Pickleball is continuing its rise, with the Pickleball Slam marking a milestone. The event is notable as it features Anna Leigh Waters, the first non-tennis player to participate. Waters said that it was ‘kind of cool that we have finally, a legit, like, full-bred pickleball player’ in the competition.
Waters’ Pickleball Achievements
Waters, at 19, is considered a leading player in pickleball, alongside Ben Johns. She has secured 181 gold medals and 39 triple crowns, achieving gold in singles, doubles, and mixed events at the same tournament. Waters is also the PPA Tour world No. 1 across all three disciplines. In January, she became the first pickleball athlete to sign with Nike.
The Pickleball Slam Format
The Pickleball Slam awards $1 million to the winning pair and is broadcast on ESPN. The event has previously featured tennis legends who have transitioned to pickleball, either as competitors or investors. Past participants include Grand Slam champions Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, John McEnroe, Maria Sharapova, Michael Chang, and Andy Roddick.
Waters is partnering with former WTA Tour world No. 5 Eugenie Bouchard. They will compete against one-time ATP Tour world No. 4 James Blake and eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi.
Pickleball’s Maturing Market
Waters has observed previous editions of the event. She said it was ‘honestly really cool to watch some of the ex-pro tennis players play pickleball and battle against each other in a different sport that’s similar to tennis, but obviously not the same’.
Waters believes that adding a professional pickleball player will enhance the entertainment value. She hopes it will showcase ‘a little bit more nuance of the game than people who are really good at tennis playing pickleball’.
Jon Venison, a sports executive and co-creator of the Pickleball Slam, said Waters’ involvement signifies the sport is ‘now producing its own stars and continuing to evolve on its own terms.’ He added that GSE Worldwide, along with Horizon Sports & Experiences, is producing the event.
The evolution of tennis and pickleball suggests that any tensions are fading as the latter’s market matures. While tennis clubs across the U.S. have converted tennis courts to pickleball courts, both sports have grown at the amateur level and tennis has re