Pickleball Power Duo Breaks Up: Catherine Parenteau Parting Ways With Anna Leigh Waters
The dominant pickleball duo of Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters is calling it quits after an absurdly successful run. The pair, who crushed opponents with a 96.3% winning rate and 31 titles, split following recent tournament losses in Texas and North Carolina. Waters, 18, initiated the breakup and will partner with Anna Bright, while Parenteau, 30, investigates new options. Their legacy of 31-4 in finals stands, but the pickleball world’s about to get way more interesting.
One of pickleball’s most formidable partnerships has come to an abrupt end.
Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters, the dynamic duo that dominated women’s professional pickleball, are going their separate ways following recent tournament losses. Waters made the call, and just like that, their incredible run together came to a close.
The powerhouse pickleball pair splits as Waters ends her partnership with Parenteau, marking the conclusion of their remarkable dominance.
The numbers tell quite a story. A mind-boggling 96.3% winning percentage.
Thirty-one titles. A 40-game winning streak that had opponents questioning their life choices. And in 2024 alone, they snagged 14 championships. Talk about setting the bar impossibly high.
But lately, things weren’t quite clicking. Losses at the Texas Open and North Carolina Open showed cracks in their once-impenetrable armor. Smith and Tuionetoa delivered a stunning upset in the Texas Open quarterfinals.
Still, they remained the top-ranked team right up until the split. Maturity might have played a factor – Waters is a fresh-faced 18-year-old, while Parenteau clocks in at 30. In pickleball’s evolving landscape, where speed is increasingly vital, that 12-year gap might mean something. Both players have showcased their remarkable transition from tennis to become elite pickleball professionals.
Their final match together ended with a loss to Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson in tournament finals.
Waters isn’t wasting any time moving forward. She’s already lined up Anna Bright as her new partner for the remainder of 2025.
Interesting choice, considering they’ve got some history – seven titles together back in 2023. Meanwhile, Parenteau’s next move remains a mystery, though rumors are swirling about a potential partnership with Rachel Rohrabacher.
The breakup is sending shockwaves through the pickleball world. Johnson and Black suddenly find themselves as the clear number two team, and every other partnership is probably sensing an opportunity to shake things up.
The Atlanta Pickleball Championships in May will be the initial real test for Waters and Bright’s new partnership.
Parenteau has taken the high road, expressing gratitude for their time together and wishing Waters well.
Sometimes good things come to an end. But with a track record like theirs – including a stellar 31-4 record in finals – this partnership will be remembered as one for the history books.
