Who's Impressed Me in 2026!!!

The first half of the 2026 season is not too far from wrapping up … and you’ve heard enough about me, about Ben, about Anna Leigh… so let’s talk about some of the other players who have been having a STELLAR year!!! 

Before we get into all of that, I just want to say thank you to everyone for all the super nice responses to my last, more heartfelt newsletter♥️. I’ve been feeling really good - and if you want to watch me come back to life mid-tournament (I even sang LOL), here’s my vlog from PPA Utah🥇🥈!!! 

I’ve only been in pro pickleball a few years, but it feels like the rhetoric is always “the game is changing so much, the new players are coming, the new players are coming!!!”, and while this is true, to an extent, you cannot deny the staying power of some of the legacy players of our sport, and I want to give them their flowers. 

Jay Devilliers has quietly had one of the best seasons in men’s doubles out of anyone not in the “big 4”. Jay brings a lot to the court you just can’t teach - power, size, and EFFORT. I’ve been talking to my friends lately about how a lot of the men just don’t seem to bring the same effort to mixed doubles they do to men’s and singles, and Jay is not one of those people. He brings 100% every time he steps on the court, and for that, we applaud you sir. 

While I did put Jay in my Mt. Rushmore of getting bagged a lot (and I stand by that), he probably delivers as many or MORE bags than he receives.

Jay has made multiple quarterfinals, medaled in Texas alongside Jaume Martinez-Vich, and was only a few points away from upsetting Hayden and Christian for the second straight event in Utah. Jay’s high volatility make him scary for anyone on the other side of the net, and I feel he continues to be underestimated. He has every shot (he has added a 2-handed backhand, something Tyson and other legacy players have yet to figure out!), and  I am never happy to see Jay on the other side of the net (and you’ll never catch me without glasses around him!). 

Perhaps not viewed as a true legacy player by some, but she’s been playing longer than me, so to me she is. I have long been impressed by Meghan’s game and enjoyed watching her and how she hits the ball. Her forehand is so snappy… okay Anna stop gushing!!! Meghan played great this week, and I just think it’s cool that immediately after she shares content of her working specifically on things with her dad she has a good results. You cannot beat dedicated drilling ladies and gentlemen!!! 

Tina is not an old dog in the sense that she’s been playing pickleball for a long time, but she is old by virtue of age relative to most pros, and her ability to add to her game is remarkable. After Anna Leigh and I, you could argue Tina has been the most solid woman in doubles events. I’m not saying she is - Parris, Rachel, and Jorja are also all in that conversation, but I do think that arguing for Tina is a fair position.

Tina’s decision making, anticipation, consistency, and competitive fire allow her to not only compete, but WIN against people far younger than her (including H and I this year coming off a title!). I wish we got to see what Tina looked like in her athletic prime- I’m often impressed with her ability to jump for overheads and am sure that she was a physical specimen before her career-ending tennis injury.

Tina’s forehand hold and misdirect might be the best in the female game, and her superb dink quality make it difficult to take advantage of her movement or susceptibility to being attacked at her wings. She continues to get better and is another person I have the utmost respect for on the other side of the net. 

Improving your worst level is the best way to improve your average level. This is something I am a HUGE believer in, and a few players have done this very well this year in my opinion. 

The first player I’ve been really impressed with in this area is… Wyatt Stone!

Wyatt is the same age as Gabe and Hayden so I am more familiar with him than a lot of people probably are, lol. I’ve actually been impressed with his level for a while, and I do think that the timeline for people who started playing as kids is just fundamentally a bit different. Wyatt looked GREAT on the right this week alongside Dekel and had a big win against Eric/Dylan, and he also made Ben look silly on multiple occasions. I haven’t played Wyatt in mixed this year, but in rec I have a very difficult time reading him. 

The last 3 people I will discuss in this category are all women… perhaps I need to watch more men’s doubles??? But I would be remiss to not shout out Lacy Schneeman, Rachel Rohrabacher, and Parris Todd for all having great years in women’s so far. 

Parris has made three straight finals all with different partners and has really expanded her game. Her and Rachel both used to predominantly play the right but have been finding a consistency high level and a high level of creativity on the left side that Anna Leigh and I have had to adjust to. 

Lacy has had a heck of a year and has actually made 4 semifinals in women’s while rotating partners. She did a lot of this while predominantly playing the right (new for her), but managed to beat Tyra/Jorja with Meghan in Utah while playing the left side almost exclusively. Her skillset remains unique, and when the floor is flooring, which it seems to have been, she is always a tough out. 

Honorable mentions in this category are Mari Humberg and Milan Rane. I haven’t played them much personally- but I feel they’ve both had solid results and haven’t gotten enough praise for them. Mari in particular I could write an entire think piece on, and perhaps I will in the future. Her game is super fascinating to me. 

I have to shout out some singles players I’ve been impressed with!!! On the topic of old dogs learning new tricks - I have to mention my girl, Lea Jansen, who has been having a heck of a year. I feel you could argue that based on her body of work she has had the second best singles season of 2026. Despite not being the best ball striker in a game that is only getting progressively more defined by ball striking ability, she continues to find ways to win and has been more clutch in the last few events than I’ve ever seen from her, WHILE dealing with a chronic condition. All hail Queen Lea. 

I don’t follow men’s singles particularly closely as it’s such a gauntlet- but we have to congratulate Chris Haworth for taking the #1 overall singles spot after playing full-time on the PPA Tour for less than a year. What a dog. Besides Chris, I’ve been impressed with Lucian Goins the last few events. His game is not flashy, but he competes hard and curves the ball like nobody’s business. I wonder if he will see dream breaker action for us? And if so, will he replace Gabe or Hayden? He’s undoubtedly better than them at singles, but just putting someone in for a few points is tough… I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out. 

That’s all for this edition folks! Thank you for reading, as always, and I appreciate all of you endlessly. Who have you been particularly impressed with in 2026 so far? I can’t wait to share all of my Asia thoughts with you all!!! 

Dink big, dream bigger, XOXO your internet bestie, Anna♥️🫦✨