Anna Leigh Waters: The Undisputed Reign of the GOAT—A 2025 Season Timeline

 

The Pinnacle of Pickleball: A 2025 Campaign Defined by Records, Riches, and Global Dominance.

Welcome to the definitive timeline of Anna Leigh Waters’ monumental 2025 season. At just 18 years old , Waters entered the year as the reigning World No. 1 and, over the next twelve months, not only defended her title but shattered records once thought untouchable, cementing her status as the undisputed greatest of all time (GOAT) in professional pickleball. This playlist captures the defining matches, the pivotal business moments, and the lifestyle narratives that shaped the year she became the PPA Tour’s all-time gold medal leader.

January: The Prodigy Becomes the Professional Blueprint

The year kicked off not with a tournament victory, but with a deep dive into the business and mental framework behind her success. In a two-part YouTube interview published on January 7, 2025, Waters offered a rare look into her maturity as an athlete and entrepreneur. The first part, "Anna Leigh Waters: From the Youngest Prodigy to Pickleball’s #1 Player", chronicled her journey from being the youngest pro player in history to achieving the top ranking. The follow-up, "Anna Leigh Waters: Mental Toughness, Financial Wisdom, and the Future of Pickleball", established her as a thought leader, discussing the mental fortitude required for her competitive drive and the wisdom she applies to managing her seven-figure career earnings. This early media placement set a serious, professional tone for the entire season.

The Spring & Summer Grind: Sharpening the Edge

While the full tournament schedule dominated the middle of the year, early PPA events highlighted the narrow margins of Waters’ dominance. At tournaments like the PPA Masters, Waters and Ben Johns faced evolving competition, notably in their mixed doubles match against Christian Alshon and Tyra Black, where the top seeds came "painfully close" to being knocked off in the semi-finals. Even in singles, where Waters is rarely threatened, she had to battle through three-game matches against elite competition like Brooke Buckner at the Mesa Cup. These early challenges underscored the narrative that the field was indeed catching up, making her subsequent victories all the more impressive.

Q4: The Championship Season & Statistical Supremacy

Waters’ dominance reached a fever pitch during the high-stakes final quarter, where the media concentrated its coverage.

August 31, 2025: Mixed Doubles Mastery. The article "Waters, Johns dispatch Black, Patriquin in four games for mixed doubles crown" reported on her mixed doubles title in Las Vegas. This victory marked the 52nd PPA title for the partnership , where Waters’ partner Ben Johns affirmed she is "clearly the best player in the world" and is "still getting better" after four years together. This was one of the few tournaments where Waters only played a single gold medal match on Sunday, signaling the strategic intensity she brought to every bracket.

October 13, 2025: Historical Dominance in Virginia Beach. The report "Anna Leigh Waters Had Her Most Dominating Weekend In History" detailed her success at the Fasenra Virginia Beach Cup. Waters achieved her 36th career Triple Crown , securing her 162nd career gold medal. Her performance was statistically overwhelming: she remained undefeated across 16 matches (34 games) and won by a combined average score of 11-3.62 per game. Waters was noted to be on a staggering 79-match singles winning streak.

October 26, 2025: The Rate Vegas Cup Sweep. The pickleball.com article "Anna Leigh Waters sweeps the competition in Vegas, secures 37th Triple Crown"  confirmed her sixth Triple Crown of 2025. She maintained her extraordinary 44-straight finals winning streak and overcame a game-one loss with Anna Bright to win women’s doubles against Tyra Black/Parris Todd, securing her eleventh women’s doubles title of the year.

November 3, 2025: The Business of the GOAT. Just before the World Championships, the business world validated her market value. The Sports Business Journal article "Pickleball Phenom: Anna Leigh Waters is big business on and off the court" confirmed she is the highest-paid player in the United Pickleball Association (UPA), earning over $2 million annually in salary. Her total earnings are in the seven figures, and she was championed as "the Tiger Woods, the Serena Williams, of pickleball". This report was strategically timed to coincide with the end-of-year expiration of her lucrative FILA (apparel) and Paddletek (paddle) contracts, positioning her as an immensely valuable free agent.

November 9, 2025: PPA History is Rewritten. The Jenius Bank Pickleball World Championships (a 3,000-point event ) marked the climax of the competitive season. In the article "Anna Leigh Waters becomes winningest player in PPA Tour history" (Entry 7), pickleball.com announced that her gold medal in women’s singles (11-4, 12-10 over Kate Fahey) officially secured her 168th career gold medal, surpassing Ben Johns’ record. This victory also completed her 38th career Triple Crown.

November 11, 2025: Worlds Recap and Competitive Fire. In the "A final look at the Jenius Bank Pickleball World Championships" recap, the media focused on the intensity of her competitive drive. Despite her dominance, the women's doubles semi-final against Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black was explicitly framed as the "true gold medal match," highlighting the high level of competition Waters overcomes. Her ability to rebound after losing the first game of her singles semi-final to Kaitlyn Christian (11-9, followed by 11-2, 11-6 victories) showcased her defining quality: a competitive drive that keeps her operating at 100%+.

December: Global Brand and Lifestyle

The final weeks of 2025 showcased Waters’ expanding brand influence beyond the PPA Tour.

December 2, 2025: Lifestyle Profile. The mindbodygreen profile "Anna Leigh Waters On Taking Up Space, Building Strength, & Making History" broadened her appeal, focusing on personal development, physical training, and themes of self-confidence, appealing to a wider lifestyle and wellness audience.

December 3, 2025: International Idol. The pickleball.com culture piece "Anna Leigh Waters, Leigh Waters visit pickleball facility in Italy" underscored her global status. Her surprise visit to Roma Pickleball during a vacation break generated significant buzz, with the local community viewing her as an "idol" and a "symbol" for the sport’s growth in the region. This international attention solidifies her value to sponsors seeking global reach.

December 5, 2025: Commercial Momentum. The article "Pilla PA Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright to Performance Lenses Built for Pickleball" detailed a new partnership with Pilla for high-performance lenses, indicating continued commercial strategy even as the competitive season wound down.

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Waters' 2025 Legacy:

Anna Leigh Waters’ 2025 campaign was a masterclass in athletic and commercial excellence. She surpassed legendary milestones, tied the record for the highest salary in the UPA, expanded her brand portfolio with major corporate endorsements (Delta, DoorDash, Ulta Beauty ), and successfully positioned herself as the highest-value commodity in the sport ahead of major contract negotiations. Every article and interview from this year serves as a critical chapter in the story of pickleball's most dominant star, establishing her long-term influence on the sport's global trajectory.

Watch the playlist now to relive the incredible season where Anna Leigh Waters officially became the winningest player in PPA Tour history!