Another Epic Mixed Finals Highlights PPA Cape Coral
The pickleball world witnessed yet another thrilling championship match at the PPA Cape Coral tournament, where the sport’s elite players delivered performances that reminded everyone why professional pickleball has become one of the most exciting spectator experiences in racquet sports. The mixed doubles finals between Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin versus Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns lived up to every expectation, providing the kind of dramatic, edge-of-your-seat action that has become increasingly common on the PPA Tour. While the hyperbolic claims of “best match ever” get thrown around frequently in our sport, this particular contest certainly earned its place among the most memorable finals in recent tournament history.
What made this tournament particularly fascinating wasn’t just the quality of play in that single mixed doubles final, but the comprehensive dominance displayed by certain partnerships across multiple events, the emergence of breakthrough performances in singles competition, and the ongoing storylines that continue to develop as the professional season progresses. Cape Coral offered a complete snapshot of where professional pickleball stands right now—the established powerhouses asserting their authority, the hungry challengers pushing them to their absolute limits, and the veterans proving they still have plenty left in the tank.
The Mixed Doubles Thriller That Had Everyone Talking
The mixed doubles final between Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns against Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin delivered exactly the kind of competitive drama that makes people fall in love with watching pickleball at the highest level. The five-game battle saw the scoreline swing back and forth with a final result of 11-7, 9-11, 3-11, 12-10, 11-5 in favor of Waters and Johns. But those numbers alone don’t capture the emotional rollercoaster that players and spectators experienced throughout this match.
What made this contest particularly gripping was the context surrounding it. Bright and Patriquin have been knocking on the door of a signature victory over Waters and Johns for months now, coming agonizingly close but unable to close out when it matters most. In their last six months of competition, these two teams have faced each other five times, with Bright and Patriquin losing in the semifinals three times and in the finals twice—both of those championship losses coming in five-game heartbreakers.
The fourth game of this Cape Coral final encapsulated their ongoing struggle perfectly. Bright and Patriquin held match point, standing on the precipice of finally breaking through against the sport’s most dominant mixed doubles team. They had seized momentum after a commanding third game victory and had the opportunity to close out the match on their terms. But Waters and Johns, displaying the championship mentality that has made them nearly unbeatable in mixed doubles, saved that match point and eventually took the game 12-10, shifting all the momentum back in their direction.
The psychological impact of that fourth game proved decisive. In the fifth and deciding game, Waters and Johns came out with renewed confidence and energy, taking it 11-5 to claim yet another mixed doubles title. For Bright and Patriquin, it represented another painful near-miss, another match where they proved they belong on the same court as the best but couldn’t quite get over the finish line when everything was on the line.
The level of play throughout this match showcased why mixed doubles has become such a compelling format in professional pickleball. The strategic complexity, the variety of shot-making, the blend of power and finesse, and the communication required between partners all combined to create a spectacle that had fans riveted from start to finish. Both teams displayed exceptional court coverage, creative shot selection, and the mental toughness required to perform under immense pressure.
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns Dominate Across Multiple Events
While the mixed doubles final provided the tournament’s most dramatic moments, the broader story of Cape Coral was the comprehensive dominance displayed by both Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns across their respective doubles events. In a tournament where both players opted to skip singles competition, they focused their energy on doubles play and the results spoke volumes about their current form and partnership chemistry.
Waters, teaming with Anna Bright in women’s doubles, absolutely steamrolled through their bracket without dropping a single game all week. Their combined scoreline across their matches was an astounding 121-40, averaging 11-3.6 per game. In the finals, they faced the Kawamoto sisters—Jade and Jackie—defeating them 11-9, 11-5, 11-2. The first game provided some competitive tension, but once Waters and Bright broke through in that opener, they pulled away convincingly in the next two games.
This women’s doubles performance reinforced what has become increasingly clear to anyone following professional pickleball: Waters and Bright are not just the number one team in the world, they’re in a category by themselves. The gap between them and the next tier of women’s doubles teams has widened to the point where it would take an exceptional performance combined with an off day from the top team to produce an upset. Their combination of power, consistency, court positioning, and ability to finish points when they get opportunities has set a new standard in women’s doubles play.
On the men’s side, Johns partnered with Gabe Tardio to prove they are the undisputed number one seed in men’s doubles. Their run through Cape Coral was even more dominant than the women’s doubles performance—they didn’t lose a single game in any of their five matches. The finals saw them face CJ Klinger and JW Johnson, a formidable team in their own right, but Johns and Tardio dispatched them in straight games: 11-9, 11-3, 11-7.
The first game against Klinger and Johnson was competitive, suggesting we might see a close match, but Johns and Tardio then asserted their dominance with a commanding second game before closing out the match professionally in the third. Their performance throughout the tournament raised an interesting question for the rest of the men’s doubles field: which team is going to be able to take them down? The combination of Johns’ all-around excellence and Tardio’s powerful left-handed game creates matchup problems that no other team has solved consistently.
The fact that both Waters and Johns won two gold medals each at Cape Coral while skipping singles competition suggests a strategic approach to tournament scheduling and energy management. Rather than spread themselves thin across three events, they concentrated on doubles play and the results validated that decision. This approach may become more common among top players as the professional tour schedule becomes increasingly demanding.
Federico Staksrud Celebrates Birthday with Singles Gold
While the doubles events featured dominant favorites asserting their superiority, the men’s singles competition provided a compelling narrative of its own. Federico Staksrud, entering as the second seed, worked his way through a challenging bracket to face top-seeded Hunter Johnson in the finals. Staksrud’s path to the championship match included victories over Juan Benitez, Mo Alhouni, Zane Ford, and Jay Devilliers—a gauntlet of quality opponents that tested different aspects of his game.
In the finals, Staksrud found his best form when it mattered most, defeating Johnson in straight games 11-9, 11-7. Both games were competitive, with Johnson pushing hard to find a way to break through, but Staksrud’s combination of fitness, consistency, and ability to execute under pressure proved decisive. The victory was made even sweeter by the timing—Staksrud turned 30 years old on Championship Sunday, making the gold medal an excellent birthday present.
The milestone birthday brings up an interesting aspect of Staksrud’s game and career trajectory. The Argentinian has become known as one of the fittest players on the professional tour, maintaining a level of conditioning and athleticism that allows him to compete at the highest level in grueling matches that can stretch over multiple games. As he enters his thirties, there’s no indication that he’s slowing down. In fact, his game seems to be maturing nicely, combining the physical attributes that have always been his foundation with improved shot selection and tactical awareness.
Staksrud’s victory in Cape Coral adds another significant title to his resume and reinforces his position among the elite men’s singles players on tour. His ability to perform in the Florida heat and humidity, maintaining his intensity and focus through multiple matches over several days, demonstrated exactly why his fitness regimen has become such a critical component of his success. For players wondering how to compete deep into their careers, Staksrud provides an excellent blueprint: take care of your body, maintain exceptional conditioning, and continue to evolve the strategic aspects of your game.
Kaitlyn Christian Breaks Through in Women’s Singles
One of the most satisfying storylines from Cape Coral came in women’s singles, where Kaitlyn Christian captured her first gold medal of 2026. The victory ended a drought that had stretched nearly six months, with her last singles gold coming at the Vegas Open in October 2025. For a player of Christian’s caliber, that long a gap between titles can feel like an eternity, and the breakthrough in Cape Coral demonstrated both her persistence and her championship mentality.
The path to gold wasn’t easy for Christian, who earned a bronze medal earlier in the year at the Indoor Championships but had been searching for that top step of the podium. With Anna Leigh Waters skipping singles to focus on doubles, the women’s singles draw was more open than usual, creating opportunities for players who often find themselves facing Waters in the later rounds. Top-seeded Callie Fahey fell to Genie Bouchard in the quarterfinals, opening up the draw even further.
Christian faced her own challenges along the way, including a genuine scare in the Round of 16 against qualifier Samantha Buyckx. Christian dropped the first game 13-11, a concerning start that could have derailed her entire tournament. But she regrouped, found her rhythm, and won the match. She then navigated past upstart Kiora Kunimoto and defeated Lea Jansen in the semifinals to set up a finals meeting with Bouchard, the former professional tennis player who has been making steady progress in her pickleball career.
The finals showcased exactly why Christian has earned a reputation as one of the mentally toughest competitors on tour. She lost a heartbreaking first game 15-13, a crushing defeat that featured multiple game points and momentum swings. The conditions weren’t ideal either, with swirling winds making shot selection and execution even more challenging. A lesser competitor might have been demoralized by dropping such a close opening game, but Christian responded with the kind of performance that separates champions from everyone else.
She dominated the second game 11-6, completely shifting the momentum and showing Bouchard that the first game loss hadn’t shaken her confidence or game plan. The third game was even more convincing, with Christian winning 11-2 to claim the title. The ability to lose a competitive first game and then win the next two by a combined score of 22-8 demonstrated exceptional composure and in-match adjustment.
With this victory, Christian solidified her position at third in the standings and sent a clear message that she intends to hold that spot as the season progresses. Her combination of powerful groundstrokes, excellent court coverage, and mental toughness makes her a threat in any tournament, and breaking through in Cape Coral should provide confidence heading into the upcoming events.
Additional Storylines and Notable Performances
Beyond the main championship narratives, Cape Coral produced several other storylines worth highlighting. Anna Bright reached a significant career milestone by joining the exclusive “30-30-30 Club”—accumulating 30 gold medals, 30 silver medals, and 30 bronze medals on the PPA Tour. The only other player to achieve this balanced level of sustained excellence across so many tournaments is Catherine Parenteau. This milestone speaks to Bright’s consistency and ability to compete at the highest level across multiple events and formats over an extended period.
Christian Alshon had a remarkable tournament from a medals perspective, earning three bronze medals across different events. While Alshon himself would likely admit he fell short of his ultimate goals—gold medals being the objective for any elite competitor—accumulating three medals in a single tournament represents an impressive feat. It demonstrates his ability to compete at a high level across multiple formats and against the best players in the world. The bronzes came in men’s singles, mixed doubles (partnering with Rachel Rohrabacher), and men’s doubles (partnering with Hayden Patriquin).
The women’s singles podium featured Christian taking gold, Bouchard earning silver, and Lea Jansen capturing bronze. Jansen’s bronze medal continued her solid recent form and reinforced her position among the top women’s singles players on tour. For Bouchard, the silver medal represented her best singles result on the PPA Tour and showed continued progression in her transition from professional tennis to professional pickleball.
In women’s doubles, beyond the dominant performance by Bright and Waters, Hurricane Tyra Black partnered with Jorja Johnson to earn the bronze medal, a notable achievement in a highly competitive field. The Kawamoto sisters continued their consistent performances with a silver medal, proving once again that they belong in conversations about the top women’s doubles teams.
The men’s doubles bronze went to the team of Christian Alshon and Hayden Patriquin, while CJ Klinger and JW Johnson took silver after their finals loss to Johns and Tardio. In mixed doubles, Rohrabacher and Alshon captured bronze, rounding out a podium that featured some of the sport’s most recognizable partnerships.
Understanding the Significance for Pickleball Newcomers
If you’re relatively new to following professional pickleball, the Cape Coral tournament provides an excellent window into what makes the sport compelling at its highest level. Unlike some sports where the same athletes or teams win virtually every competition, professional pickleball offers a fascinating mix of dominant partnerships and surprise performances, creating storylines that develop over multiple tournaments.
The mixed doubles format, which pairs one male and one female player, has become particularly popular because it showcases strategic complexity that pure power can’t always overcome. The Waters-Johns versus Bright-Patriquin rivalry exemplifies this—these matches aren’t just about who hits the ball harder, but about positioning, communication between partners, shot selection under pressure, and the mental fortitude to execute when the stakes are highest. The fact that Bright and Patriquin have come so close multiple times but haven’t been able to close out against Waters and Johns creates a compelling narrative that fans can follow across multiple tournaments.
The tournament structure itself is worth understanding. Professional pickleball events typically feature multiple disciplines: singles (one player per side), doubles (two players of the same gender per side), and mixed doubles (one male and one female per side). Elite players often compete in multiple events at the same tournament, which tests not just their skill but their stamina and ability to manage energy across several matches in a condensed timeframe. This is why Waters and Johns’ decision to skip singles and focus on doubles becomes strategically interesting—they’re making calculated choices about where to invest their energy for maximum results.
The pathway to a championship involves working through a bracket, with players or teams needing to win multiple matches over several days to reach the finals. A single loss in the early rounds can end a tournament run, which is why consistent performance across all matches matters so much. Christian’s ability to recover from losing the first game to a qualifier demonstrates why mental toughness is just as important as physical skill at this level.
The sport’s scoring system, where games typically go to 11 points (win by 2), means that matches can swing dramatically on just a few points. That match point that Bright and Patriquin held in the fourth game of the mixed finals represented potentially the difference between winning the championship and going home with silver medals. These high-leverage moments create the drama that makes watching professional pickleball so engaging.
For someone new to the sport, Cape Coral demonstrated all the elements that have contributed to pickleball’s explosive growth: accessible gameplay that still rewards elite skill at the highest levels, dramatic competitive moments, compelling personalities and storylines, and a sport where athletes in their thirties—like Staksrud celebrating his birthday with a gold medal—can still compete at the absolute pinnacle of their profession.
Looking Ahead from Cape Coral
As the professional tour continues, the results and storylines from Cape Coral will carry forward into upcoming events. The Waters-Johns versus Bright-Patriquin rivalry in mixed doubles remains one of the most compelling narratives in professional pickleball. Will Bright and Patriquin finally break through and defeat their rivals when it matters most? They’ve proven they can push them to five games and even hold match point, but converting those opportunities represents the final frontier in their quest for a signature victory.
The dominance displayed by Johns and Tardio in men’s doubles raises questions about whether any team can challenge them consistently. The margin of their victories in Cape
