PPA Texas - Winning in the Wind!

It’s been a long string for me - it feels so good to be writing this from the comfort of my own home! I kind of feel like I’ve been on the road for 5 straight weeks as the only week I was home, I had my hike and other things going on that kept me from getting into any kind of rhythm. I’m giving my first off-week vlog a try as well, so stay tuned for that! If you want a BTS look at what my week in Texas looked like, here you go♥️

I don’t know if I’ve said this before in my newsletter, but I basically consider it a good tournament if my only loss is to Anna Leigh. This week, that was the case as Hayden and I made our return to the mixed final where we fell to Ben and AL in 4. I will write more about my thoughts on that matchup later and will do a full YouTube video on it. It’s a delicate balance for me. I love sharing my thoughts with you guys, but I also don’t want to share too much and lose a competitive advantage. I will say though that all the comments I’ve seen of our win in Mesa being a fluke I find ridiculous!!!

I discussed in my Newport Vlog how I felt underprepared for the tournament, and a big focus of mine was to hit more pickleballs than anyone else in Texas. I wanted to be able to trust the work I had put in, and if I didn’t play well, so be it, I had done what I could. Thankfully, I was able to find a lot of extra practice in the mornings - special shoutout to Natalia Simson and Ryder Brown (amazing PPA juniors who are also both sponsored by JOOLA and The Picklr!!!) for practicing with me! They are both absolute stars!

The extra practice paid off. I didn’t feel super clean out there, but no one does in gale force winds. Thankfully, I don’t feel burned out at all and have been training a lot since coming back home… watch out for me in Utah!

Men’s doubles was characterized by a “Big 4” for most of 2025, and it was looking like 2026 would be more of the same. Even though we are only 6 events into the year, I’d argue this viewpoint has already become obsolete. This week, Jay Devilliers and a recovering, right-side Jaume Martinez-Vich upset not only Hayden and Christian in the quarterfinals pretty handily, but also beat CJ and JW to win a well-earned bronze medal🥉. Jay remains underrated IMO - the floor is low, but the ceiling is high (especially considering his willingness to shamelessly go for body at 100% power). I am never excited to see him in my draw.

Ben and Gabe definitely played with their food this week, going to 3 games in their R32, R16, and QF matches, but they remain far and away the best men’s team in pickleball. I do not think “big 4” rhetoric is correct anymore. There’s a big 1, and then it becomes jumbled. I do think Christian and Hayden are the most threatening team to Ben and Gabe, but they have some things to sort out and looked rather uncomfortable with each other in Texas. It feels like Federico and Andrei have benefitted from a lot of draws opening up, but hey, you can only beat the teams in front of you, and that’s what they have been doing.

Eric/Dylan are definitely due for a SF run soon, and I wonder if we will see any partnership shake-ups after MLP… people are starting to have these conversations already!!! It’s crazy how quickly we have to make all of these decisions.

Women’s doubles this week was filled with interesting results, the most interesting of which was Milly and Mari upsetting Jorja and Tyra in the quarterfinals. Mari is always tough to play due to her unconventional style. Everyone talks about the flick (and it’s great, don’t get me wrong), but they don’t talk enough about her SLICE. She is very tough to dink with, and when your only option is to bail out to Milly, who has one of the most slippery forehands in the game when she’s hot, it can be tough.

This marks two supbar tournaments in a row for Jorja and Tyra in which they are leaving medal-less.

We’re in an absolute slog right now, and unfortunately, I don’t expect it to slow down anytime soon. Tiredness and burnout are undoubtedly huge factors in a lot of the upsets we’ve been seeing lately - I expect Jorja/Tyra and the Johnsons to bounce back in Utah after some rest.

The recent trade of Alix Truong to Columbus was interesting for a few reasons, and only made more interesting by their run to the final where they eventually fell to Anna Leigh and I. They definitely had a favorable draw, but again, you can only beat whoever is in front of you! Will Alix play over Dani-elle? Will they mix it up? Will they look to trade one of her or Dani-elle after the first event in which Parris can’t play?

So many questions. I will feel for whoever has to sit on that bench if they don’t get traded, but that’s the way it is, and you have to applaud Columbus for being savvy.

I’ve written before about how I fangirl over Chris Haworth, and that remains unchanged. He is my favorite person to watch on the singles court (especially when he’s in his all-purple💜 outfit). Men’s singles is super dynamic and competitive right now, and while I don’t watch it actively- I’m always impressed by the level displayed and by just how razor-thin the margins are. If I had to bet on who will end the year with the #1 ranking, I would still choose Chris, but I truly do think Fed and Hunter could very well run away with it.

On the women’s side, I actually don’t think singles has ever been more fun to watch… until Anna Leigh steps on the court. The girl is playing an entirely different sport out there. She is so much better than everyone, and unless you can bull-rush the net (Kaitlyn Christian) or hit the living daylight out of the ball (Genie Bouchard), I don’t think you have much of a chance. But otherwise - I’ve been enjoying watching it!

That’s all for this edition folks - I appreciate all of you. I’ll leave you with a parting thought I found particularly inspiring from the Oscars this past week.

Keep on shining☀️♥️✨ - your internet bestie, Anna XOXO🫦