PPA Atlanta Pickleball Championships: Tama Shimabukuro’s Breakout Performance and Anna Leigh Waters’ Continued Dominance
The final tournament before the season Finals brought exceptional performances and memorable moments to Atlanta this past weekend. The Life Time Peachtree Corners facility hosted the Atlanta Pickleball Championships, and what unfolded was a weekend that showcased both emerging talent and established dominance in professional pickleball. The venue itself made significant improvements from previous years, transforming the large tennis court stadium area to feature exclusively the Championship Court with expanded seating and improved spectator visibility. The atmosphere was electric throughout the weekend, with what appeared to be sold-out crowds filling the stands for every session. Adding to the excitement, CBS aired two mixed doubles semifinals live on Saturday afternoon, giving pickleball fans a two-hour window of nationally televised coverage that continues to demonstrate the sport’s growing mainstream appeal.
While the on-court action delivered plenty of storylines, perhaps the most significant pickleball news of the weekend happened off the court. Apollo Sports Capital announced a massive investment of nearly a quarter billion dollars into UPA, marking one of the largest financial infusions in pickleball history and signaling continued institutional confidence in the sport’s growth trajectory. This business development provided an important backdrop to the competitive action unfolding on the courts below.
Tama Shimabukuro’s Historic Tournament Run
In what can only be described as a breakout performance, Tama Shimabukuro earned his first-ever medal on the PPA Tour, and the way he did it captured the attention and hearts of everyone watching. While silver and bronze medals are certainly noteworthy achievements, Tama’s run to the finals deserves headline status because of how he got there and what it represents for his career trajectory. His deep runs in both singles and men’s doubles demonstrated that his unique playing style is not just viable at the professional level but can be genuinely disruptive to even the highest-seeded players.
As the 22nd seed entering the singles draw, Tama was not expected to make waves. What followed was one of the most impressive tournament runs of the entire season. His path through the bracket read like a masterclass in giant-slaying. In the Round of 64, he dispatched 48th seed Syed Uzair Sufi with relative ease, winning 11-2, 11-9. The Round of 32 saw him take down 13th seed Jaume Martinez Vich in straight games, 11-5, 11-9, showing that his opening round performance was no fluke. Then came the match that really turned heads.
In the Round of 16, Tama faced second-seeded Federico Staksrud, one of the tour’s elite singles players. After dropping the first game 6-11, Tama found his rhythm and took the next two games 11-8 and 11-9, completing the upset and announcing himself as a genuine threat in the draw. But he wasn’t finished. The quarterfinals brought 11th seed Noe Khlif, and Tama dispatched him convincingly in straight games, 11-8, 11-4. In the semifinals, he faced another top seed in Hunter Johnson, seeded third overall. After splitting the first two games, Tama dominated the decisive third game 11-1, punching his ticket to Championship Sunday.
The finals brought top-seeded Chris Haworth, whose power game proved to be too much for Tama on this day. Haworth took the championship with an 11-5, 11-1 victory, but the scoreline doesn’t diminish what Tama accomplished. Taking out both the second and third overall seeds in a single tournament is a remarkable achievement that speaks to his skill level and the effectiveness of his unconventional singles playing style. His approach to singles, which differs significantly from the power-baseline game many players employ, appears to be clicking at exactly the right time as the season approaches its conclusion.
In men’s doubles, Tama partnered with Yuta Funemizu, and together they produced what might be considered the upset of the entire tournament. In the Round of 16, they faced second-seeded Christian Alshon and Hayden Patriquin, one of the most formidable teams in men’s doubles. After dropping the first game badly, 4-11, Tama and Yuta regrouped and won the next two games 11-5 and 11-8, eliminating the second seeds and further cementing this tournament as Tama’s coming-out party. Their semifinal match against Roscoe Bellamy and Connor Garnett was competitive, and they even managed to pickle their opponents in game two, but ultimately fell short of reaching the finals. The bronze medal match saw them lose to Federico Staksrud and Andrei Daescu 4-11, 4-11, but by that point, Tama and Yuta had already made their statement.
Following their victory over Christian and Hayden, Tama and Yuta were brought to the broadcast desk for an interview. In response to the final question, Yuta delivered a quote that encapsulated their ambition and will likely be remembered for years to come: “I want to be a CHAMPION.” The declaration was simple but powerful, and it perfectly captured the hunger and competitive drive that fueled their impressive tournament performance.
Special recognition also goes to Roscoe Bellamy and Connor Garnett, who earned their first-ever silver medal in men’s doubles. Their journey to the finals represented significant career milestones for both players and demonstrated the depth of talent emerging on the professional tour.
Anna Leigh Waters Secures Her 44th Triple Crown
If Tama Shimabukuro’s weekend was about announcing his arrival, Anna Leigh Waters’ performance was a reminder of why she remains the gold standard in women’s pickleball. Waters captured her 44th career triple crown, winning gold in singles, mixed doubles, and women’s doubles. What makes this achievement even more impressive is the dominance with which she accomplished it. Across the entire weekend, Waters played 16 matches totaling 35 games and lost exactly one game. That single dropped game came against Kiora Kunimoto in the singles semifinals, making it the lone blemish on an otherwise perfect tournament.
The singles final against Kate Fahey provided the weekend’s most competitive test for Waters. Fahey pushed Anna Leigh in both games, building early leads that forced the top seed to mount comebacks. But Waters demonstrated the championship mentality that has defined her career, battling back in both games to secure the victory and maintain her extraordinary singles dominance. If Waters can navigate the Finals without a singles loss, she will have gone undefeated in singles competition for over two straight years, a streak that defies comprehension and underscores her superiority in the discipline.
In mixed doubles, Anna Leigh partnered with Ben Johns, and the duo continued their overwhelming dominance. While Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin represent the closest competition to the top-seeded team, they didn’t bring their best performance to Championship Sunday. Waters and Johns took full advantage, winning decisively 11-4, 11-5, 11-4, and claiming another gold medal with relative ease. The partnership between Waters and Johns has become virtually unbeatable, combining Ben’s court awareness and consistency with Anna Leigh’s aggressive style and exceptional hands at the net.
Women’s doubles saw Anna Bright team up with Anna Leigh Waters, and the two Annas have established themselves as the premier women’s doubles team on tour. The last team to defeat them was the Kawamoto twins back in September, a testament to their sustained excellence over an extended period. In Atlanta, they faced the Kawamotos in the quarterfinals and dispatched them efficiently 11-3, 11-2. The finals brought Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black, but the Annas were in complete control from the opening point. They dominated from start to finish, winning 11-3, 11-4, 11-0, with the third game bagel serving as an emphatic exclamation point on their weekend.
Anna Leigh Waters continues to set the standard for women’s professional pickleball, and her consistency is such that any loss in any division now qualifies as a genuine shock. Her ability to maintain peak performance across all three disciplines simultaneously is unprecedented and speaks to her exceptional fitness, mental toughness, and all-around skill set.
Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns Maintain Perfect Partnership
In men’s doubles, Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns extended their remarkable partnership record to 100 wins against just 4 losses in their career together. The Atlanta championship marked their eighth consecutive victory in 2026 on domestic soil, and when including their win at the PPA Asia Hanoi Cup, their dominance has been virtually unchallenged this season. The statistics are staggering and speak to the chemistry and complementary skill sets these two players bring to the court.
Their path to gold wasn’t entirely smooth, however. In their opening round matchup against Chris Crouch and Connor Mogle, Tardio and Johns dropped the second game 6-11, a rare stumble that required them to regroup and refocus. They did exactly that, taking the decisive third game 11-5 and advancing through the draw. The semifinals brought another test when they faced Federico Staksrud and Andrei Daescu, losing a game before ultimately prevailing. By the finals, they had found their rhythm again, facing first-time partners Roscoe Bellamy and Connor Garnett. The championship match was relatively straightforward for the top seeds, who won 11-5, 11-7, 11-2, claiming yet another title.
What’s perhaps most notable about Tardio and Johns’ dominance is the lack of consistent challengers pushing them to their limits. While various teams have taken games off them and occasionally pushed them to three games, no partnership has emerged as a consistent threat capable of regularly challenging for titles when Tardio and Johns are in the draw. This dynamic is likely to continue after the MLP season concludes, as no other team has demonstrated the combination of chemistry, skill, and tactical understanding necessary to consistently compete with the top-seeded duo.
Medal Count by MLP Team
The Atlanta tournament results also provide interesting insights when viewed through the lens of Major League Pickleball team affiliations. The St. Louis Shock led all teams with five total medals, including two golds, represented by Anna Leigh Waters, Gabe Tardio, Kate Fahey, and Hayden Patriquin. The New Jersey 5s claimed four medals with three golds, thanks to the performances of Anna Leigh Waters and Jorja Johnson. The LA Mad Drops earned three medals including two golds from Ben Johns and Catherine Parenteau, while the Brooklyn Pickleball Team took home four medals including one gold from Chris Haworth, Christian Alshon, and Rachel Rohrabacher.
The Utah Black Diamonds captured three medals with two silvers and a bronze from Connor Garnett and Tama Shimabukuro, while the Dallas Flash earned a silver from Tyra Black. The Las Vegas Night Owls took home a silver medal from Roscoe Bellamy, the Columbus Sliders earned bronze from Andrei Daescu, the Orlando Squeeze got bronze from Federico Staksrud, and the Atlanta Bouncers claimed bronze from Kaitlyn Christian. These results demonstrate the widespread talent distribution across MLP teams and highlight how professional players’ individual tournament success reflects on their league affiliations.
Understanding the Significance: A Guide for Pickleball Newcomers
For those who might be new to following professional pickleball, the Atlanta Championships represents the final opportunity for players to fine-tune their games and build momentum before the season-ending Finals. Think of it like the final regular season games in traditional sports before the playoffs begin. The stakes are high because performance here can provide crucial confidence and rhythm heading into the most important tournament of the year.
The PPA Tour operates similarly to professional tennis, with players competing in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles divisions. Singles is straightforward—one player versus another. Men’s doubles and women’s doubles feature same-gender partnerships, while mixed doubles pairs one man and one woman. Players accumulate ranking points throughout the season based on their performance, which determines their seeding in subsequent tournaments. Higher seeds theoretically have easier paths through the draw because they face lower-seeded opponents in early rounds.
What made Tama Shimabukuro’s performance so remarkable was that as the 22nd seed, he was expected to lose early to higher-seeded players. Instead, he defeated the 2nd and 3rd seeded players, which is roughly equivalent to a 22nd-ranked tennis player defeating players ranked 2nd and 3rd in the world at the same tournament. It simply doesn’t happen often, which is why his run captured so much attention.
Anna Leigh Waters, on the other hand, represents the established dominant force in women’s pickleball. Her 44 triple crowns mean she has won all three divisions—singles, doubles, and mixed doubles—at the same tournament 44 different times. To put this in perspective, winning one division at a professional tournament is difficult; winning all three requires exceptional skill, endurance, and mental fortitude. Waters has done this 44 times in her young career, which is why she’s often referred to as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in women’s pickleball.
The partnership records, like Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns’ 100-4 mark, show win-loss records specifically when those two players team up together. Their success rate of over 96% is extraordinarily rare in professional sports and indicates not just individual talent but exceptional chemistry and strategic compatibility between partners.
When CBS broadcasts pickleball matches, it represents the sport’s growing mainstream acceptance. Major networks don’t dedicate airtime to niche sports, so televised coverage on CBS indicates that pickleball has reached a level of popularity that attracts substantial viewership. This exposure helps grow the sport by introducing it to new audiences who might not otherwise encounter professional pickleball.
Complete Medal Results
The complete medal standings from the Atlanta Pickleball Championships showcase the weekend’s top performers across all divisions. In women’s singles, Anna Leigh Waters claimed gold, Kate Fahey earned silver, and Kaitlyn Christian took bronze. Men’s singles saw Chris Haworth capture gold, Tama Shimabukuro earn silver in his breakthrough performance, and Connor Garnett claim bronze.
Mixed doubles featured Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns taking gold, Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin earning silver, and Rachel Rohrabacher and Christian Alshon claiming bronze. Women’s doubles went to Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters for gold, Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black for silver, and Rachel Rohrabacher and Catherine Parenteau for bronze. Finally, men’s doubles saw Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns capture gold, Roscoe Bellamy and Connor Garnett earn silver in their first medal together, and Federico Staksrud and Andrei Daescu take bronze.
Looking Ahead to the Finals
As the tour now turns its attention to the season-ending Finals, several storylines will dominate the conversation. Can Tama Shimabukuro build on his Atlanta breakthrough and continue challenging the top seeds? Will Anna Leigh Waters maintain her undefeated singles streak that now stretches back over two years? Can any men’s doubles team finally solve the Tardio-Johns partnership and end their dominance? And will the new venue improvements and television coverage at events like Atlanta become the standard for future tournaments?
The Atlanta Championships delivered on multiple levels—competitive excellence, breakthrough performances, continued dominance from established stars, and growing mainstream exposure through broadcast coverage. The Life Time Peachtree Corners facility proved itself as one of the premier venues on tour, and the sold-out crowds demonstrated the appetite for professional pickleball in the Atlanta market. Combined with the off-court news of significant financial investment in the sport’s infrastructure, the weekend painted a picture of pickleball at an inflection point, with momentum building toward even greater growth and professionalization.
For Tama Shimabukuro, the weekend represented career validation and a signal that he belongs among the elite players on tour. For Anna Leigh Waters, it was another chapter in an already legendary career that continues to redefine excellence in the sport. For fans, it was a reminder of why pickleball has become America’s fastest-growing sport, combining athletic excellence with compelling storylines and accessible, exciting gameplay that translates beautifully to both in-person and broadcast viewing experiences.
