She’s the best female pickleball player ever. And only 19. - BERITAJA

Leigh Waters said those experiences are why she doesn’t regret having allowed her girl to move master earlier she moreover became a teenager.

“I had a cardboard cutout of Andre successful my basement erstwhile I was increasing up playing inferior tennis,” she joked. “He was an idol of mine. So now [Anna Leigh is] hanging retired pinch Andre and Steffi” Graf.

Hanging retired pinch celebrities is great, Waters said, but she has 1 awesome bucket database point she wants to yet cheque off: competing successful the Olympics.

“I ever grew up watching the Olympics, and I ever looked guardant to possibly competing 1 time for the United States,” Waters said. “At that time, it was tennis aliases soccer. But to compete successful an Olympic athletics and possibly beryllium a portion of the logic why it’s an Olympic sport, I deliberation would beryllium moreover much special.”

Pickleball isn’t portion of the 2028 Games successful Los Angeles. The caller sports are emblem football, squash, baseball, softball, cricket and lacrosse.

Adding pickleball successful the future, however, seems imaginable based connected its increasing popularity.

According to the 2026 Sports & Fitness Industry Association Participation Report, it was the fastest-growing athletics for the 5th consecutive year. More than 25 cardinal group played pickleball successful 2025, up 479% since 2020.

Anna Leigh Waters.Peyton Fulford for Beritaja

That increasing liking has been monumental for the occurrence of the pro tour.

“Revenues are measurement more, much group are playing, much group are watching, TV is now getting introduced to the game,” Pardoe said. “This play we’re connected Fox national. Last play we were connected CBS. So I deliberation the game, it’s really professionalized. It’s really changed.”

“It’s been nosy to spot large sponsors for illustration Carvana and others travel into the sport, gambling coming into the sport, and seeing these players really beryllium capable to make careers retired of this,” he said.

Pardoe said that erstwhile the convention started successful 2019, Waters was paid $1,000 for winning a golden badge event.

“This twelvemonth I’ll salary her complete 2½ cardinal dollars.”

He didn’t hesitate erstwhile he was asked about the value of trading a superstar for illustration Waters. She’s the full package erstwhile it comes to capacity connected and disconnected the court.

“Having Anna Leigh is simply a dream travel true,” he said. “When you deliberation about having to commencement a master tour, a master sport, the first point that group opportunity to you is: ‘Well, who are your stars? Who are the champion group that are playing?’ And the truth that we person personification for illustration Anna Leigh, who is truthful young and truthful ascendant and absorbing and nosy to travel and charismatic ... I met her erstwhile she was 12 years old, and you instantly knew she had it.”

Waters aft winning an extended rally during the pro mixed doubles golden badge lucifer of the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships successful Naples, Fla., connected April 18.Jonah Hinebaugh / Naples Daily News via Imagn

Waters was homeschooled each done precocious school, and astatine this moment, she has nary plans to be college. She says she’ll see it aft she retires from the sport, though that could virtually beryllium successful decades.

Her goals correct now are simple: support her No. 1 wide pickleball ranking for arsenic agelong arsenic possible, thief turn the athletics and proceed to build her empire disconnected the court.

Maybe 1 time she’ll moreover purpose to move retired of her parents’ house. But erstwhile you’re walking 30 to 40 weeks a year, it really doesn’t make overmuch consciousness to put down roots.

And this could beryllium conscionable the start.

“I consciousness for illustration sometimes I’ve lived a afloat life, and I’m only 19,” she said. “Because I turned pro astatine specified a young age, I’ve knowledgeable successful my pickleball profession what a batch of group would acquisition astatine 30-something. But I’m 19, and I’ve had almost a 10-year profession astatine this point. I wouldn’t waste and acquisition it for anything, though.”

Anna Leigh Waters.Peyton Fulford for Beritaja