The Mission Hills Nation Membership hosted the Masters powered by Invited this previous week – and boy, did it placed on a present. The climate couldn’t have been extra good for pickleball within the California desert. Principally clear skies with lows within the 50s and highs within the 70s highlighted the situations all week lengthy.
This was the primary event of the 2026 yr, and it gave us all of the drama we may ask for. The standard suspects ended up profitable all 5 occasions, however there have been undoubtedly storylines all through the event.
Let’s get into the motion.
Anna Leigh Waters has gone by way of two large adjustments within the final month. First it was introduced that she had left Paddletek on the finish of 2025. Then the rumors began swirling about who her new sponsors have been.
On January eighth, it was introduced that Waters had moved on to Franklin for her paddle sponsorship. On the primary day she performed on this event, it was formally introduced that Waters signed with Nike for her attire. Nice job by The Dink’s Alex E. Weaver on masking all of Waters’ sponsorship offers.
With all of that being mentioned, Waters nonetheless needed to exit and carry out on the Masters. Carry out she did – Waters misplaced a complete of 5 video games, two in blended doubles, two in girls’s doubles, and one in singles.
In girls’s doubles, Kaitlyn Christian and Jessie Irvine took recreation one of many quarters, earlier than Waters and Vivid gained 11-4, 11-0. Within the semis, Jorja Johnson and Hurricane Tyra Black took a recreation off Waters and Vivid. The scoreline was 11-7, 7-11,11-5.
Within the finals, the Kawamoto twins put up a valiant effort in recreation one, dropping 10-12. Waters and Vivid gained video games two and three, 11-3, 11-2, for an additional gold medal collectively.
In blended doubles, it was easy crusing for Waters and Ben Johns till the finals. In reality, their mixed scoreline was 110-36 of their first 5 matches, averaging a rating of 11-3.6.
The blended doubles last was by far essentially the most entertaining on Championship Sunday. Waters and Johns confronted off towards Anna Vivid and Hayden Patriquin. The match lasted greater than two hours and went to 5 video games. Waters and Johns have been in a position to prevail, profitable 11-7, 7-11, Sep 11, 11-7, 11-4.
Lastly, Waters had a troublesome battle in girls’s singles in her semifinal matchup towards Kaitlyn Christian. She gained recreation one 11-4, however Christian took a tightly contested recreation two, 11-9. Sport three is the place Waters regained momentum, profitable 11-3.
Within the finals, Waters couldn’t miss her pictures towards Kate Fahey. Waters beat the #2 seed 11-1, 11-4, regardless of Fahey taking part in properly. Waters was on a tear and nothing was going to cease her from capturing her fortieth triple crown.
“I truthfully really feel prefer it’s the matches you do not play your finest, and also you win, which are an important ones, since you’re not all the time going to really feel your finest.”
Anna Leigh Waters quote when discussing her fortieth triple crown on the @PPAtour with Matt Manasse and Kamryn…
— Erik Tice (@azetice) January 19, 2026
Chris Haworth gained his fourth PPA Gold and third since signing completely with the PPA Tour
Haworth just isn’t afraid to say it – he desires the #1 seed. He’s gunning to be the #1 ranked participant in males’s singles this yr. He has set that purpose for himself and isn’t shy to say it in press conferences.
Males’s singles is by far essentially the most risky occasion in professional pickleball. We now have seen a number of qualifiers and/or excessive seeds make deep runs into the quarterfinals, or higher throughout the final yr. So what Haworth did this week is much more spectacular – he didn’t drop one recreation on his strategy to a gold medal at a Slam on the PPA Tour.
Right here is how Haworth, the 6 seed on this event, gained his most up-to-date gold:
- Rd 64 – W – (69) Rio Newcombe – 11-2, 11-2
- Rd 32 – W – (26) Eric Oncins – 11-2, 11-3
- Rd 16 – W – (12) Noe Khlif – 11-6, 11-9
- QF – W – (3) Christian Alshon – 12-10, 12-10
- SF – W – (1) Hunter Johnson – 11-1, 11-6
- Closing – W – (7) Jack Sick – 11-8, 11-8
Alshon gave Haworth the hardest run for his cash, however Haworth was in a position to persevere and win factors on the most vital instances of the match.
Haworth has an actual shot on the #1 seed by the top of the 25-26 PPA season, as he’s gaining factors each occasion. His competitors is simply changing factors, however Haworth didn’t begin incomes PPA Factors till August 2025.
In my 26 Predictions for 2026, I predicted Haworth can be the #1 seed for the PPA Finals in Might, and he’s properly on his strategy to engaging in that purpose along with his win in Rancho Mirage.
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Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio cruised to their first gold of the 2026 yr
The boys’s doubles discipline noticed an enormous shake up on the prime on the Masters – Christian Alshon and Fed Staksrud swapped companions from 2025. Hayden Patriquin is taking part in the early a part of 2026 with Christian Alshon, whil Andrei Daescu is taking part in with Federico Staksrud throughout that very same timeframe.
The query is, would the brand new partnerships have the ability to beat essentially the most dominant males’s doubles workforce on the planet in Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns? The reply – No.
Tardio and Johns picked up proper the place they left off 2025 – profitable. Listed here are the outcomes for Tardio and Johns, the #1 seed:
- Rd 32 – W (29) Tam Trinh/Juan Benitez – 11-7, 11-1
- Rd 16 – W (13) Zane Navratil/Blaine Hovenier – 11-5, 11-6
- QF – W (5) Dylan Frazier/Eric Oncins – 11-2, 11-7
- SF – W (4) CJ Klinger/JW Johnson – 11-7, 11-4
- Finals – W (3) Christian Alshon/Hayden Patriquin – 11-9, 11-4, 11-5
Sure, you learn that accurately – Tardio and Johns didn’t drop a single recreation of their first 5 matches to start out 2026, regardless of Tardio not studying something from taking part in with Ben Johns.
Accidents forged a small shadow over the occasion, with three prime gamers taking place on Sunday
Three gamers sustained accidents in Rancho Mirage:
- Hunter Johnson – knee(s)
- Federico Staksrud – proper triceps/shoulder
- Jack Sock – hamstring/leg
Johnson mentioned in his press convention following his semifinal loss to Haworth that he was unable to maneuver the way in which he wished to and was pissed off along with his knee soreness. On Sunday, he had each knees taped and was undoubtedly hobbled by the top of his bronze match towards Roscoe Bellamy. In reality, Johnson was in a lot discomfort he known as a medical timeout within the second recreation, had a physio come give him some remedy, after which performed two extra factors earlier than retiring.
I’d be very stunned to see Hunter preserve his registration within the Indoor Nationwide Championships this week, primarily based on how he was transferring on Sunday.
Federico was additionally a sufferer of damage on Grandstand Court docket through the bronze medal matches. Staksrud performed bronze in each males’s doubles and blended doubles. In males’s he went for a flamingo volley and adopted that up with one other one. He visibly grimaced and type of pulled up on the second. Instantly following the purpose, he headed to the bench and known as for a medical timeout.
Being a JOOLA professional, he had the physio from JOOLA study his proper triceps space and tape the world and rub a cream on it. He then completed the match, finally dropping with Andrei Daescu to CJ Klinger and JW Johnson. In blended, Staksrud had the physio apply the ointment just a few extra instances and was not 100% bodily.
I’d even be stunned to see Staksrud within the Indoor Nationwide Championships draw this week.
Sock appeared to injure his hamstring or leg on the final rally of his gold medal match between him and Chris Haworth. Sock actually prolonged right into a close to cut up and was visibly in ache, holding his proper hamstring.
Primarily based on the way in which Sock limped off Championship Court docket, I’d be stunned to see him taking part in anytime earlier than the Carvana Mesa Cup a month from now. Hopefully I’m flawed and it was only a gentle pressure.
Of notice, Sock was not scheduled to play the Indoor Nationwide Championships this week.
Accidents are all the time a part of sports activities, however to have three of the highest guys get injured in sooner or later on the PPA Tour may be very unlucky. I’m wishing a speedy restoration to all three males.
Different notable storylines
Liz Truluck earned a bronze medal in singles for the primary medal of her profession. She beat each Brooke Buckner and Kaitlyn Christian on her strategy to bronze. Truluck has earned two medals within the PPA Challenger Collection and one within the PPA Tour Asia MB Vietnam Open, however that is the primary of her profession in a full PPA Tour occasion.
The boys’s doubles last was on CBS. Regardless of it being an enormous weekend for the NFL, CBS selected to air two hours of the PPA Tour finals on their nationwide channel.
Quang Duong, Duc Duong, and Bao Duong have been seen with Connor Pardoe on the occasion. May Quang Duong be on his method again to the PPA Tour, regardless of having his contract terminated simply over six months in the past?
— Jimmy Miller (@JimmyMiller_PB) January 17, 2026
Full Outcomes
Ladies’s Singles
🥇 Anna Leigh Waters
🥈 Kate Fahey
🥉 Liz Truluck
Males’s Singles
🥇 Chris Haworth
🥈 Jack Sock
🥉 Roscoe Bellamy
Combined Doubles
🥇 Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns
🥈 Anna Vivid/Hayden Patriquin
🥉 Tina Pisnik/Noe Khlif
Ladies’s Doubles
🥇 Anna Vivid/Anna Leigh Waters
🥈 Jade and Jackie Kawamoto
🥉 Jorja Johnson/Hurricane Tyra Black
Males’s Doubles
🥇 Gabe Tardio/Ben Johns
🥈 Christian Alshon/Hayden Patriquin
🥉 CJ Klinger/JW Johnson
