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Anna Leigh Waters is a free agent

Anna Leigh Waters is a free agent

5 winning tips from Coach Ben Johns. $284M fraud hits premier pickleball complex.

April 07, 2025

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Wall Street’s tanking, investors are rattled—and over the weekend, every #1 seed in the PPA got bounced.

Turns out, the pickleball world is taking Ls on and off the court. A $284M fraud scandal just dropped, featuring forged docs, fake revenue, and a now-bankrupt Arizona mega-complex.

Our Picks ☝️

📈 Rising: 3 MLP Players to Watch

MLP is known to produce the next big star (ever heard of Quang Duong or Kate Fahey?). Here are three new players with breakout potential to put on your radar.

🇲🇾 Trending: Pickleball Explodes Outside North America

There’s a surprising new global pickleball hotspot, according to DUPR data—Malaysia has the third-most users behind only the U.S. and Canada.

💙 Awww: Gabe Tardio’s Mom Moment

Gabe Tardio didn’t want to play singles at PPA North Carolina—until his mom convinced him to. How’d he thank her? By winning the whole darn thing.

👋 Goodbye: CP Announces Split from ALW

Catherine Parenteau took to social media to announce her split from longtime partner Anna Leigh Waters, just after the team took a tough finals loss in North Carolina. The prolific duo won 31 PPA titles together, posting a staggering 96% win percentage across 155 matches.

That means—at least until we hear from ALW herself—she’s a free agent in the women’s doubles market. Who could she team up with next? Let’s get into it.

5 Winning Tips from Coach Ben Johns

For anyone’s standards except perhaps his own, Ben Johns had a big weekend at PPA North Carolina, falling in a tight mixed doubles final but winning men’s doubles gold with new partner Gabe Tardio.

He sat out from singles but made a few surprise—and mic’d up—appearances bench-side to help coach Gabe through a gritty semifinal win against world #1, Federico Staksrud.

Gabe would go on to win gold, beating Roscoe Bellamy 11-9, 11-5. But we can’t stop thinking about Coach Ben’s match-winning words of wisdom.

Here’s what he told Gabe in the heat of the moment, when everything was on the line:

1️⃣ Singles is all about serving. Go big or go home, literally.

2️⃣ Put ones on the board. Focus on the point right in front of you.

3️⃣ Apply constant pressure. Don’t let the point come to you, attack it.

4️⃣ Recognize patterns. People rely on certain shots when points are tight.

5️⃣ Close the gap fast. Don’t ball-watch; get to the kitchen line—and quick.

Gabe had two people to thank when all was said and done. First, his mother. Second, of course, was Ben.

“It means a lot,” Gabe said of Ben’s in-match encouragement. “First game I wasn’t playing it right. Ben came over and taught me a few things. It definitely made the difference. Thanks Ben.”

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Here’s the kicker: it also lasts up to 5x longer while you’re playing. So yeah, better for your game and the planet. Same bounce. Way less baggage.

Do right by your dinks—and the dirt they land on.

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#1 Seeds Go Down Swinging at PPA North Carolina

The PPA North Carolina Open was full of upsets, huge crowds, and a very unlikely first-time winner.

Oh, and Anna Leigh Waters packed her bags with zero gold medals to show for her efforts. Anyone have that on their PPA bingo card?

We put together a full recap — but here are some of the highlights.

✅ Jorja Johnson Goes Off
On Championship Sunday, Johnson first upset Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters in women’s doubles alongside Hurricane Tyra Black. They went down 1-11 in game one, and then went on a 33-17 scoring streak, taking down the #1 seed for Jorja’s first-ever PPA women’s doubles title.

Johnson followed that up later in the day with another gold medal with her brother, JW, upsetting Anna Leigh and Ben Johns in a highly entertaining five-game match.

This was the first time in over two years that the Johnson siblings beat Anna Leigh and Ben.

✅ Gabe Tardio Gets Double Gold
Tardio made the finals in both men’s doubles and men’s singles. He started Championship Sunday playing in doubles with Ben Johns against the #1 seed, Hayden Patriquin and Federico Staksrud. They won in four games—their second title together on tour this year.

Tardio didn’t even want to play singles, but his mom told him to (true story). He upset Connor Garnett and Federico Staksrud on his way to the finals. Roscoe Bellamy, who had a great run of his own to earn his first medal on the PPA Tour, made the finals by beating Hunter Johnson and Zane Ford. Tardio was able to take the final, 11-9, 11-5.

✅ Kate Fahey Enters the Chat
In early round action, Fahey was seen slamming her paddle against her head three times in frustration during a match. She was later seen with an ice bag on her head, watching matches on Championship Court.

But fear not—she went on to win the whole competition. Fahey beat the red-hot Parris Todd in the finals, coming back from a game down to win it in three. This marks Fahey’s fifth medal in singles this year on the PPA Tour and her first gold.

✅ First Time for Nothing
Since the inception of the PPA Tour, there have been ZERO events where all five #1 seeds lost. Until Sunday in North Carolina. None of the #1 seeds won a gold medal—proof-positive the sport is progressing and parity is at an all-time high.

For even more match analysis, check out our full event recap.

PPA North Carolina Open Results

They’re Cleaning House. You’re Scoring Deals.

Selkirk’s clearing out gear to make room for the new. You know what that means? Up to 40% off everything from joggers to hoodies—even paddles.

Men’s. Women’s. Apparel. Equipment. All on sale.

It’s like spring cleaning, but you end up with better clothes and a better backhand.

Inventory’s moving fast. So should you.

$284M Scandal Grips Premier Pickleball Venue

Legacy Park in Mesa, Arizona (formerly Bell Bank Park)—once envisioned as a multi-sport utopia—has become the focal point of a $284 million fraud scandal.

Federal authorities have charged several executives with defrauding investors by using forged documents and inflated revenue projections to sell municipal bonds for the project.

Anytime an acting U.S. Attorney utters the phrase “swindled investors out of over a quarter of a billion dollars,” you know it’s serious.

Not Just for Pickleball

The complex debuted with soccer fields, baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, e-sports lounges, gymnastics space, fitness centers, restaurants, and even medical offices. It was upon this vision that the initial projections of grandeur were founded.

It then added more than 30 pickleball courts and ultimately hosted major professional events—including the APP Mesa Open, MLP Mesa Event, and PPA Carvana Mesa Arizona Cup—positioning itself as a premier destination for the sport.

Financial Faults & Defaults

Prosecutors allege that the defendants fabricated commitments from sports organizations to attract investors. Despite projections of $100 million in first-year revenue, the park struggled financially, defaulting on bonds in October 2022 and filing for bankruptcy by May 2023.

The fallout, by the numbers:

$100,000,000: The projected first-year revenue used to attract investors.
$25,500,000: The final sale price of the $284M facility after bankruptcy, less than 10 cents on the dollar.
$2,500,000: The amount recovered by bondholders from the sale.

A Cautionary Tale for Investors?

This scandal may serve as a warning for the rapidly growing pickleball industry, highlighting the importance of thorough due diligence before investing in seemingly promising ventures.

Will Howells, Please Stand Up

The APP Fort Lauderdale Open had huge wind gusts throughout, spirited crowds, a first-time international gold medal winner, and a milestone accomplishment for familiar face Will Howells.

🏆 Will Howells Bags a Triple Crown
The former Fighting Irish tennis player won his first triple crown in the year’s first major on the APP Tour. He upset Chris Haworth in the semis and then beat Grayson Goldin for the first time ever in the finals.

In men’s doubles, Howells and Jack Munro won their fourth straight gold, remaining undefeated as a team. In the last match of the day, Howells was able to beat Munro and Meghan Fudge with Bobbi Oshiro in mixed doubles in two games. Howells never lost a doubles game throughout the entire event.

🏆 Cederquist and Newell Win Gold
Emily Cederquist and Yana Newell won their first medal together last year at the APP Newport Beach Open. This weekend, the duo beat Amanda Hendry and Simone Jardim in the finals, both of whom have multiple medals. They played solid throughout, only dropping one game out of their 11.

🏆 Pei Chuan Kao Makes a Statement
Originally from Chinese Taipei, Kao has played internationally in England, Asia, and Australia. She’s widely considered one of the top three international women in pickleball singles, and put those talents on full display in Fort Lauderdale. She was able to beat back-to-back champion, Sofia Sewing, in the finals. Kao will be back on the tour at the APP Cincinnati in a month—be on the lookout.

Click here for our full tournament recap.