Women’s Pro Pickleball: The first quarter of the 2025 pro pickleball season is complete, and with it comes an updated ranking of the top 20 female players. While Anna Leigh Waters holds the top spot, others like Tyra Black and Parris Todd have made strong moves. Some players are also seeing their rankings slip as competition tightens.
Anna Leigh Still Leads, But Gap Is Closing
Anna Leigh Waters remains the top-ranked female pro, though her level has dipped slightly in 2025. Her rivals are narrowing the margin, especially in women’s doubles. “Still the best, although she has not played up to her standards in 2025, and the competition has closed the gap some in doubles.”
Jorja Johnson jumps to the No. 2 spot. Known for her two-handed backhand and sharp counters, she continues to rise. “Johnson is young and continues to improve. Her two hand backhand is sneaky. She is good at all facets of the game, especially counters.”
Close behind is Anna Bright at No. 3. Her performance remains strong, but a stable mixed doubles partner may help her climb. “Johnson’s success lately at mixed gives her the slight edge. Bright needs to settle on one mixed partner and stick with them. If I were her, I would go with Christian Alshon or Andrei Daescu.”
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Big Movers and Rising Stars
Tyra Black has made one of the biggest jumps, rising from No. 8 to No. 4. “Black is a big mover since the start of 2025. Her defense has been outstanding and she has shown excellent power. She has primarily been able to play left side, which plays to her strengths.”
Parenteau slips to fifth and could fall more without Waters. “Parenteau drops a spot. She could fall further in 2025, not having the benefit of playing with Waters. Parenteau remains highly skilled, but needs to find more offense. She needs to find the right partner for women’s doubles going forward. If I were her, I would go with Etta Tuionetoa, as Parenteau needs to play right side.”
Parris Todd climbs five spots to No. 6 thanks to her singles improvements and growing doubles success. “Another one who makes a good move up. She has improved a lot in singles, and has good success in doubles when on the right side.”
Shifts in the Middle Rankings
Kate Fahey (No. 7) is improving in singles but not yet breaking through in doubles. “Fahey continues to improve in singles, but her improvement in doubles has not been as fast as I expected. She is getting better partners, but her results have not as yet jumped as much as they should. I do still expect her to get significantly better doubles results by the end of 2025.”
Rachel Rohrabacher drops to eighth. “Rohrabacher has not been able to achieve high success in mixed doubles. Sometimes, gender doubles success is due to having a top partner, so results in mixed are an important factor to look at in determining a player’s skill. Just look at Collin Johns’ record when playing with Ben Johns versus his record in mixed doubles over the same time span. It will be interesting to see how Rohrabacher does the rest of 2025 without the benefit of playing with Bright. A drop out of the top 10 is possible.”
Etta Tuionetoa rises one spot. “Tuionetoa was close to top 5 in early 2024, but faded a bit as the year went on. She has now started to show flashes of that better version of herself. I expect Tuionetoa to move up as the year goes along.”
Tina Pisnik moves down slightly to tenth. “Pisnik is still solid, but has dropped just a little bit. She is 44 years old and an age-related drop would not be surprising. She tends to play a little too much on the left side; she is better off on the right, as she lacks some shots that are needed to play a strong left side.”
Steady Veterans and New Faces
Lea Jansen holds at No. 11. “Jansen has been steady and has been doing well in her return to singles play. In doubles, she struggles to get past the quarters, but usually does get that far. Solid, steady, but unspectacular.”
Jackie Kawamoto stays at No. 12. “Kawamoto is the definition of steady. An excellent defender, she meshes well with her partners.”
Lacy Schneemann climbs to 13. “Schneemann is sort of the opposite of Jackie Kawamoto. She has a higher ceiling, but a lower floor. If she can be more consistent, she can move up.”
Meghan Dizon jumps six places to No. 14. “Dizon is one of the big moves on the list. She was very good in 2023, but dropped off in 2024. She now looks to be getting back to her prior form. A big question will be how she will handle the pressure of playing MLP with Waters. Playing with the #1 player is not easy. New Jersey’s season will really rest on how well Dizon plays.”
Vivian Glozman debuts at No. 15. “Glozman has shown a lot of talent. She has excellent reach and power. She has started to be a bit more consistent, but inconsistency is still her Achilles heel. She has had some contract issues, but hopefully will be on the court more and also draw good partners. She has a high ceiling.”
Zoey Wang remains steady at No. 16. “Wang continues to improve and has made some good runs in singles. Her steady partnership with Brooke Buckner should pay dividends. A solid left side player.”
Jessie Irvine drops to No. 17. “A decent but not flashy right side player, Irvine has had good results in mixed with Gabe Tardio.”
Vivienne David falls to 18. “David still has not been the same player since Thomas Wilson had his health issues. David has had mediocre results in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Her skills should not have diminished, so there is room for improvement here.”
New Entries Close Out the List
Allyce Jones enters the rankings at No. 19. “Jones is a very good defensive player, who gives it her all every point of every match. She is fun to watch, but her high side is limited due to her relative lack of power.”
Kaitlyn Christian takes the final spot at No. 20. “Christian has made a big leap up in singles. For women’s doubles, she seems to finally have a steady partnership with Christa Gecheva that is paying off. Her dinking, resets, and counters need work, so her right side play in mixed is still a work in progress.”
What’s Next for the 2025 Season
As the season continues, players like Waters, Johnson, and Black are expected to shape the top of the rankings. Meanwhile, those lower on the list, including Glozman and Dizon, could shake things up. With new partnerships forming and MLP teams coming into play, the next few months will be key for these athletes’ momentum and career growth.
News in Brief: Women’s Pro Pickleball
The first quarter of the 2025 pickleball season brought big changes in the women’s pro rankings. Anna Leigh Waters remains No. 1, but Tyra Black and Parris Todd are climbing fast. Jorja Johnson moves to No. 2. Newcomers include Glozman, Jones, and Christian. The battle continues as the season unfolds.
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