Klokotzky Stuns Bouchard in Atlanta Open Women's Singles Shakeup
What's the Score?
The women's singles draw at the 2025 Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships also saw unexpected outcomes, including qualifier Maria Klokotzky's victory over the No. 11 seed Genie Bouchard, among other upsets by lower-seeded players. These early-round matches took place at Life Time Peachtree Corners.
Hit it deeper!
The women's singles competition at the 2025 Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships, presented by Ensure Max Protein, delivered several notable upsets on Tuesday. Among the most surprising results was Maria Klokotzky, who successfully navigated the qualifying rounds on Monday, defeating the No. 11 seed Genie Bouchard in the Round of 64. Klokotzky secured her spot in the Round of 32 with an impressive straight-game victory, winning 11-2, 11-6. Despite coming through the qualifiers, Klokotzky is not new to challenging prominent players on the PPA Tour, having previously beaten Alix Truong and taken Kate Fahey to three games at the Virginia Beach Cup in October and defeated Callie Smith and Jack Sock at Worlds in November. Klokotzky, the No. 55 seed in the Round of 64 draw, is scheduled to face No. 44 seed Felicity Di Laura in the Round of 32.
Another upset in the women's singles bracket saw Felicity Di Laura, the No. 44 seed, overcome the No. 20 seed Alix Truong in three games. Di Laura lost the first game 4-11, but battled back to win the second game 11-9 after trailing 8-9, forcing a decider. She comfortably won the third game 11-4 to advance to the Round of 32. As noted, she will play against Maria Klokotzky in the next round.
Adding to the string of surprises, Danna Funaro, the No. 49 seed, defeated No. 16 seed Ava Ignatowich in straight games, 11-8, 11-4, to reach the Round of 32. Funaro's victory continued a theme of strong performances from players seeded around the No. 49 mark in singles on the day. She is set to face either the No. 17 seed Angie Walker, who recently achieved a Triple Crown at the New England PPA Challenger, or the No. 42 seed Rachel Summers on Wednesday.
The initial rounds also saw other qualifiers earning their spots in the Round of 64 and beyond. Eight players fought through the women's singles qualifying rounds on Monday. Besides Maria Klokotzky, other qualifiers included Estee Widdershoven, who was set to face No. 7 seed Catherine Parenteau; Helen To, facing No. 5 seed Brooke Buckner; Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva against No. 6 seed Lea Jansen; Ho Tâm against No. 10 seed Mary Brascia; Yufei Long against No. 9 seed Chao Yi (Zoey) Wang; Ting Chieh Wei against No. 8 seed Salome Devidze; and Alia Brown against No. 12 seed Dominique Schaefer. These qualifier matchups highlighted the depth of talent emerging and the challenge even top-seeded players face in the early stages of a PPA Slam event.
The tournament saw one notable withdrawal, with Jack Sock pulling out of all three events (men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles with Genie Bouchard) on Monday due to an ankle injury. His withdrawal led to lucky loser Thomas Provost taking his place as the No. 10 seed in men's singles. While Sock's absence impacted the draws, the unexpected results in singles compensated with plenty of early-round excitement.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The women's singles results at the Atlanta Open, particularly the defeat of a well-known player like Genie Bouchard by a qualifier, signal the increasing depth and competitive nature of the PPA Tour's women's field. The fact that qualifiers and lower seeds are capable of winning matches against established top players suggests that players must be prepared for tough competition from the very first round. This trend is indicative of the overall growth in talent and training across the sport, making tournaments more unpredictable and exciting for fans.