Anna Leigh Waters, a young, shining pickleball player in America, has secured many impressive achievements through her incredible skills of playing pickleball and has been a great inspiration for young upcoming generations. She is the youngest pickleball player who became pro pickler at 12 and is making history. 

Anna’s story is quite impressive. She used to live in North Carolina and they moved to Florida. Her parents were not aware about which school would be right for Anna so they decided that the best thing for them would be to homeschool until they figure out the right school. Her grandmother , Ann Eichelberger, was a Teacher and she flew to Florida to start teaching her. Homeschooling finds more time for Anna Leigh Waters to practice Pickleball. She took online courses, primarily in addition to homeschooling.

When Hurricane Irma hit Florida, Waters’ family had to evacuate and traveled to Pennsylvania to her grandfather’s place. She started playing Pickleball at the age of 10 with her grandfather. She used to play tennis from age 8 to 12. She also used to play soccer from age 5 to 14, then stopped playing soccer to concentrate on pickleball playing. Anna’s mother, Leigh Waters, is her coach and manager, and she also accompanied her in pickleball doubles matches. Leigh Waters had been a tennis player at the University of South Carolina. Anna’s grandfather was an athlete in the South Carolina Gamecocks men’s golf team Association, which represents the University of South Carolina. Her father, Stephen Waters, also takes part in practicing Pickleball and shows Anna and her mother how to play it. The whole family actively and enthusiastically takes part in sports, especially Pickleball. as, at the beginning, she used to partner with her mom, Leigh Waters

This article engages and astonishes you with interesting facts about her personal life, her accomplishments, rankings, her playing style and tips, sponsors, and other fun facts.

2024 PPA Stats

As of October 2024 out of 20 PPA Tournaments played following is the stats of Anna leigh waters compared to other top 3 female single players

PPA Tour Rankings

The Professional Pickleball Association conducts pickleball tournaments to entertain and engage audiences. They rank top players by their performance in the tournaments. Likewise Anna Leigh Waters takes the first position in the PPA tour rankings.

Physical Attributes 

Anna Leigh Waters’s age

Presently the age of Anna Leigh Waters is 17 years (in 2024)  old and was born on January 26 2007. At this young age she has been ranked as number 1 pickleball player in Singles, doubles and mixed teams by the Professional Pickleball Association.

How old is Anna Leigh Waters’ mother?

It is 2024 right now and Anna Leigh Water’s mother Leigh water, a former NCAA division I tennis player at University of South Carolina has been 47 years old presently (in 2024).

Anna Leigh Waters Networth

Networth is the present financial status and the future financial status tracking of a person. Likewise Anna Leigh Waters presently makes predictably around $1.4 million to $ 2 million in 2023. It is predicted by her agent kelly wolf that she would earn more than $3 million this year. 

How much does  Anna Leigh Waters make?

Among the female pickleball players, Anna Leigh Waters is the highest-earning individual. Her agent, Kelly Wolf, said in a telephonic interview that Anna Leigh Waters makes more than $ 3 Million this year (2024).

DUPR Ranking and Rating 2024

Anna Leigh Waters ranked number one in the world in pickleball women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Her DUPR ratings for women’s singles is 6.488, and women’s doubles is 6.453 as of 2024.

Anna Leigh Waters New Signature Paddle.

Anna Leigh Waters uses Paddletek brand Bantam model signature paddle ALW-C which is Carbon fiber pickleball paddle. The U.S. pickleball paddle manufacturing company Paddletek has two signature paddle models to support players’ performance and overall stability. The two signature paddles are  PT-700 unidirectional RAW carbon fiber and Bantam ALW-C Carbon Fiber. In Bantam ALW-C, there are two variants based on the core thickness: about 12.7mm and 14.3mm. Anna Leigh Waters picked the Bantam ALW-C Carbon Fiber 12.7mm variant among these two models.  Here are the other specifications of the Anna Leigh Waters paddle.

1. Weight: 7.7oz (Average) 
2. Face Material: T-700 Raw Carbon Fiber 
3. Core Material: Soft Polymer Core 
4. Shape: Elongated
5. Core Thickness: 12.7mm
6. Paddle Length: 15 ⅝” 
7. Grip Size: 4 ¼”

What shoes does Anna Leigh Waters wear?

During her early blossoming career, she used to adorn the Babolat Jet Tere Lady All Court Shoes, the pink color of which she really adorns and quite fits her personality. These shoes are primarily meant for female athletes who require great movements and accuracy on the field. Some of these are an aerated mesh for ventilation, a lightweight and flexible construction for flexibility during sporting activity, and a KPRS-X heel system for cushioning. A hard-wearing protective rubber material and an OrthoLite insole make the shoe comfortable for long hours of play.

However, apart from the Tere Lady, there have also been reports of Anna wearing the Babolat Jet Mach 2 racquet. This tennis shoe for all round is designed for pinpoint movements, with Matryx 2.0 for support and cooling. It boasts of a Michelin outsole that gives grip, and KPRS-X cushioning which encompasses impact protection.

Currently, She has been using the Fila Volley Burst, this shoe is well known among sportspeople due to its speed, support and comfort required in Pickleball. The Fila Volley Burst is especially designed for rapidly lateral transitions to allow professional players such as Waters to quickly turn with sufficient grip and go.  

Anna Leigh’s Sponsors

Anna Leigh Waters, one of the best female pickleball players, has a long list of sponsors for her game, and for good reason.

• Paddletek : an internationally acclaimed company specializing in pickleball equipment. For the past three years, Waters has partnered with Paddletek to develop a ‘Paddletek Bantam ALW-C Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle’ dedicated to boosting her capabilities on the playing ground.
• Fila : Waters has also attained a sponsorship deal with the ‘Fila’ brand in athletic footwear. In this capacity, she features the ‘Fila Volley Burst shoes – another innovative creation designed to maximize fashion and function harmoniously with the sport’s grueling churn of movement and motion. The creative and diverse design perspective of Fila is a perfect fit for Waters’ aggressive nature on the ground, along with the competitive advantage that the company has been enjoying.
• Lock Laces : As a company specializing in handmade laces Lock Laces aim to simplify the shoe lacing by providing Visors that enable various athletes for instance Anna Leigh to concentrate on their game. Combined with these partnerships, they also enhance her performance but also point to her role as one of the driving forces of Pickleball’s growth.
• Apart from above three she also has sponsorships with Carvana, Collectbobbles, Shiseido, Biofreeze, Pickleball4America, Dynasty connect and Cetaphil.

Playing Style

Anna Leigh employs a playing style called Banging and Ripping to demonstrate how she plays her opponents during pickleball games. Her forehand grip makes her unleash a lot of power and topspin, which assists her in hitting deep and dropping shots that will stumble the opponent. Her backhand grip is more professional as it provides her accurate angles, and powerful drives leave opponents off balance. When power is coupled with spin, she puts the opposition in a hard-pressuring position, forcing them into unforced errors and a more open position on the court. Her style thus makes her a genuine rival on any surface, with an aggressive and skillful playing style.

How tall is Anna Leigh Waters?

Anna Leigh Waters is 5 feet 6 inches tall and 1.68 meters in terms of meter. It adds to her physical strength when performing the sport of Pickleball.

Anna Leigh Waters – Dinking Tips

In one of her interviews, Anna Leigh Waters gave crucial insights on mastering the dink shot that is crucial while playing against aggressive competitors in Pickleball.

• Importance of the Dink Shot

Dink is a soft and low shot that makes the opponent run for it, creating errors for the opponent to make.

•  Focus on the Swing

She explained to me one cannot hit a large shot, and the best way to be accurate is by hitting out in front of the ball.

• Repetition is Key

Regularly conducting various dinks helps create a steady and secure environment during matches.

•  Patience Pays Off 

Timing is everything. Everyone with great insight wants to look for the right time to create the required impact. Extra dink can make opponents make silly mistakes, thus securing your points.

•  Control Under Pressure

This way, staying calm in complicated moments results in a perfect dink that interrupts opponents’ concentration.

But it should be noted the dink is not going to come overnight or in one day – it takes time, practice, and commitment; so, Anna reminds the players to  be consistent  while practicing on the court.

Critical Abilities of Anna Leigh Waters

Anna Leigh Waters’ success as a Triple Crown Winner and the #1 Female Player in Pickleball is due to several critical abilities:

1. Exceptional Hand-Eye Coordination:  

That is why reaction, accuracy, and the ability to take precise aim are uppermost during games and matches.

2. Strategic Thinking:

Waters always looks at the likely action that the opponent could take to help her thwart them.

3. Physical Fitness and Agility:

Intensive training improves the quality of her speed as well as her stamina both of which will help her when she is on the court.

4. Mental Toughness:

She continues to work calmly despite the pressure and thus is able to make good decisions in times of crisis.

5. Adaptability:

Waters can adapt effectively to the games and overcome the weaknesses of her opponents; hence, she can always beat them.

6. Consistency:

The reliability is also evident in her guaranteed ability to supply quality shots with little to no mistakes when playing during matches.

7. Strong Work Ethic:

Passionate to enhance herself, she spends lots of practice time guided by Leigh Waters.

These abilities sum up to set up Waters as an unbeaten force in Pickleball.

How many titles does Anna Leigh Waters have?

Anna Leigh has become a fierce competitor in the world of Pickleball at a young age of fifteen years only. She has accumulated numerous titles that are well acronymed: 6 U.S Open-gold medalist, 4-time PPA Triple Crown, and 6-time USAPA Nationals gold medalist. Overall, this translates into an incredible 16 major championships in the sport. 

At what age did Anna Leigh Waters start playing Pickleball?

Anna Leigh Waters was only 10 years old when she began playing Pickleball. She first encountered the sport in 2017 when her family had to evacuate as her grandfather showed her how it works during their stay in Pennsylvania with relatives. Her love for Pickleball grew more and more and at 12 she was already a professional player. 

Why is Anna Leigh Waters so dominant?

In the 2024 season, Anna Leigh Waters continued to reign over pickleball tournaments by claiming 23 gold medals across nine events while clinching eight in the women’s and mixed doubles and seven in the singles, enjoying a whopping 85% success rate. With superior talent, mental strength and gameplay, physical fitness, and experience, she established her dominance in the sport of Pickleball and stands out as a superior contender who has time and again defeated her competition.

Anna Leigh Waters – Day Before Tournament

The day before the tournament, Anna Leigh would just calm down and make some careful planning. She eats a lot of food at a restaurant of her preference, to distract her from thinking about the competition ahead of her. She checks the draw of the tournament and remains alert about her opponents without concentrating on them much.

Tournament morning of course, Anna Leigh warms up in accordance to a schedule and if her trainer is around, he will help her out. Anna thinks that early start in singles day enhances her mood towards the rest of the games hence the preparation is crucial to her.

What MLP team is Anna Leigh Waters on?

Anna Leigh Waters is currently participating in MLP [Major League Pickleball] as one of the essential athletes for the New Jersey 5’s. This interesting league has drawn interest not only for the actual competition but also for the high caliber of owners such as Brady and James. Waters being a part of the New Jersey 5’s as the brightest young talented lady symbolizes her potential as a skilled player and evidences her contribution to the fast-growing sport.

What sunglasses does Anna Leigh Waters wear?

Sunglasses have never been a mere accessory for Anna Leigh Waters, as she knows how to get both fashion and practicality right. She settles for the Oakley Flak 2.0 XL shades, which are pure style and come in handy in protecting the sun’s heat. These sunglasses are selling at $ 184 and are fitted with prescription eyeglasses, allowing Anna to have a clear view of the ball while playing. The Flak 2.0 XL model represents the company’s vision to respond to the sleek design in harmony with advanced optical technologies, which makes these flak models perfect for athletes. 

Family:

Anna leigh family supports and cheers her up in every way they could. She with her mother was introduced to pickleball by her granadfather. Grandmother played an important role in homeschooling her this helped her to travel and continue to play along with.  Her mom has been a pickleball doubles partner earlier when she started playing.

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