Anna Leigh Waters Pickleball Prodigy: World No. 1 pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters proved her skills at a very young age. By the time she was only 11 years old, she was already competing in pro-level tournaments and holding her own against some of the sport’s top names.
Early Tournament Experience
Anna Leigh Waters shared her story on the Pickleballers podcast.
“At my first tournament, I played 3.0 and I played the women’s division,”. “They had so many complaints because I wasn’t a 3.0 that they bumped me to a 3.5 in mixed.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
She was only 10 years old during that first event, but her talent stood out right away.
The Game-Changing Glasses
One big change helped her take her game to the next level—wearing prescription glasses.
“I figured out I needed prescription glasses because I’d been playing without glasses. I wore prescription glasses and I played a 5.0 tournament and we annihilated everyone,”.
“Even now, sometimes I’ll play without them and I’m way worse.”(Anna Leigh Waters)
First Pro Tournament
Anna Leigh Waters also talked about her first pro event.
“[Leigh Waters] was supposed to play a pro tournament in Texas, and her women’s partner pulled out at the last second and she asked, ‘Anna Leigh, do you want to play with me?’ I played pro in all three divisions,” (Anna Leigh Waters).
Mother and daughter even faced each other twice in women’s single.
“The first time [Leigh] won the first game and then she actually coached me against herself, and I beat her because of her coaching. So then for the finals, [Leigh]’s like ‘I’m not coaching,’” (Anna Leigh Waters).
The family rivalry even carried over to dinner before one of their matches.
“We were going to dinner before our singles match and she wouldn’t really talk to me at dinner because she said, ‘I need a glass of wine,’ and then we played and she smacked my butt in the final.
She beat me in two out of three. I don’t think I won a game. And then she killed me in the game to 15,” (Anna Leigh Waters).
She also recalled the atmosphere around them at the tournament.
“It was funny because they had cardboard cutouts of us at the tournament, so then the people who were cheering for my mom had her cardboard cutout and then the people that were cheering for me had my cardboard cutout,”(Anna Leigh Waters).
That was the first and last time Leigh Waters played in a singles event.
Big Stage Battles
In women’s doubles, Leigh Waters and Anna Leigh Waters went on to face Lucy Kovalova and Sarah Ansboury in the finals.
“We won one game, but lost the other two,” (Anna Leigh Waters).
Why It Matters
At just 11 years old, Anna was already competing against professionals. These early matches marked the beginning of her rise to becoming the best player in the world. Her story shows how talent, determination, and even small changes—like wearing glasses—can make a huge difference in sports.
News in Brief: Anna Leigh Waters Pickleball Prodigy
Anna Leigh Waters, now the World No. 1 in pickleball, began competing in pro tournaments at only 11 years old. She shared stories about her early career, including the role of prescription glasses in improving her game, and memorable matches against her mother Leigh Waters. These moments marked the start of her dominance.
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