Over the past week, several notable developments have occurred in the world of pickleball:
Anna Leigh Waters Nears 200 Career Titles
Top-ranked player Anna Leigh Waters is on the verge of a significant milestone, having secured her 195th and 196th career titles at the Veolia Pickleball National Championships in North Carolina. This achievement brings her within four titles of the 200 mark on the PPA Tour. (pickleball.com)
Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters Dominate Championships
In addition to Waters’ individual success, she and Anna Bright each claimed two gold medals at the same championships. They won the women’s doubles title together, and Bright also secured the mixed doubles title with Hayden Patriquin. Waters continued her impressive singles streak, defeating Kate Fahey in the final with scores of 11-1 and 11-9. (pickleball.com)
JOOLA and Proton Settle Paddle Core Patent Dispute
JOOLA and Proton have reached a settlement resolving all claims from the patent infringement suit filed in April. The dispute centered around JOOLA’s Propulsion Core paddle technology, which is considered foundational to modern pickleball paddles. Proton will continue to sell the affected products through the summer, now including a “Powered by JOOLA” sticker on the packaging. (thedinkpickleball.com)
Pro Players Changing Paddle Sponsors
Several professional players are making moves in their paddle sponsorships. Anna Leigh Waters switched her paddle sponsor from Paddletek to Franklin in January. Other notable changes include Dekel Bar leaving JOOLA for 11SIX24, Eric Oncins moving from JOOLA to Engage, and Thomas Wilson and Vivienne David ending their partnerships with CRBN. (pickleball.com)
These developments highlight the dynamic nature of the pickleball community, with players achieving significant milestones, industry partnerships evolving, and the sport’s growth continuing to attract attention.
