Pickleball Power Shift: Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau Part Ways, Waters to Team Up with Anna Bright
What's the Score?
In a notable development in the professional pickleball scene, the highly successful women's doubles partnership between Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau has come to an end following the Veolia North Carolina Open. Anna Leigh Waters will now partner with Anna Bright for the remainder of the 2025 season, with their debut set for the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships in May.
Hit it deeper!
The pickleball world was taken by surprise when, on Monday, April 7, 2025, Catherine Parenteau posted a heartfelt message on Instagram expressing gratitude for her time as partners with Anna Leigh Waters, signaling the dissolution of their formidable duo. This announcement confirmed that two of pickleball's leading female players would no longer be competing together.
Subsequently, it was announced that Anna Leigh Waters will be joining forces with Anna Bright for the rest of the 2025 season. Their first tournament as a team is scheduled to be the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships, which will take place from May 12-18 and is recognized as a "Slam" event, awarding the maximum number of points.
Despite their relatively short time as partners in 2025, Waters and Parenteau achieved significant success, winning five of the seven women's doubles events they entered. Their two losses came against Callie Smith/Etta Tuionetoa at the CIBC Texas Open quarterfinals and against Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black in the finals of the Veolia North Carolina Open.
Looking back at the previous year, Waters and Parenteau had an impressive record, securing 15 gold medals and 3 silvers together in 2024. Interestingly, all three of their losses were against the team of Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher. Throughout their partnership, Waters and Parenteau amassed 31 titles, including 14 in 2024, and held a strong 31-4 record in finals. Notably, they were 10-3 in finals against Bright/Rohrabacher and 21-1 in finals against all other competitors. Their overall record against Bright/Rohrabacher stood at 11-3, including a semifinal match in 2024.
Anna Bright has a history of playing with Waters, and the pair earned seven titles together in 2023 before Waters decided to partner exclusively with Parenteau for 2024 and the initial part of 2025. Given their past success, there is considerable anticipation about the potential chemistry and skill combination of Waters and Bright, with many speculating that they will be a dominant force in women's doubles. However, the article also notes that new partnerships require time to develop, making their performance in May highly anticipated.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The dissolution of the partnership between Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau marks a significant shift in the landscape of women's professional pickleball. Their dominance as a team was undeniable, making their split a major talking point within the sport. The reunion of Anna Leigh Waters with Anna Bright is a compelling narrative, given their previous success and the fact that Bright and Rohrabacher were one of the few teams to consistently challenge Waters and Parenteau. This new partnership has the potential to create a new era of dominance in women's doubles, and their performance at the upcoming Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships will be closely watched by fans and competitors alike. The increased competition at the top, highlighted by recent upsets, suggests an exciting and unpredictable future for women's doubles in pickleball.