Shock Upsets and New Duos Light Up Atlanta Pickleball Slam
What's the Score?
The Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships, the second 'slam' of the 2025 PPA calendar, began with surprising upsets and tightly contested matches in the early rounds on Wednesday. While some top seeds like Anna Leigh Waters and Kate Fahey advanced comfortably in women's singles, others faced unexpected resistance, highlighting the increasing parity across the PPA Tour. Men's singles saw significant upsets, including the top seed falling.
Hit it deeper!
The Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships, presented by Ensure Max Protein, commenced at Life Time Peachtree Corners, featuring Round of 32 matches across singles, mixed doubles, and gender doubles. This tournament is a key event, awarding 2000 ranking points to gold medalists in each discipline. Live broadcast coverage was available starting at 10 am ET on Pickleballtv and the pbtv app.
Wednesday's play demonstrated that regardless of seeding or past success, no one is safe on the PPA Tour. The most notable upset occurred in men's singles, where the top seed, Federico Staksrud, was defeated by the No. 65 seed, Alexander Crum. Crum, who had battled through qualifying rounds, overcame a 3-7 deficit in the deciding game against No. 27 seed Mota Alhouni to reach the Round of 16 after his win over Staksrud. Another high seed, Tyson McGuffin (with 86 career PPA medals), also suffered early defeats in both mixed doubles and men's doubles on Wednesday, exiting in the Round of 32.
Beyond upsets, many matches proved to be gruelling battles. In men's singles, No. 7 seed Christian Alshon survived an upset bid from No. 34 seed Julian Arnold in a marathon match, winning 12-14, 11-5, 11-9. Alshon overcame a 9-4 deficit in the third game, scoring the final seven points. Jay Devilliers, the No. 35 seed, also pulled off a three-game thriller against No. 5 seed Jaume Martinez Vich, coming back from significant deficits in both the second and third games to win 5-11, 11-9, 13-11. Devilliers acknowledged his competitive history with Martinez Vich, expressing happiness with the win after prior match-point losses against him. No. 9 seed Dylan Frazier also needed a comeback in his Round of 16 win, scoring the last seven points after trailing 4-9 in the third game. In women's singles, Liz Truluck likewise secured her spot in the Round of 16 with a three-game victory (10-12, 11-3, 11-9) over No. 12 seed Dominique Schaefer, using a 7-1 run to overcome a 2-6 deficit in the decider.
Doubles play also saw intense early matches. The No. 3 seeds in men's doubles, Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu, were unexpectedly challenged by No. 32 seeds Zane Ford and Tam Trinh, eventually winning in three games, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4. Daescu noted they had to "stay solid" and trust their game. In mixed doubles, Callie Smith and Jay Devilliers (No. 16 seeds) came back from a first-game loss to defeat No. 18 seeds Allyce Jones and Travis Rettenmaier 6-11, 11-3, 11-5. Lea Jansen and Noe Khlif also advanced to the mixed doubles Round of 16 with a three-game win, overcoming a 6-9 deficit in Game 3 against No. 20 seeds Lucy Kovalova and Matt Wright, finishing 11-6, 6-11, 11-9.
The tournament also marked the debut of a new top women's doubles partnership, with Catherine Parenteau and Rachel Rohrabacher teaming up after Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright decided to pair together. Parenteau and Rohrabacher had a strong start, defeating No. 25 seeds Michelle Esquivel and Hannah Blatt 11-2, 11-4. Rohrabacher commented that "the best players deal with change really well" and that the transition had been easy.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The early results from the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships underscore the increasing depth and parity now present on the PPA Tour. While top contenders like Waters and Fahey showed their dominance, the vulnerability of seeds, including the world No. 1 in singles, Federico Staksrud, demonstrates that consistent top performance requires navigating a field where any opponent can pose a significant threat. The numerous three-game matches and significant comebacks witnessed on Wednesday highlight the competitive intensity from the very first rounds. For players like Devilliers and Alshon, mental toughness and strategic adjustments mid-match were crucial for survival. The formation of new high-profile partnerships, such as Parenteau/Rohrabacher and Waters/Bright, also adds another layer of intrigue, potentially reshaping the dynamics of women's doubles. Ultimately, Atlanta's initial stages serve as a compelling reminder that the path to a PPA 'slam' title is fraught with challenges from unexpected corners, demanding players bring their "best to every match".