the best pickleball event that ’ s ever been had — the be-all , end-all — and Worlds 100 percent did just that .”
The top pickleball athletes on the planet didn ’ t disappoint , delivering memorable performances all tournament long .
From Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher claiming gold in women ’ s doubles with a decisive Championship Sunday victory over perennial favorites Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau , to Waters and Ben Johns cementing their dominance in mixed doubles by handily defeating Etta Wright and Christian Alshon , the stars shined in every discipline .
“ It ’ s a very special tournament ,” said Johns , the most decorated pickleball player of all time . “ The crowd ’ s the biggest here out of all the tournaments , and I think it means a little more to each player . It ’ s a major , it ’ s the same number of points , but there ’ s definitely something special . I mean , it ’ s the World Championships .”
Top-ranked Federico Staksrud earned his eighth singles title of the season by defeating Michael Loyd in the finals .
PHOTO BY PPA TOUR
One competitor even shocked the men ’ s singles field to begin one of the more notable runs in recent memory , and he quickly made a name for himself in the process .
No . 21 seed Michael Loyd
World No . 1 Anna Leigh Waters outdueled Kate Fahey to reign supreme in women ’ s singles at Brookhaven . defeated Johns in the Round of 16 , before ousting JW Johnson and Quang Duong en route to a gold-medal matchup with top seed Federico Staksrud on Proton Championship Court .
Staksrud ultimately emerged victorious , but Loyd relished his entire Worlds experience .
“ Between the venue and the crowds , it felt like the biggest tournament of the year . On that center court , I felt like I was a professional athlete in the middle of it , kind of reaping the rewards of everybody in the stands with all the energy ,” he praised .
“ I kept saying it throughout the week : ‘ How lucky am I ? It ’ s crazy that God put me in this spot at a time when pickleball is at the level that it ’ s at ,’ because there are a lot of people who have come before us
PHOTO BY PPA TOUR
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024 | MAGAZINE 41