Hunter Johnson Claims Victory and Anna Leigh Waters Secures Another Triple Crown at Newport Beach Open

The professional pickleball world turned its attention to the coast this past weekend as the PPA Tour resumed competition at the Newport Beach Open. After a brief one-weekend hiatus following the Carvana Mesa Cup, players returned to the courts with renewed energy and determination. However, that seemingly short break felt considerably longer to fans and followers of the sport, primarily due to the whirlwind of Major League Pickleball draft news that dominated headlines during the off week.

The tournament landscape looked slightly different than usual, with notable absences shaping the competitive field. Catherine Parenteau made the decision to sit out the entire Newport Beach event to focus on rest and recovery, a strategic choice that underscores the demanding nature of the professional pickleball circuit. Meanwhile, Parris Todd, fresh off her Indoor Championships victory in February, announced her intention to significantly reduce her singles play moving forward and followed through by skipping the singles draw at this event. Ben Johns also opted out of singles competition, joining Todd on the sidelines for that discipline.

Despite these absences, the Newport Beach Open delivered exceptional entertainment value with thrilling matchups, unexpected upsets, and dominant performances from the sport’s elite players. The weekend showcased why professional pickleball continues to captivate growing audiences and demonstrated the remarkable depth of talent currently competing on tour.

Anna Leigh Waters Continues Her Unprecedented Dominance

Anna Leigh Waters entered the Newport Beach Open with championship expectations across all three disciplines, and she delivered in spectacular fashion, securing her second triple crown of the 2026 season. Her performance throughout the weekend reinforced her position as the most dominant force in women’s professional pickleball and arguably one of the most dominant athletes in any racquet sport today.

In mixed doubles, Waters partnered with Ben Johns as the tournament’s top seed, and the duo lived up to their billing from the opening match through the championship finale. Their journey to gold began on Championship Sunday with a showdown against the tenth-seeded team of Tina Pisnik and Eric Oncins, who had orchestrated a remarkable Cinderella run to reach the finals for the first time as a partnership.

Pisnik and Oncins had dispatched some truly formidable opponents on their path to Championship Sunday. They opened their knockout stage by defeating the eighth-seeded team of Kate Fahey and Federico Staksrud with a decisive 11-1, 1-11, 11-6 scoreline. The quarterfinals brought an even more impressive victory as they toppled the third-seeded Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin 2-11, 11-7, 11-7. This win carried extra significance considering that Bright and Patriquin had just defeated Waters and Johns in the Mesa finals. The semifinal round saw Pisnik and Oncins continue their giant-killing ways, dispatching the second-seeded sibling duo of Jorja and JW Johnson by commanding margins of 11-4, 11-5.

However, the fairytale ended on Sunday morning when Waters and Johns reminded everyone why they hold the number one ranking. Playing with precision, power, and tactical brilliance, they controlled the championship match from start to finish, winning 11-4, 11-2, 12-10. While Pisnik and Oncins managed to make the third game competitive, the overall dominance of Waters and Johns was never truly in question.

The women’s doubles competition told a similar story of dominance, though with an interesting twist regarding the opposition. Waters teamed with Anna Bright, and together they were nothing short of devastating in their early matches. Through their first two rounds, the top-seeded duo posted a combined scoreline of 44-0, meaning they double-pickled two consecutive opponents without dropping a single game. This level of dominance sent a clear message to the rest of the draw as they cruised into Championship Sunday.

Their finals opponent presented a fresh challenge in the form of Rachel Rohrabacher and Parris Todd. With Parenteau taking the tournament off, Rohrabacher needed a new partner and found an excellent fit in Todd. The newly-formed partnership looked impressive throughout the week, combining firepower and chemistry to make a serious run. In the semifinals, they faced the second-seeded team of Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black, players who represented formidable opposition by any measure. However, Rohrabacher and Todd rose to the occasion, defeating them 11-5, 11-6 to book their spot in the finals and mark the first time they had reached a championship match together.

Despite the feel-good story and the legitimate talent that Rohrabacher and Todd brought to the court, they found themselves overmatched against the sheer excellence of Waters and Bright. The top seeds claimed victory in three games with a 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 scoreline, winning comfortably and adding another gold medal to their growing collection. The partnership between Waters and Bright continues to set the standard in women’s doubles, and other teams are still searching for the formula to consistently challenge them.

Perhaps most remarkably, Waters’ singles performance at Newport Beach extended her historic unbeaten streak to truly extraordinary lengths. Through her first four matches of the tournament, she compiled a combined score of 88-34, averaging approximately 11-3.1 per game. This level of consistency and dominance in singles competition has become Waters’ trademark, and opponents seem no closer to finding a solution.

The finals pitted Waters against Lea Jansen, who entered the match having enjoyed an excellent 2026 season thus far, with a bronze and silver medal already in her trophy case before arriving in Newport Beach. Jansen’s path to the finals represented one of the most grueling and impressive runs of the entire tournament. In the round of sixteen, she defeated tenth-seeded Kiora Kunimoto 11-6, 12-14, 11-3 in a hard-fought battle. The quarterfinal brought an even sterner test against second-seeded Kate Fahey, and Jansen emerged victorious 6-11, 11-8, 14-12 after more than an hour and twenty minutes of intense competition.

The semifinal against third-seeded Brooke Buckner pushed Jansen to her absolute limits. The match lasted over an hour and twenty minutes and came down to the narrowest of margins, with Jansen ultimately prevailing 13-11, 9-11, 11-9. To call this sequence of matches a gauntlet would be an understatement. Jansen had proven herself capable of defeating elite competition in marathon matches, demonstrating both physical stamina and mental fortitude. She had earned her place in the finals through exceptional play when the pressure was highest.

Unfortunately for Jansen, her remarkable run met an immovable object in the finals. Waters showed no signs of fatigue despite this being her third championship match of the day. She came out with tremendous energy and intensity, overwhelming Jansen with aggressive play and tactical superiority. The final score of 11-2, 11-1 represented a masterclass in singles pickleball and extended Waters’ winning streak to an astonishing 647 days without a singles loss on the professional tour.

This statistic deserves emphasis because it represents one of the most dominant stretches in modern professional sports. Nearly two full years without a defeat in singles competition speaks to Waters’ complete mastery of every aspect of the game, her relentless competitive drive, and her ability to continually elevate her performance even as opponents study her game and develop specific strategies to challenge her.

Hunter Johnson Adds Another Singles Title

While much of the narrative surrounding professional pickleball singles focuses on the unpredictability and the notion that anyone can win on any given day, a closer examination of recent results tells a more nuanced story. Some commentators have suggested that men’s singles has reached a point of parity where outcomes are essentially random, but the data reveals a different reality.

Since August 31st, 2025, when John Lucian Goins won in Las Vegas, only five different players have claimed singles titles on the professional tour. That exclusive group consists of Chris Haworth, Christian Alshon, Federico Staksrud, Roscoe Bellamy, and Hunter Johnson. While upsets certainly occur in early rounds and the competitive depth has unquestionably increased, the championship hardware continues to flow to a small group of elite players who have separated themselves from the pack.

Hunter Johnson entered Newport Beach as the top seed and the number one ranked singles player on the PPA Tour, and he validated both rankings by capturing his second title of 2026. However, the path to gold was far from easy, as Johnson faced a murderer’s row of opponents who each posed unique challenges and possessed the ability to defeat him on their best days.

Johnson’s tournament began in the round of sixteen against sixteenth-seeded Mo Alhouni, a match that served as a comfortable warm-up with an 11-3, 11-1 result. The quarterfinals brought a significant step up in competition when he faced sixth-seeded Roscoe Bellamy, one of the five players who has won a singles title in the past six months. Johnson handled this test convincingly, winning 11-4, 11-5 and demonstrating the form that has made him the player to beat.

The semifinal presented perhaps Johnson’s stiffest challenge of the tournament when he met third-seeded Chris Haworth, another member of that exclusive group of recent champions. Haworth brought his trademark consistency and court coverage, pushing Johnson in both games. However, Johnson’s ability to execute in crucial moments proved decisive as he advanced with an 11-7, 11-9 victory, both games competitive but ultimately controlled by the top seed.

The championship match featured second-seeded Federico Staksrud, setting up a clash between two players who understand each other’s games intimately through their many previous encounters. The match lived up to expectations, delivering high-quality pickleball with both players showcasing their full arsenals. The atmosphere grew heated at times with some verbal exchanges and competitive fire on full display, adding an extra layer of intensity to an already compelling final.

Johnson ultimately prevailed 12-10, 11-9, both games decided by narrow margins that reflected how evenly matched these elite competitors truly are. The victory allowed Johnson to retain his number one ranking and reinforced his status as the current measuring stick in men’s professional singles. While other players continue to improve and present legitimate threats, Johnson has consistently found ways to win when championships are on the line.

Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio Extend Their Doubles Dominance

In men’s doubles, the partnership of Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio continues to rewrite the record books with their sustained excellence. The Newport Beach Open marked their fourth consecutive gold medal together in 2026, a streak that shows no signs of ending anytime soon. For Tardio specifically, the achievement carried even greater significance as it represented his fifth consecutive doubles gold of the season across all events.

Tardio’s perfect 2026 doubles record includes the Indoor Championships in Minnesota back in January, where he partnered with Andrei Daescu while Johns sat out that particular event. Since Johns returned to doubles competition, however, the two have been virtually unbeatable, establishing themselves as the clear number one team in men’s doubles.

The competitive landscape in men’s doubles features exceptional depth, with the top four or five teams consistently advancing to quarterfinals and regularly reaching semifinals. This concentration of talent means that Johns and Tardio face world-class opposition in nearly every match, yet they continue to find ways to emerge victorious regardless of the specific matchup or stylistic challenge presented.

Their Newport Beach run demonstrated this quality emphatically. Through their first four matches leading into the finals, Johns and Tardio posted a combined score of 88-48, averaging 11-6 per game and never dropping a game. This consistency across multiple rounds against different opponents showcased their ability to maintain focus and execute their game plan regardless of external factors.

The finals brought a familiar opponent in the form of Hayden Patriquin and Christian Alshon, marking the third time in 2026 that these two powerhouse teams had met. Remarkably, all three meetings occurred in championship matches, demonstrating that these four players represent the current pinnacle of men’s doubles pickleball. The first two encounters both went to Johns and Tardio, though with distinctly different dynamics.

At The Masters in January, Johns and Tardio won decisively with an 11-9, 11-4, 11-5 scoreline that suggested clear superiority. The Mesa Cup finals in February told a different story entirely, with Johns and Tardio surviving a four-game thriller 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 13-11 in what many observers considered the best men’s doubles match of the young season.

The Newport Beach finals produced yet another distinct competitive narrative. Johns and Tardio jumped out to a commanding lead, winning the first two games 11-6, 11-2 as Patriquin and Alshon seemed to struggle finding their rhythm and timing. The third game saw a complete reversal as Patriquin and Alshon suddenly caught fire, playing with the intensity and precision that has made them the clear number two team in the world. They dominated that game 11-3, setting up a decisive fourth game that would determine the championship.

However, Patriquin and Alshon could not sustain that momentum into the final game. Johns and Tardio reasserted control and closed out the match 11-8, securing their fourth consecutive gold together and cementing their status as the team to beat in men’s doubles. The psychological edge that comes with winning six consecutive meetings against your closest rivals cannot be overstated, and Johns and Tardio now possess that advantage heading into future tournaments.

For Ben Johns personally, the Newport Beach Open represented another weekend of double gold, as he combined his men’s doubles title with the mixed doubles championship alongside Waters. Despite choosing not to compete in singles, Johns has accumulated more gold medals than any other male player in 2026, and he shows every intention of continuing to pad those statistics at every opportunity. His decision to focus on doubles disciplines appears strategically sound given his unprecedented success and the physical demands of playing three events.

Notable Storylines and Memorable Moments

Beyond the championship matches, the Newport Beach Open produced several compelling storylines that deserve recognition. The previously mentioned run by tenth-seeded Tina Pisnik and Eric Oncins to the mixed doubles finals represented one of the tournament’s feel-good stories. Their victories over the third and second-seeded teams demonstrated that seeding is not destiny and that partnerships with chemistry and confidence can achieve remarkable results.

Pisnik’s successful weekend extended beyond mixed doubles. She partnered with Lacy Schneemann in women’s doubles, and the duo reached the semifinals for the second consecutive tournament. This consistency suggests that tournament directors and fans alike should expect to see this partnership competing at the business end of future events.

Eric Oncins provided one of the tournament’s most memorable individual moments during his quarterfinal match in men’s doubles. Partnered with Dylan Frazier against Christian Alshon and Hayden Patriquin, Oncins executed a behind-the-back counter that was so spectacular it earned a spot on that night’s Sportscenter Top 10 plays. While Oncins and Frazier ultimately fell 11-3, 9-11, 9-11, the highlight-reel play demonstrated the shot-making ability and creativity that makes professional pickleball so entertaining to watch. The shot’s appearance on Sportscenter also represents continued mainstream sports media recognition of pickleball’s growing prominence.

An unusual and somewhat humorous incident occurred on Saturday when Ben Johns nearly got struck by an errant golf ball during competition. The Newport Beach venue’s proximity to a golf course created this unexpected crossover moment, and while the situation could have been dangerous, it fortunately resulted only in a memorable anecdote rather than any injury or disruption to play.

Another significant storyline involved the impressive semifinal run by Collin Johns and Len Yang in men’s doubles. The partnership defeated the third-seeded team of CJ Klinger and JW Johnson in the quarterfinals, winning game three 11-6 to advance. For Yang specifically, this semifinal appearance marked his first at that stage in the United States, though he had previously earned three medals on the PPA Asia Tour the previous year. The result suggests that Yang is adjusting well to the American tour and could become a regular presence in the later rounds of major tournaments. Collin Johns continues to prove himself as a versatile partner who can compete with various teammates at the highest level.

Understanding the Significance for Pickleball Newcomers

For those who may be new to following professional pickleball or who simply enjoy playing recre