Greater Zion Cup at Black Desert Resort Tournament Preview – PPA Tour
The professional pickleball circuit is heating up as players face mounting pressure with only three remaining tournaments on American soil before the highly anticipated PPA Finals in May. The Greater Zion Cup carries exceptional weight this year, offering 1.5 times the normal point allocation that comes with its designation as a Cup event. Winners in each division will take home an impressive 1,500 points, making every match critical for players hoping to secure their spot at the finals.
This tournament holds special significance in the pickleball calendar. What was historically known as the Red Rock Open has undergone a transformation following the expansion of the stunning Black Desert Resort. The venue’s growth and enhanced facilities warranted the name change, and players will compete in what many consider one of the most beautiful settings on the professional tour.
The high point value has attracted every top professional to Utah this week. Nobody can afford to skip an event worth this many points when rankings positions and Finals qualifications hang in the balance. Among the notable player updates, Will Howells returns to doubles competition after suffering a severe ankle injury during the Minneapolis tournament in January. Howells will be partnering with Noe Khlif and Meghan Dizon as he works his way back to full strength.
How to Watch the Greater Zion Cup
Fans won’t miss a moment of the action with comprehensive coverage throughout the week. Tuesday, March 24 kicks off the Round of 64 with streaming on pickleballtv from noon to 8pm Eastern Time on both Championship Court and Grandstand Court. Wednesday’s Round of 32 follows the same schedule across both courts.
Thursday’s Round of 16 maintains the noon to 8pm ET streaming schedule, with an added bonus of a replay broadcast on FS2 from 9:30 to 11:30pm ET. Friday’s quarterfinals begin at 1pm ET on Championship Court (running until 7pm) and Grandstand Court (extending to 9pm), with live coverage on FS1 from 7 to 9pm ET.
Saturday’s semifinals start at 2pm ET, with Championship Court coverage until 8pm and Grandstand Court until 10pm, followed by live semifinals on FS1 from 8 to 10pm ET. Sunday’s championship day features Round of 16 action on Championship Court from noon to 6pm ET, bronze matches on Grandstand Court from 11am to 3pm ET, and a championships replay on FS2 from 7 to 9pm ET.
Weather Outlook
Weather conditions can make or break a pickleball tournament, as players discovered at the Texas Open two weeks ago where gusting winds wreaked havoc on play. Fortunately, Utah looks to provide ideal conditions throughout the entire event. Wind speeds are expected to remain manageable between 8 and 11 miles per hour, a stark contrast to the challenging conditions players faced in Texas.
Temperature-wise, players can expect comfortable competing conditions with highs ranging from the mid-80s to low 90s Fahrenheit during the day, cooling down to pleasant temperatures in the 50s and 60s during evening sessions. These conditions should allow players to perform at their highest level without the added variable of extreme weather affecting ball flight, paddle grip, or physical endurance.
Women’s Singles Competition
The women’s singles draw features one of the most remarkable storylines in professional pickleball. Anna Leigh Waters enters as the top seed, carrying an undefeated streak that now stretches to one year and ten months. If she captures gold in Utah, Waters will have four remaining tournaments before officially reaching the two-year mark without a singles loss. This level of dominance is virtually unprecedented in professional racquet sports.
The draw presents several intriguing matchups beyond Waters’ quest for perfection. Kiora Kunimoto, now seeded 11th, has proven she can disrupt expectations. At the Indoor National Championships in January, she was the only player outside the top 10 seeds to reach the semifinals as the 19 seed. Her recent form includes an impressive victory over Catherine Parenteau in Mesa, winning 11-6, 11-4, and she may face Parenteau again early in this tournament.
The battle for second place promises intense competition. Kate Fahey holds the second seed while Kaitlyn Christian sits at third, and their recent head-to-head record tells a story of evenly matched competitors. Since the beginning of 2025, they’ve faced each other four times with the series tied at 2-2. However, Fahey claimed the most recent encounter in decisive fashion, winning the bronze medal match in Las Vegas 12-10, 11-1 this past October.
Perhaps the most anticipated potential quarterfinal matchup pits fourth-seeded Brooke Buckner against fifth-seeded Lea Jansen. The winner of this clash would likely face Waters in the semifinals, and their history suggests fans are in for a treat. Their epic battle in Newport Beach this past March went the full distance, with Jansen emerging victorious 13-11, 9-11, 11-9 in what many considered one of the best women’s singles matches of the season.
Predictions for the women’s singles bracket suggest Anna Leigh Waters and Brooke Buckner advancing from the top half, while Kate Fahey and Kaitlyn Christian emerge from the bottom half to reach the semifinals. The finals should feature Waters defeating Fahey in three games, though Fahey has shown she can push the top seed to her limits.
Men’s Singles Competition
The men’s singles competition enters Utah with fresh storylines following the Texas Open. Top seed Hunter Johnson took that tournament off to attend the annual Necker Island pickleball retreat, opening the door for Federico Staksrud to claim gold with a finals victory over Chris Haworth. This result has tightened the race at the top, with only 1,700 points now separating Johnson from third-seeded Haworth.
The Texas Open produced surprising semifinalists in John Lucian Goins (seeded 9th in Utah) and Zane Ford (seeded 13th), with Ford capturing the bronze medal. Their reward for that strong performance? Both find themselves drawn into Hunter Johnson’s quarter of the bracket in Utah, setting up potential giant-killing opportunities or confirming Johnson’s dominance.
Jay Devilliers, seeded 14th, has been displaying excellent form recently, but his path to the later rounds runs through fourth-seeded Christian Alshon in a challenging Round of 16 matchup. Notably, Ben Johns has chosen not to compete in men’s singles this week after entering the event in Mesa, focusing his energy on doubles competition instead.
The predicted semifinal lineup features Hunter Johnson and Chris Haworth advancing from the top half, with Federico Staksrud and Jack Sock coming through the bottom half. The finals should see Johnson and Staksrud battle in what promises to be a three-game thriller, with Johnson ultimately prevailing to reclaim his position at the top of the men’s game.
Mixed Doubles Competition
Mixed doubles brings together the most dynamic partnerships in pickleball, and Utah features the sport’s elite pairings. Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns enter as the top seed and delivered a dominant performance in the Texas finals, thoroughly defeating Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin to avenge their earlier loss in Mesa. The Johns-Waters partnership has regained the form that made them the most feared duo in the game.
Several intriguing new partnerships debut in Utah, adding an element of unpredictability to the draw. Former New York Hustlers teammates Jack Sock and Lea Jansen have joined forces, bringing their chemistry from Major League Pickleball to the PPA Tour. Alix Truong and Noe Khlif are partnering for the first time at the 11 seed position. Jessie Irvine and Dekel Bar team up as the 10 seed, while Dylan Frazier and Tyra Black form an interesting new duo at the 7 seed.
The Johnson siblings, Jorja and JW, enter as the second seed but have yet to find the consistent success they expected in 2026. Their talent and sibling chemistry suggest they’re always dangerous, but Utah represents an opportunity to build momentum heading into the season’s final stretch. Can the familial connection translate into championship-level performance when it matters most?
The mixed doubles semifinals should feature Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns advancing from their quarter, with Rachel Rohrabacher and Christian Alshon emerging as the 4 seed from the opposite quarter. The Johnson siblings should navigate to the semifinals from their section, while Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin advance as the 3 seed. The finals rematch between the two Anna partnerships should go the distance, with Waters and Johns prevailing in five games.
Women’s Doubles Competition
The women’s doubles draw showcases another incredible streak. Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright have now gone over six months without dropping a match, establishing themselves as the undisputed top team in women’s doubles. Their combination of power, consistency, and court coverage has proven too much for every challenger, and they enter Utah as overwhelming favorites to extend their winning streak.
New and reformed partnerships add intrigue throughout the draw. The sixth-seeded team of Alix Truong and Zoey Wang represents a partnership that already has international success together, having won the Hangzhou Open in December. While this is their first stateside tournament as partners in 2026, their previous chemistry could make them dangerous opponents for higher seeds.
Partnership changes have reshuffled the competitive landscape. Tina Pisnik and Lacy Schneemann had been enjoying considerable success together, but both have new partners in Utah. Pisnik teams with Millie Rane while Schneemann partners with Meghan Dizon, disrupting what had been a promising combination.
The fourth-seeded team of Parris Todd and Kate Fahey endured an earlier-than-expected exit in Mesa at the hands of Pisnik and Schneemann. Utah provides an opportunity for redemption and to reestablish themselves among the elite teams. Their skill sets complement each other well, and finding their rhythm could lead to a deep tournament run.
The predicted semifinals feature Waters and Bright advancing comfortably from the top quarter, while Brooke Buckner and Mari Humberg surprise as the 10 seed to reach the final four. Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black should emerge as the 2 seed, with Todd and Fahey coming through as the 4 seed. The finals should see Waters and Bright defeat Johnson and Black in four games to maintain their unbeaten streak.
Men’s Doubles Competition
Men’s doubles has been dominated by one partnership throughout the 2026 season. Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns have remained undefeated since their finals loss at Worlds in November, and Tardio has claimed gold in every men’s doubles event in 2026 so far. Their combination of Johns’ finesse and Tardio’s power creates matchup problems that no other team has solved consistently.
The fifth-seeded team of Dylan Frazier and Eric Oncins brings Major League Pickleball chemistry to the PPA Tour as Texas Ranchers teammates. They’ve been playing excellent pickleball recently, but the draw hasn’t done them any favors. A quarterfinal matchup against Tardio and Johns represents one of the toughest draws possible at that stage of the tournament.
Will Howells returns from injury partnering with Noe Khlif at the 13 seed, but they face an immediate test against third-seeded Andrei Daescu and Federico Staksrud in the Round of 16. This early meeting of quality teams means at least one strong partnership will exit the tournament earlier than their seeding suggests they should.
Other notable matchups include sixth-seeded Jaume Martinez and Jay Devilliers, fresh off a bronze medal performance in Texas, facing a challenging early draw against 11th-seeded Pablo Tellez and Jack Sock. Meanwhile, the ninth-seeded team of Armaan Bhatia and Riley Newman presents an intriguing new partnership, with Newman likely shifting to the right side of the court to accommodate Bhatia’s preferences.
The semifinals should feature Tardio and Johns advancing as expected from the top quarter, with Staksrud and Daescu coming through the opposite section. Christian Alshon and Hayden Patriquin should advance as the 2 seed, while Newman and Bhatia could surprise as the 9 seed to reach the final four. The finals should see Tardio and Johns defeat Alshon and Patriquin in four games to continue their remarkable unbeaten run.
Understanding the Tournament for Pickleball Newcomers
For those new to professional pickleball or just beginning to follow the sport, the Greater Zion Cup represents one of the most important tournaments in the professional calendar. Think of it like a major tennis tournament, but pickleball has several of these high-value events throughout the year rather than just four grand slams. The “Cup” designation means this tournament awards 50% more ranking points than a regular event, making it crucial for players trying to qualify for the season-ending finals.
The PPA Tour operates similarly to professional tennis tours, with players accumulating points based on their finish in each tournament. The better you perform, the more points you earn, and these points determine your ranking and eligibility for championship events. With only three more opportunities to earn points on American soil before the Finals, every match in Utah carries extra weight. Players who perform well here can secure their spots at the prestigious finals, while those who struggle may find themselves on the outside looking in.
Professional pickleball features five main competition categories: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Many top players compete in multiple categories during the same tournament, which is why you’ll see names like Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns appearing in multiple draw predictions. This requires tremendous stamina and mental fortitude, as players might compete in six or more matches in a single day across different categories.
The seeding system works like other racquet sports, with the highest-ranked players receiving favorable draws designed to prevent early meetings between top competitors. However, upsets happen regularly in pickleball, and lower-seeded players have genuine opportunities to defeat favorites on any given day. The sport’s shorter rallies and emphasis on strategy over pure athleticism create more parity than you might find in tennis, making tournaments unpredictable and exciting.
When following the tournament, pay attention to the game scores. Professional pickleball uses rally scoring to 21 points in most PPA events, though some matches use traditional scoring to 11 points (win by two). The match format varies by round, with early rounds typically using best-of-three games and later rounds sometimes extending to best-of-five games in certain categories.
The Broader Context and Tournament Significance
The Greater Zion Cup arrives at a pivotal moment in the 2026 season. With the PPA Finals looming in May, the competitive pressure intensifies with each remaining tournament. Players on the rankings bubble face a simple reality: strong performances in Utah could secure their finals berth, while early exits might end their championship aspirations for the year.
The tournament also serves as a measuring stick for newer partnerships and strategic changes. Several teams are debuting new combinations in Utah, testing whether their chemistry and complementary skills can translate into victories against established duos. These experimental partnerships sometimes struggle initially but can also catch opponents off-guard with unfamiliar playing patterns.
Weather conditions play a more significant role in pickleball than casual observers might expect. The lightweight ball used in the sport is extremely susceptible to wind, and even moderate breezes can dramatically affect ball flight and strategy. The Texas Open two weeks ago provided a stark example, with gusty winds forcing players to adjust their entire approach. Utah’s calm conditions should allow for more traditional pickleball, rewarding skill and strategy over adaptation to difficult conditions.
The venue itself contributes to the tournament’s prestige. Black Desert Resort provides a stunning backdrop that enhances both the player experience and the viewing experience for fans watching remotely. The resort’s recent expansion demonstrates pickleball’s growing appeal and the willingness of premium facilities to invest in hosting professional events.
