PPA Masters Recap: ALW’s Triple Crown, Johns Brothers’ Final Hurrah, and Fed’s Medal Haul
The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour kicked off its 2025 calendar year with a bang at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. This Slam level event, worth 2,000 PPA Points for the winners, showcased intense competition amidst challenging conditions. With windy weather and poor air quality due to nearby fires in Los Angeles, players had to bring their A-game to the courts. Let’s dive into the thrilling action and major storylines that unfolded during this exciting tournament.
Anna Leigh Waters: The Unstoppable Force
Anna Leigh Waters (ALW) continued her reign of dominance in the pickleball world, starting 2025 with an impressive triple crown victory – the 31st of her illustrious career. Her performance at the Mission Hills Country Club was nothing short of spectacular, solidifying her position as the sport’s most formidable player.
In singles, ALW’s dominance was on full display. She steamrolled through her five opponents with a combined score of 110-26, averaging a jaw-dropping 11-2.6 per game. Her path to victory included decisive wins against top-10 players:
- Kate Fahey: 11-3, 11-1
- Parris Todd: 11-4, 11-1
- Kaitlyn Christian: 11-0, 11-6
These back-to-back-to-back victories against elite competition, with a combined score of 66-15, showcase ALW’s unparalleled skill and mental fortitude on the court.
In women’s doubles, ALW partnered with Catherine Parenteau to dominate the field. The duo cruised through their first five matches with a commanding 132-59 scoreline. While they dropped two games along the way (one to Viv Glozman and Jackie Kawamoto, and another to “the Girlies”), their overall performance never left doubt about their superiority.
The mixed doubles event provided ALW with her toughest challenge of the tournament. Partnering with Ben Johns, the pair sailed through their first three matches with a 66-20 scoreline, including a convincing 11-4, 11-4 victory over Collin Johns and Christa Gecheva. However, the semi-finals against Hurricane Tyra Black and Christian Alshon pushed them to their limits.
After dropping the first game 7-11, ALW and Johns rallied to win the second 11-5. The third game saw a nail-biting finish as they found themselves down 4-10, facing four match points. In a display of incredible mental toughness and skill, the duo fought off all four match points and scored eight unanswered points to clinch the game 12-10 and secure their place in the finals.
The final match against Federico Staksrud and Catherine Parenteau started with a close 10-12 loss in the first game. However, ALW and Johns quickly regained control, winning the next three games 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 to claim the mixed doubles title.
ALW’s overall performance at the PPA Masters was staggering. Across 36 games played, she won a combined 381-154, allowing her opponents an average of just 2.74 points per game. This level of dominance across all three disciplines cements her status as the undisputed queen of pickleball.
The Johns Brothers’ Grand Finale
The PPA Masters marked the end of an era as Ben and Collin Johns played their final tournament as a doubles team for the foreseeable future. The brothers went out with a bang, both figuratively and literally, as evidenced by a controversial shot that nearly took opponent Quang Duong’s head off during play.
Despite the incident, which sparked debates about sportsmanship and safety, the Johns brothers appeared to be playing with renewed energy and enjoyment throughout the tournament. Collin, in particular, showed a noticeable change in his on-court demeanor, remaining more composed during unfavorable bounces or net shots.
Their journey to the men’s doubles title was impressive. The brothers didn’t drop a game until the semi-finals, defeating their first three opponents with a combined score of 66-26. In the semi-finals, they faced a challenge from Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu but prevailed 11-6, 5-11, 11-5.
The finals saw Ben and Collin in top form as they defeated Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin 11-5, 12-10, 11-3. This victory was a fitting end to their partnership, showcasing the chemistry and skill that made them such a formidable team.
As they move on to new partnerships, the pickleball world eagerly anticipates how they will fare. Ben is set to play most events with Gabe Tardio, with occasional partnerships with Hayden Patriquin and Max Freeman. Collin, on the other hand, will be teaming up with players like Jay Devilliers, James Ignatowich, and Dekel Bar.
Federico Staksrud’s Triple Medal Performance
Federico Staksrud, known for his exceptional fitness and versatility, had a stellar showing at the PPA Masters, securing one gold and two silver medals across different events.
Staksrud’s gold medal came in the men’s singles event, where he triumphed over Jaume Martinez Vich in the final. His path to victory included some dominant performances, such as a 11-2, 11-1 victory over 8th-seeded Christian Alshon in the quarterfinals and an even more lopsided 11-0, 11-2 win against Pesa Teoni in the round of 32.
In both the men’s doubles and mixed doubles events, Staksrud faced off against Ben Johns in the finals. Partnering with Hayden Patriquin in men’s doubles, they managed to take a game off the Johns brothers but ultimately fell short. Similarly, in mixed doubles with Catherine Parenteau, they won the first game against Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters before succumbing to the top-seeded pair.
Staksrud’s performance at the Masters was particularly noteworthy as it marked his last tournament as a JOOLA-sponsored athlete. He expressed gratitude towards JOOLA for their support throughout his professional career and hinted at an upcoming announcement regarding his new title sponsor.
New Rules for 2025
The PPA Tour introduced several new rules for the 2025 season, some of which caught players off guard during the Masters tournament:
- Players are now allowed to cross the plane of the net without hitting the ball (a fake Erne). However, completely crossing the plane of the net is still considered a fault.
- On Grandstand and Championship Courts with replay and challenge capabilities, challenges are no longer tied to timeouts. In best two-out-of-three matches, players get one timeout per game and three challenges per match. For best three-out-of-five matches, it’s one timeout per game and five challenges per match.
- Players who have used all their challenges can still make additional challenges, but if they’re wrong, they lose a point.
While these changes aim to improve the game, some issues arose during the Masters. Players occasionally abused the new challenge system, using it to gain unofficial timeouts by challenging obvious calls. The PPA is likely to fine-tune these rules as the season progresses to find the right balance between fairness and game flow.
Increasing Parity on the PPA Tour
The 2025 PPA Tour is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons yet, with several notable upsets occurring at the Masters:
- 26th-seeded Julian Arnold reached the quarterfinals in singles, defeating 4th-seeded Quang Duong and 24th-seeded Noe Khlif along the way.
- 14th-seeded Gabe Joseph overcame 3rd-seeded Hunter Johnson, one of the tour’s hottest players.
- 45th-seeded David Litvinov and Jordan Chrysostom bested 18th-seeded Todd Fought and Michael Loyd.
- 15th-seeded Genie Bouchard triumphed over 2nd-seeded Brooke Buckner.
- 20th-seeded Milan Rane defeated 9th-seeded Zoey Wang.
These results highlight the rising level of play across the PPA tour, with new faces making deep runs in tournaments. While Anna Leigh Waters continues to dominate across all three events she enters, the men’s field appears wide open, especially with Ben Johns taking a break from singles play in the early months of the season.
As new partnerships form and players continue to elevate their games, the 2025 PPA Tour promises to deliver exciting and unpredictable competitions throughout the year.
Full Results
Women’s Singles
🥇 Anna Leigh Waters
🥈 Kaitlyn Christian
🥉 Catherine Parenteau
Men’s Singles
🥇 Federico Staksrud
🥈 Jaume Martinez Vich
🥉 Tyson McGuffin
Mixed Doubles
🥇 Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns
🥈 Catherine Parenteau/Federico Staksrud
🥉 Hurricane Tyra Black/Christian Alshon
Women’s Doubles
🥇 Catherine Parenteau/Anna Leigh Waters
🥈 Rachel Rohrabacher/Anna Bright
🥉 Jorja Johnson/Hurricane Tyra Black
Men’s Doubles
🥇 Collin & Ben Johns
🥈 Hayden Patriquin/Federico Staksrud
🥉 Christian Alshon/Andrei Daescu
As the 2025 PPA Tour unfolds, pickleball enthusiasts can look forward to more thrilling matches, emerging talents, and potential shake-ups in the rankings. With the level of competition continuing to rise, every tournament promises to be a must-watch event for fans of this rapidly growing sport.
