Fifteen-year-old Anna Leigh Waters takes the Triple Crown !
HIPS
Teenage phenom Anna Leigh Waters may be the most dominant athlete in women ’ s sports today .
PHOTO BY BRUCE YEUNG ; IG : @ YEUNGPHOTOGRAPHY
The tournament venues may change . The competition may look different and pose diverse challenges . But the end results have mostly been the same for the past few years . Ben Johns capturing gold amongst the men , while standing atop the medal stand for the women is the familiar face of 15-year-old Anna Leigh Waters . To say these two are dominating the sport may be the most understated comment of all . Their level of excellence is unyielding and perhaps the greatest this sport may ever see , even with the continual influx of talent each year . They are writing and then ultimately rewriting the record books every time they set foot on the pickleball court . And they did it once again in the California desert .
The latest competition for the sport whose popularity is defying logic shone brightly under the glaring California sun at the 2022 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships at famed Indian Wells Tennis Garden , just outside Palm Springs . It is the game ’ s ultimate prize . Speaking of prize money , the gold medal winners for both men and women in singles earned $ 5,000 from the $ 150,000 purse . For those winning it all in doubles and mixed doubles , the two split the top prize of $ 14,000 .
Nearly 2,300 players made their way onto the courts for the week , some coming from as far away as Maine . The youngest competitor was 8-year-old Jack Loughridge , while Dick Creamer and Joel Korelitz held the banner for oldest at 85 years old . Those familiar with the acting Van Patten family may have recognized Vincent , former tennis pro , actor , and poker connoisseur , who
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022 | MAGAZINE 31