The PPA Tour was again in motion in Cincinnati, Ohio, for the primary time in two years. The tour skipped Cincinnati in 2024 as a result of host venue, the Lindner Household Tennis Middle, being underneath development.
To show how various things are within the professional pickleball panorama from the match two years in the past, check out Ben Johns. He earned his a hundredth medal on the PPA Baird Cincinnati Open in 2023, and now he has over 160 profession medals on the PPA Tour.
The highest information story, although, must be Jade and Jackie Kawamoto profitable their first ever gold medals on the PPA Tour.
Let’s get into the motion.
Jade and Jackie Kawamoto earned their first gold medal of their careers in Cincinnati
The equivalent twin sisters have been regarded by most pundits as high skills for the previous two to 3 years, however have but to search out gold. Till Sunday.
The previous College of Dayton Flyers Tennis gamers now each work full-time for the NCAA whereas additionally balancing enjoying pickleball professionally. Due to their jobs, they usually playa few much less tournaments per 12 months than the remainder of the sector. Whereas Jade is a lefty and Jackie is a righty who prefers the left aspect, they don’t play doubles collectively all that usually.
The truth is, the Kawamotos have performed collectively in solely three occasions in 2025. They made the quarterfinals in PPA Mesa in February. In April, they upset Rachel Rohrabacher and Anna Shiny in North Carolina (their final match collectively) and took residence a bronze medal.
On Sunday, the Kawamotos beat Hurricane Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson in 5 video games to safe the gold. They received 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7.
Having misplaced the primary two video games AND being down early in recreation three, the percentages didn’t look good for Jade and Jackie. However they rallied to win 11-6, after which they simply stored momentum to take the crown.
Their semifinal win over Anna Shiny and Anna Leigh Waters was maybe much more spectacular. That scoreline was 7-11, 11-6, 11-9. This was the primary time for the Kawamotos enjoying towards ‘The Annas’, they usually confirmed some psychological fortitude happening within the first recreation in that match as properly.
Within the quarters, Jade and Jackie acquired new companions Lea Jansen and Rachel Rohrabacher, who have been the three seed. In order that they beat the #1, #3, and #4 seeds on their technique to victory in Cincinnati.
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Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns are on the high of Males’s Doubles
Gabe and Ben have received 4 gold medals in a row in males’s doubles. Whereas the competitors on the high of males’s doubles is fierce, Gabe and Ben have separated themselves as the highest canine, and everybody else is preventing for second.
Their efficiency within the last was essentially the most medical issues I’ve seen in males’s doubles shortly. They performed almost excellent pickleball for 3 straight video games, beating Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu 11-2, 11-6, 11-9.
Cincinnati marked the second straight occasion beating Alshon and Daescu within the finals.
Within the finals, they beat CJ Klinger and JW Johnson, 11-5, 11-9. That is vital as a result of JW and CJ are the final group to beat Ben and Gabe, having completed so in Atlanta in Could. So it’s now 4 occasions and 4 months in a row for Ben and Gabe to remain undefeated.
Paddle Drama Triggered a Ruckus in Cincinnati
September 1 marked a major deadline for paddles to be full licensed by the UPA-A, versus the interim certification that they had been working underneath for the earlier months. This deadline date was recognized to paddle producers since January.
Nonetheless, there have been many issues. The 2 greatest firms who didn’t have approvals have been Pikkl (Gabe and Tyra, amongst others) and Proton (Genie Bouchard, Meghan Dizon, Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger, amongst others). Sure JOOLA fashions weren’t licensed. Parris Todd’s Franklin paddle was licensed the day the occasion began.
Gamers have been left scrambling, shopping for paddles from the Pickleball Central tent, as a way to compete. At least 15 gamers needed to play with a paddle that they weren’t used to on this occasion.
For a way more detailed breakdown of every part that occurred, because it pertains to paddle certification in Cincinnati, take a look at the nice write up by our Director Content material, Alex E. Weaver:
Dissecting All of the Paddle Drama at PPA Cincinnati
Many high execs are left questioning whether or not they can play their very own paddles. All of it comes all the way down to the UPA-A’s new certification requirements, and the way paddle manufacturers selected to play the sport.
Christian Alshon Earned his Third Gold Medal of the 12 months in Singles
In his second occasion since publicly saying that Leigh Waters is now not his full-time coach, Alshon received gold in singles.
Eerily just like the Kawamotos, Alshon needed to beat the #4, #3, and #1 seeds, to win the entire occasion. He beat #4 Jaume Martinez Vich 11-6 within the third recreation within the quarters. Within the semifinals, Christian performed unbelievable, beating the #1 seed, Hunter Johnson, 11-3, 11-7. Within the finals, he was in a position to beat #3, Connor Garnett, 11-8, 11-1.
Alshon was the 6 seed in Cincinnati, however profitable a Slam will certainly catapult him into the highest 5, with momentum on his aspect.
Anna Leigh Waters Wins Two Gold Medals and a Bronze
Regardless of dropping within the semifinals of ladies’s doubles, Anna Leigh had an excellent weekend at a Slam.
In singles, the GOAT placed on a clinic, by no means dropping a recreation. She received 5 matches in a row, all in two video games. Her mixed rating in these 5 matches was 112-41, so a mean scoreline of 11.1-4.1. Kate Fahey continues to trigger issues for Waters, as she put up a combat within the finals, however fell simply brief in recreation two, 11-13.
In blended doubles, it was extra of the identical dominance from Waters and Ben Johns, as they received gold with out dropping a recreation both. They received a mixed 143-57, or 11-4.4.
Within the finals, Andrei and Anna Shiny beat Waters and Johns the final time they performed them. That was over a 12 months in the past, although, and the tides turned shortly in Cincinnati. Anna Leigh and Ben ended up profitable 11-2, 11-8, 11-9.
In girls’s Anna Shiny and Anna Leigh earned bronze, beating Parris Todd and Catherine Parenteau on Sunday.
Wood Pickleball Paddles are Subsequent Up
The PPA Sacramento Classic Open is developing subsequent on the PPA Tour, and it’s a wood paddle occasion for the professionals. It begins Thursday, September twenty fifth, with Championship Sunday falling on September twenty eighth.
Full Outcomes
Girls’s Singles
🥇 Anna Leigh Waters
🥈 Kate Fahey
🥉 Catherine Parenteau
Males’s Singles
🥇 Christian Alshon
🥈 Connor Garnett
🥉 Hunter Johnson
Combined Doubles
🥇 Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns
🥈 Anna Shiny/Andrei Daescu
🥉 Jorja Johnson & JW Johnson
Girls’s Doubles
🥇 Jade & Jackie Kawamoto
🥈 Jorja Johnson/Hurricane Tyra Black
🥉 Anna Shiny/Anna Leigh Waters
Males’s Doubles
🥇 Gabe Tardio/Ben Johns
🥈 Christian Alshon/Andrei Daescu
🥉 CJ Klinger/JW Johnson
