreational players to aspiring professionals who dream of making their mark on the sport.
The coming months will reveal more details about how this partnership unfolds, what products emerge from the collaboration, and how Waters performs with her new equipment. But regardless of those specifics, the announcement itself has already made its mark, confirming that professional pickleball continues its remarkable growth trajectory and that opportunities for players, companies, and fans alike will continue to expand in exciting ways.
