Anna Leigh Waters’ Mental Resilience: Anna Leigh Waters reflected on one of the hardest moments of her pickleball career during an interview on the In Search of Excellence podcast. She discussed her emotional reaction after losing to Hurricane Tyra Black at the 2023 Takeya Showcase, a defeat that surprised fans and drew widespread attention across the pickleball community.
The match, which took place during the women’s singles quarterfinals, ended Waters’ pursuit of a record-breaking seventh straight Triple Crown. Pressured by expectations and social media chatter, she chose to compete despite warnings from her coach and mother about burnout from playing four straight tournaments.
Pressure, Fatigue, and an Unexpected Reaction
“I felt like I needed to play that event and I put a lot of pressure on myself,”. “I was reading all these social media comments about Tyra being really good, and I was getting all in my head.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
Waters admitted to struggling mentally during the match. She spoke openly about how overwhelmed she felt at the time, saying,
“In the match I was going to the sidelines talking to my mom, rambling, screaming, saying, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t want to be here.’ I told her that I want to lose, which is something I never do.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
The match went to a third game, where Waters finally broke down.
“We get to the third game and I have a total mental breakdown on the court,”. “This has never really happened to me, but I think it was from all the pressure and I was doubting myself.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
Post-Match Confusion and Public Response
After Hurricane Tyra Black secured the win, Anna Leigh Waters clapped and smiled, confusing many fans. The reaction was not meant to mock her opponent but was instead a release of built-up emotion.
“In my head, I was very psychotic at the moment. I was so happy. That’s why I cheered. I wasn’t cheering for her saying, ‘Congrats you beat me.’ I was cheering to myself, ‘Yay I finally lost.’ I tapped her paddle and then I tossed my paddle at my mom. I ran off the court and into the bathroom still freaking out,” (Anna Leigh Waters).
Waters explained that she had not lost in months and was feeling the weight of comments from people who said pickleball was boring because she kept winning.
“That day was one of the worst days of my pickleball career,” (Anna Leigh Waters).
Learning from the Loss
The next morning, Anna Leigh Waters reached out to Hurricane Tyra Black to apologize for her reaction.
“I felt so bad. I texted Tyra and said, ‘You played amazing. Great job. I’m so sorry, I was feeling so much pressure that I just kind of exploded at the end.’ Tyra played tennis, so she understood. She sent me this really nice text back, ‘I get it. You are under a lot of pressure. Thank you for texting me,’ and we’re friends now, so it’s okay,” (Anna Leigh Waters).
Waters has since adjusted how she handles defeats and now values the lessons from that day.
“Looking back on it, it was not great. But, I learned a lot from it. Now when I lose, I don’t sprint off the court. I at least walk off. I learned to shake my opponent’s hand and just take my paddle and go. I don’t do anything crazy,”(Anna Leigh Waters).
Personal Growth On and Off the Court
At only 16 years old, Anna Leigh Waters learned how to manage loss in front of the world. Now 18, she has grown from that moment and uses new strategies to keep herself grounded.
“Number one, I learned there is more to life than just pickleball. Number two, you’re going to lose and you can’t act like an idiot when you lose. Number three, be respectful to your opponents, especially when they beat you because not only is it a big moment in their career, but it’s also a big moment in my career because I’m not necessarily losing all the time,” (Anna Leigh Waters).
She now avoids reading online criticism after a loss.
“Not focusing on what people are saying about me on social media has been a big lesson,”. “Now, if I ever lose a match, I delete Instagram for a couple of days.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
Anna Leigh Waters’ willingness to share her struggles has shown her maturity and growth in a sport where mental strength is just as important as skill.
“I’ve been in the limelight, I’m still young, I’m still learning,”. “I’m going to make mistakes, but I’m also going to learn from them.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
News in Brief: Anna Leigh Waters’ Mental Resilience
Anna Leigh Waters described her 2023 loss to Hurricane Tyra Black as “one of the worst days” of her career. Pressured by expectations, she had a rare emotional outburst. Now 18, Waters says she’s grown from the moment and learned key lessons about handling loss, pressure, and online criticism.
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