Fahey Doubles Up as Sewing, Schupp and Martinez Vich Claim First PPA Titles at Virginia Beach

Kate Fahey completed her first double-gold PPA Tour weekend at the Virginia Beach Open, while Sofia Sewing, Elliott Schupp and Jaume Martinez Vich celebrated their first career titles. John Lucian Goins added men’s singles gold without dropping a game.

The most remarkable result came in mixed doubles. Fahey and Eric Oncins trailed Catherine Parenteau and Riley Newman 8-2 in the deciding game, with their opponents needing just three more points for the championship.

Fahey and Oncins won nine of the next ten points. Their 11-13, 11-4, 11-9 victory gave Fahey her first PPA doubles title, and she subsequently defeated Helena Jansen Fink 11-1, 11-9 to add women’s singles gold.

The following day was Fahey’s 30th birthday. Her achievements made for a memorable conclusion to a tournament that had produced an unusual number of career milestones.

Sewing won women’s doubles alongside Parenteau, having survived three match points in their semifinal. Schupp and Martinez Vich took men’s doubles gold together, the former in his first PPA final and the latter on his eleventh attempt.

Goins completed the five-title programme by defeating Martinez Vich in men’s singles, taking his third career PPA singles championship after semifinal defeats in Las Vegas and Chicago.

The Mojo Energy Pouches Virginia Beach Open ran from October 12–18 at Pickleball Virginia Beach. With several of the sport’s biggest names absent, the draws offered opportunities for players who had been working towards a breakthrough.

The results provided five champions and a more interesting question: which of these achievements will become the foundation for sustained success?

Key Takeaways

• Fahey wins twice: Kate Fahey claimed women’s singles gold and her first PPA doubles title alongside Eric Oncins.
• Mixed doubles comeback: Fahey and Oncins recovered from 8-2 down in the decider to defeat Catherine Parenteau and Riley Newman 11-13, 11-4, 11-9.
• Three first-time champions: Sofia Sewing, Elliott Schupp and Jaume Martinez Vich all won their first PPA Tour titles.
• Martinez Vich ends his wait: He won gold in his eleventh PPA final, partnering Schupp in men’s doubles.
• Goins does not drop a game: John Lucian Goins won six men’s singles matches and defeated Martinez Vich 11-5, 11-3 in the final.
• An unusually open tournament: Several leading players, including Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns, did not compete.

Fahey and Oncins Rescue the Mixed Doubles Final

Kate Fahey arrived in Virginia Beach with an established record in women’s singles but without a PPA Tour doubles championship.

The opportunity to change that came alongside Eric Oncins, with whom she was competing for the first time.

Their opponents in the mixed doubles final were fourth seeds Catherine Parenteau and Riley Newman, a partnership with considerable experience on the professional circuit.

The opening game was closely contested. Parenteau and Newman eventually took it 13-11, forcing Fahey and Oncins to respond if they wanted to stay in the championship match.

They did so emphatically, winning the second game 11-4 and restoring parity.

But the deciding game appeared to belong to Parenteau and Newman. They established an 8-2 lead, leaving Fahey and Oncins facing a six-point deficit and an increasingly difficult route back into the match.

What followed was a remarkable reversal.

Fahey and Oncins won nine of the remaining ten points to take the game 11-9, completing one of the standout comebacks of Championship Sunday.

The title was Oncins’ second career PPA mixed doubles gold. For Fahey, it was a first championship in either doubles discipline.

Her singles achievements had already established her credentials. The mixed doubles victory added a different dimension to her record, particularly because it came with a new partner after a final in which defeat had seemed close.

Parenteau and Newman were left with silver, having won the first game and held a commanding advantage in the third. Fahey and Oncins left with a championship and a memorable first result together.

Fahey Adds Singles Gold on the Eve of Her 30th Birthday

Fahey returned later on Sunday to face Helena Jansen Fink in the women’s singles final.

The No. 21 seed had produced one of the tournament’s most notable runs, including a semifinal comeback against Sofia Sewing. Her reward was a first PPA Tour championship match against the top seed.

Fahey made an emphatic start, taking the opening game 11-1.

Jansen Fink was more competitive in the second, but Fahey completed the final 11-9 to secure an 11-1, 11-9 victory.

The result made Fahey the only player to win two professional titles in Virginia Beach and marked the first double-gold tournament of her PPA career.

It also came one day before her 30th birthday, an unusual personal milestone alongside two substantial sporting achievements.

Fahey was already a proven singles champion. She won her first PPA Tour title in Utah in August 2024 and subsequently added further singles championships, including a victory over Eugenie Bouchard in Sacramento in September 2025.

Her Virginia Beach singles gold extended that record. The more significant new development was her mixed doubles title, which demonstrated that she could also win a championship with a partner.

Jansen Fink’s defeat, meanwhile, should not obscure her achievement in reaching a first PPA final from the No. 21 seeding.

The championship belonged to Fahey, but Virginia Beach supplied an important result for both players.

Sewing Wins Her First PPA Title With Parenteau

Sofia Sewing and Catherine Parenteau entered the women’s doubles competition as the top seeds, but their progress to the final was almost ended in the semifinals.

Against Mari Humberg and Zoey Weil, the partnership saved three match points before advancing to Sunday’s championship match.

That recovery provided another opportunity for Sewing, who had yet to claim a PPA Tour title, and Parenteau, who had finished runner-up in women’s doubles at Las Vegas and Chicago with Tyra Hurricane Black.

Their final opponents were Alix Truong and Layne Sleeth, appearing together in their first championship match as a partnership.

Sewing and Parenteau won 11-8, 11-6, taking the title in straight games after their difficult semifinal escape.

For Sewing, it was the breakthrough she had been seeking. For Parenteau, it was her first women’s doubles gold of 2026 after two recent final defeats.

The distinction matters. One player had finally won a first championship, while the other had returned to the top of the podium with a different partner.

Sewing had also progressed to the women’s singles semifinals before losing to Jansen Fink. Although that result prevented another final appearance, it added to an impressive week across two disciplines.

The women’s doubles victory was the most important result of her tournament, giving her a first title and a basis on which to build at future events.

Martinez Vich Wins Gold on His Eleventh Final Appearance

Jaume Martinez Vich had been here before. Ten previous PPA finals had produced ten runner-up finishes, leaving him with a record of reaching championship matches but not yet winning one.

Elliott Schupp had never reached a PPA final at all.

Their first tournament together ended with both players collecting their first gold medals.

Schupp and Martinez Vich defeated Noe Khlif and Riley Newman 11-4, 4-11, 11-4 in the men’s doubles championship match, recovering from a difficult second game to take the decider convincingly.

The contrasting backgrounds made their victory particularly interesting. Schupp was experiencing the biggest final of his career. Martinez Vich was attempting to end a lengthy series of championship disappointments.

They took the first game 11-4, but their opponents responded with an identical score in the second.

The match required a deciding game, and this time Schupp and Martinez Vich delivered the strongest finish, winning 11-4 for the championship.

The victory concluded their debut tournament as a partnership and ended Martinez Vich’s wait for a PPA title on his eleventh final appearance.

The official tournament report confirms the milestone but does not provide a complete breakdown of his ten previous finals. The important fact is that he had repeatedly reached championship matches and had finally converted one into gold.

Schupp, meanwhile, had become a champion in his first final. Two very different routes led to the same result on Sunday.

Goins Denies Martinez Vich a Second Title

Martinez Vich still had another championship match to play, with John Lucian Goins awaiting him in men’s singles.

Goins had reached the final without dropping a game, following semifinal appearances at Las Vegas and Chicago during the previous two weeks.

This time, he went further.

Goins defeated Martinez Vich 11-5, 11-3 to secure his third career PPA singles championship and his first title since 2025.

The straight-games victory completed a six-match singles campaign without losing a game, a record that demonstrated sustained control throughout the tournament rather than one exceptional final performance.

Earlier in the event, WPM had followed Goins’ progress as he advanced through the opening rounds while also competing in doubles.

Our round-of-16 coverage examined whether he could turn his early results into a deeper run against stronger opposition.

The answer came over the final stages of the tournament. Goins progressed through the knockout rounds and ultimately secured the title without conceding a game.

For Martinez Vich, the singles defeat prevented a double-gold weekend, but it did not diminish the significance of winning his first PPA championship earlier on Sunday.

For Goins, Virginia Beach provided the progression he had been seeking after successive semifinal appearances.

PPA Virginia Beach Open 2026: All Five Professional Finals

An Open Draw Creates Opportunities, Not Guarantees

Virginia Beach was notable for the players who were not there as well as those who competed.

Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns were among several leading professionals absent from the event, with others also competing elsewhere or preparing for major tournaments later in the calendar.

The PPA’s pre-tournament analysis described unusually open draws and highlighted the potential for new names to reach Championship Sunday.

That expectation proved accurate. Sewing, Schupp and Martinez Vich won their first titles, while Jansen Fink reached her first singles final.

Yet the context should not be mistaken for a reason to disregard the results.

Sewing and Parenteau still had to save three match points in their semifinal before securing the women’s doubles championship.

Schupp and Martinez Vich still had to win a deciding game against Khlif and Newman. Fahey and Oncins still had to recover from an 8-2 deficit late in their final. Goins still had to complete six singles matches without dropping a game.

Those achievements occurred within the tournament that was actually played, and all deserve recognition.

The next question is whether the breakthrough winners can reproduce their performances when more of the established leading players return.

One tournament cannot settle that question, particularly when the strength and composition of the draws differ from other PPA events.

What Comes After a First PPA Title?

Virginia Beach produced results that will remain significant regardless of what happens at future tournaments.

Martinez Vich no longer carries a record of reaching PPA finals without winning one. Schupp has become a champion on his first finals appearance, and Sewing has secured the title she had previously been unable to claim.

The next stage of their careers will be judged differently.

For Sewing, it will be worth following whether her partnership with Parenteau continues and whether she can establish herself as a regular contender in women’s doubles.

For Schupp and Martinez Vich, the question is whether a partnership successful at its first attempt can maintain that level against different opponents and stronger draws.

Goins has already proved that his Virginia Beach singles form could be sustained through an entire tournament. His next challenge is to reproduce it consistently across the tour calendar.

Fahey leaves with a different sort of milestone. Having established herself as a successful singles player, she has now added a PPA doubles title and her first double-gold weekend.

Whether she and Oncins develop a longer-term partnership remains to be seen, but their first tournament together will be remembered for an extraordinary comeback.

A first championship changes a player’s record immediately. Only the tournaments that follow can establish whether it also marks a lasting shift in their competitive standing.

Virginia Beach Gives Its Breakthrough Players a Day to Remember

Kate Fahey was the outstanding individual performer at the 2026 Virginia Beach Open, adding a first doubles championship to her singles success and collecting two gold medals one day before turning 30.

Sewing, Schupp and Martinez Vich supplied the breakthrough victories, with the latter finally winning on his eleventh appearance in a PPA final.

Goins produced the most consistent singles performance of the week, taking the championship without losing a game.

The tournament’s missing stars created a different competitive environment, but none of the champions received their gold medal without earning it on court.

Future tournaments will reveal how much these results change the wider PPA picture.

For now, Virginia Beach belongs to the players who took their opportunities, particularly those who had spent previous events coming close without quite reaching the top of the podium.

Further Reading

• WPM: Goins and DiMuzio Stun Wright and Kovalova as Bellamy Targets Back-to-Back Titles – Earlier tournament reporting on Goins’ progress and the opening men’s singles picture.
• WPM: Bellamy’s Chicago Momentum Faces Virginia Beach Test – Round-of-16 coverage of Bellamy, Goins and the developing tournament draws.
• WPM: PPA Australia and Virginia Beach Preview – The wider context for the two PPA tournaments staged during the same week.
• PPA Tour: Official Championship Sunday Recap – Results and career milestones from all five Virginia Beach finals.
• PPA Tour: Virginia Beach Features Wide-Open Draws – Pre-tournament analysis of the absences, seedings and opportunities available to the field.

Reporting sources: PPA Tour’s official Championship Sunday recap, October 18, 2026; pre-tournament draw analysis; completed professional results; previous World Pickleball Magazine coverage of Virginia Beach.

Chris Beaumont

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…

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