Anna Leigh Waters cemented her status as the undisputed queen of professional pickleball by successfully defending her Triple Crown at the 2026 Open Door Pickleball World Championships in Dallas. The marquee 3,000-point event concluded Sunday at Brookhaven Country Club, capping a ten-day festival that featured the inaugural MLP Nations Cup and the season’s largest professional gathering. Waters’ victory not only secured her place in the sport’s history books but also highlighted the PPA’s rapid global expansion, as she outmaneuvered the world’s best to claim the ultimate title.
Waters secures historic dominance as Dallas hosts record-breaking 4,000-player spectacle
The tournament set a new benchmark for attendance, registering 4,076 players—a figure that excludes the separate college event held earlier in the week—marking it as the largest pickleball competition ever organized. This massive turnout underscored the sport’s explosive growth, with thousands of amateurs and fans filling the venue throughout the week. The event served as the centerpiece of the PPA’s schedule, drawing the entire tour and a significant contingent of signed international players to witness the culmination of the 2026 season.
Beyond the on-court action, the championships signaled the PPA’s aggressive strategic roadmap for the future. During the event, the organization announced the first half of its 2027 PPA Asia slate, featuring four 500-level events across different countries in April, alongside details on upcoming Challenger events. These announcements reflect a clear intent to solidify the PPA’s global footprint, ensuring that the momentum generated by Waters’ historic Triple Crown defense translates into sustained international interest and participation.
Source: Yahoo Sports
