Is the Reign Ending? Anna Leigh Waters Faces Mounting Challenges in Women's Pickleball
What's the Score?
An analysis suggests that Anna Leigh Waters, while still considered the best women's pickleball player, is facing a narrowing gap between her and the rest of the field. Evidenced by recent losses in women's and mixed doubles at the PPA Tour North Carolina Open, her win percentage in doubles has dropped from 90-95% to around 70% in 2025. Players like Anna Bright, Tyra Black, and Jorja Johnson are increasingly challenging her dominance.
Hit it deeper!
While Anna Leigh Waters remains undeniably the top women's pickleball player globally, recent performances indicate that her dominance is being increasingly challenged. The PPA Tour North Carolina Open served as a prime example, where Waters and her partners experienced significant losses in both women's doubles and mixed doubles. In the women's doubles final, Waters and Catherine Parenteau were defeated by Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black in a four-game match (1-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7). Later that same day, in the mixed doubles final, JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson also triumphed over Ben Johns and Waters in a close five-game thriller (8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8).
This trend of increased competition for Waters began to emerge in 2023, similar to how Ben Johns' dominance started to show cracks. In 2024, Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher presented the first significant challenge to Waters and Parenteau, even securing three victories against them. While that specific rivalry has slightly cooled in 2025, a broader range of women's players are now pushing Waters in both doubles categories.
The statistics highlight this shift: in the past five tournaments of 2025, Waters has already lost twice in women's doubles and twice in mixed doubles, nearly matching her total losses in these categories from all of 2023 and 2024 combined. Several other matches have also been very close. The article provides a detailed list of these losses and close calls in women's doubles (against Bright/Rohrabacher, Smith/Tuionetoa, and Black/Johnson) and mixed doubles (against Alshon/Black, Daescu/Pisnik, and Bright/Bar, along with close wins against Bright/JW Johnson and Bright/Patriquin).
As a result of this increased competition, Waters' win percentage in doubles in 2025 has dropped to approximately 70%, a significant decrease from the 90-95% she maintained in previous years. Anna Bright, Tyra Black, and Jorja Johnson are identified as arguably the current No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 women's players, demonstrating the depth of talent emerging. Notably, Bright and Johnson have both switched to new paddles in 2025 – the JOOLA Scorpeus Pro IV for Bright and the new Franklin C45 for Johnson – which seem to have positively impacted their performance. These paddles are noted for being particularly good options for women, offering lower swingweights for better manoeuvrability and significant pop.
Despite Waters' slight dip in dominance, she is still recognized as the best and continues to win frequently. However, the increased competition is making women's doubles and mixed doubles much more exciting, and it remains to be seen if this trend will continue. The article also notes that while Bright has improved her mixed doubles game, her partnership with Rohrabacher has faced recent struggles. The main takeaway is that victories for Waters and her primary partners are no longer a certainty, with multiple other teams demonstrating the potential to defeat them consistently.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The analysis of Anna Leigh Waters' recent performances suggests a significant and welcome shift in the landscape of women's professional pickleball. While Waters' exceptional talent is undeniable, the emergence of strong competitors like Bright, Black, and Johnson, coupled with her recent losses, indicates a growing depth and competitiveness within the women's game. This increased challenge will likely lead to more unpredictable and exciting matches for fans. The impact of new paddle technology on the performance of top contenders also adds an interesting dynamic to the sport. Ultimately, a more competitive environment at the top benefits the overall growth and interest in professional pickleball, moving away from a period of singular dominance towards a more dynamic and engaging playing field.