PPA Tour Veolia Bristol Open Showdown: The Veolia Bristol Open, part of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tour, is taking place this week at the Bristol Sportsplex for the second year in a row. Starting Tuesday, August 5, the event features six days of elite pickleball competition with matches on 27 courts and draws top players from across the country.
Held in Bristol, Tennessee, the tournament runs through Sunday, August 11. Qualifying matches kicked off the action, followed by singles play on Wednesday, mixed doubles on Thursday, and doubles matches on Friday. The semifinals are set for Saturday, with all finals taking place on Championship Court on Sunday. Third-place matches will happen on Grandstand Court the same day.
Pickleballtv will broadcast the event from Wednesday through Sunday, while FS1 will air the final three days of matches.
Top Players and Championship Highlights
Some of pickleball’s biggest names are taking part in the tournament. Ben Johns, the defending singles champion, returns alongside Anna Leigh Waters, an 18-year-old standout. Last year, Johns and Waters also won the mixed doubles title.
Other past winners include:
Brooke Buckner (women’s singles)
Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters (women’s doubles)
Quang Doung and Christian Alshon (men’s doubles)
This year’s top seeds include:
Kaitlyn Christian (women’s singles)
Federico Staksrud (men’s singles)
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns (mixed doubles)
Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters (women’s doubles)
Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio (men’s doubles)
Anna Leigh Waters will not compete in singles this year.
Players and Newcomers Join the Action
One of the players hoping to qualify was David Bieger, a former state tennis doubles champion from Tennessee High. Now a software engineer in Richmond, Virginia, Bieger has recently turned pro in pickleball.
Community Support and Venue Improvements
Eduardo Ferreira, the new executive vice president and head tennis and pickleball professional at the Bristol Sportsplex, says the tournament offers more than just high-level games.
“This is a huge opportunity for everybody who wants to come to watch and enjoy together with these people and see the best of the best right now in pickleball,” Ferreira said. “It is not just about this tournament, but it is what this tournament can bring to here and open doors for so many people that have never watched pickleball in their life.”
Ferreira believes the venue has become a favorite among professional players due to the attention to their comfort.
“I have been asking a lot of pro players,” Ferreira said. “I am friends of a lot of them and they always tell me Bristol is the best place I have played in the PPA ever because of this, they have the PPA lounge and they don’t have that in some places…They have the best experience, the best feeling, the best show.”
Pickleball’s Growing Role in Bristol
Bristol is known for major events such as NASCAR races and music festivals. Now, Ferreira wants the city to be recognized as a top pickleball destination too. The Bristol Open was scheduled right after the Speedway Classic baseball game to attract larger crowds.
“What I can say about the PPA,” Ferreira said, “it is unbelievable and I hope that more people come and we can teach, we can show them why they have to come here.”
Ferreira has a long history in racquet sports. Born in Brazil, he began playing tennis at age 7, later competing professionally and leading programs in North Carolina and Florida. He moved to Bristol last month and is working to grow pickleball and tennis in the community.
“What we have to do in my mind and this is what I have been doing in the days when I am here is teaching everybody how this is important,” Ferreira said. “The more people that we have the more strong will be the pickleball community. More people are going to come to play pickleball, more people are going to be helped, more people is going to have fun because they will have a social moment.”
Looking Ahead
Ferreira hopes the success of the Bristol Open will inspire more people in the Tri-Cities area to take up the sport. He also wants to make the Bristol Sportsplex a model venue for PPA events across the country.
“It is going to be a competitive moment so this is really great,” Ferreira said. “The PPA is going to be awesome and I am really glad to be the person who is in charge right now to give to them, to receive them here and give to them the best experience and together with the community, introduce them and bring them inside so they can feel and see the same things what I am feeling right now here. I am really glad about that.”
News in Brief: PPA Tour Veolia Bristol Open Showdown
The PPA Veolia Bristol Open is taking place August 5–11 at the Bristol Sportsplex in Tennessee. With 27 courts and top players like Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters, the event promises high-level pickleball. New venue leader Eduardo Ferreira hopes it grows the sport and builds Bristol’s reputation in the pickleball world.
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