The 14-year-old moved easily through the initial rounds before meeting up with Jill Braverman for the gold medal match . As is her custom in most matches , Anna Leigh started out strong , cruising to an 8-1 lead in game one before Jill pulled it close , to 8-7 , by rattling off six straight points . After a well-used timeout , Anna Leigh closed out the game , winning the next three points for an 11-7 win .
Game two wasn ’ t close , with Anna Leigh capturing her first Women ’ s Singles crown at Nationals with a final score of 11-3 . She would later learn after the tournament that her stellar play earned her the world ’ s # 1 ranking .
“ Being # 1 in the world is so exciting to me , especially since I just really started playing professional singles earlier this year !” says Anna Leigh , who is home-schooled and currently in 10th grade .
Anna Leigh ’ s mom , Leigh Waters , may have had something to do with her sparkling upbringing and sterling reputation . The dynamic duo captured the Women ’ s Doubles title for the second year in a row at Nationals , beating the tandem of Irina Tereschenko and Lea Jansen in straight games : 11-2 , 11-5 and 11-5 . The outcome was never in doubt , with the Waters team controlling the tempo of the match from the opening serve .
“ Winning our first Nationals definitely gave us the confidence to win our second title . We had been there before and we really wanted to defend . We knew if we came with the same aggression and confidence we could repeat ,” says Leigh . And of course , playing with your daughter and excelling on the court is an added bonus for Mama Leigh : “ The thrill is indescribable . I have to pinch myself sometimes . Winning is an obvious plus , but the memories we are making and the experiences we are having are amazing .”
The feeling is mutual , as Anna Leigh gets exuberant when discussing the time she gets to spend on and off the court with her mom : “ Playing with my mom is pretty amazing especially since I get to travel around the country playing professional pickleball with her ! I couldn ’ t ask for anything more . Winning two national titles with her in a row is such an accomplishment and I will never forget these memories !”
One of the real “ feel good ” moments of the 2021 National Championships was the play of the Newmans — Lindsey and Riley . Before the pandemic reared its ugly head , 2019 was a disappointing year of tournament play for the brother and sister .
“ We were extremely close in 2019 . The last three tournaments we competed in , we had gone to the gold medal match , been up and then lost in the end , receiving silver instead of gold ,” recalls Lindsey . “ All three were
Anna Leigh Waters , 14 , wins her first Pro Women ’ s Singles championship title and takes the # 1 world ranking after playing Pro Singles less than a year .
PHOTO BY BRUCE YEUNG ; IG : @ YEUNGPHOTOGRAPHY
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