Reigning Queen or Rising Prey? Inside Anna Leigh Waters’ 2025 Pickleball Power Struggle
Anna Leigh Waters remains pickleball’s dominant force in 2025, but her crown is wobbling. The 16-year-old phenom’s DUPR ratings of 6.539 in singles and 6.669 in doubles tell only part of the story. Rising stars Jorja Johnson and Anna Bright are nipping at her heels, making Waters work harder than ever for her victories. Her partnership switch from mom Leigh to Ben Johns signals adaptation, but the question lingers: can the queen keep her throne?
Dominating the pickleball scene with an iron grip, Anna Leigh Waters continues to reign supreme as the sport’s undisputed queen. With top rankings in women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles for 2025, she’s basically everywhere you look in professional pickleball. Not bad for someone who turned pro at 12 – yeah, you read that right.
From prodigy to powerhouse, Anna Leigh Waters rules professional pickleball with unprecedented dominance across all competitive divisions.
But here’s the thing: the crown’s getting heavier. Rising stars like Jorja Johnson and Anna Bright are nipping at her heels, making Waters work harder than ever to maintain her position. Johnson’s two-handed backhand? It’s giving Waters’ defenders nightmares. The competition’s getting fierce, and Waters isn’t cruising through matches like she used to. Her partnership with Rachel Rohrbacher has proven especially challenging, as the dynamic duo claimed the 2024 World Championships title.
Armed with her signature Paddletek Bantam ALW-C 14.3mm paddle (because of course she has her own branded gear), Waters keeps finding ways to stay ahead. Her DUPR ratings of 6.539 in singles and 6.669 in doubles are absurd – and she’s still collecting gold medals on the PPA Tour like they’re Pokemon cards. Her 52 Week Rankings demonstrate her consistent dominance across all divisions throughout the year.
The family business of pickleball has served her well. Mom Leigh Waters didn’t just pass down her genes; she passed down a legacy. Their mother-daughter partnership became the stuff of pickleball legend, though these days you’re more likely to catch Anna Leigh crushing it with Ben Johns in mixed doubles. The sport’s rising profile has attracted NBA superstars as team owners, adding unprecedented credibility to professional pickleball.
Waters’ game isn’t just about raw talent – it’s her tactical IQ and competitive drive that keep her at the top. She moves around the court like she’s got GPS coordinates memorized for every shot.
But 2025’s bringing new challenges, and adaptation is the name of the game. The “Queen of the Court” title isn’t just marketing fluff – Waters earned it the hard way. As the face of Paddletek and a constant presence in pickleball media, she’s carrying the sport forward.
But with hungry challengers emerging and the game evolving, one question remains: can Waters keep her crown from slipping?
