Kawamoto Sisters Historic Pickleball Comeback: Jackie Kawamoto and Jade Kawamoto won the Veolia Cincinnati Showcase in a dramatic comeback. The sisters lost the first two games to Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson but rallied to win the next three games. Their victory marked their first career titles in a Grand Slam event.
Anna Bright called this rare finish “a reverse sweep.” Since 2022, only five matches in major events have ended this way.
Rare Reverse Sweep Occurrences
The reverse sweeps since 2022 include:
2022 Nationals, Women’s Doubles: Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters defeated Anna Bright and Jesse Irvine. (*Not a PPA Tour event that year.)
2023 Tournament of Champions (Utah), Men’s Doubles: James Ignatowich and Tyson McGuffin defeated A.J. Koller and Riley Newman.
2023 PPA Championships (Las Vegas), Men’s Doubles: Ben Johns and Collin Johns defeated Dylan Frazier and J.W. Johnson.
2025 Australia Open, Mixed Doubles: Lacy Schneemann and Tyson McGuffin defeated Jesse Irvine and Gabe Tardio.
2025 Cincinnati Showcase, Women’s Doubles: Jackie Kawamoto and Jade Kawamoto defeated Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson.
How Often Teams Come Back From 0-2
Looking at PPA Doubles Finals since 2022, 145 matches started with a team trailing two games to none:
Lost in three games (swept): 115 times (79%).
Lost in four games: 22 times (15%).
Lost in five games: 4 times (3%).
Won in five games (reverse sweep): 4 times (3%).
The Kawamotos’ comeback in Cincinnati was historic, not just because it was a reverse sweep, but because it happened in a major event for their first titles.
News in Brief: Kawamoto Sisters Historic Pickleball Comeback
Jackie Kawamoto and Jade Kawamoto pulled off a rare reverse sweep at the 2025 Cincinnati Showcase, winning their first Grand Slam titles. Since 2022, only five reverse sweeps have occurred in major events. Their win adds to a growing list of historic moments in professional pickleball.