Anna Leigh Waters is a professional pickleball player from Florida, USA. She started playing pickleball at the age of 10 and quickly rose to fame as one of the youngest and most talented players in the sport. Waters has won multiple national and international titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, often partnering with her mother, Leigh Waters. She is currently ranked as the number one female player in the world by the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA).
Anna Leigh Waters Biography
| Name | Anna Leigh Waters |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | January 26, 2007 |
| Age | 16 years old as of 2023 |
| Place of birth | Boca Raton, Florida, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Turned pro | 2019 |
| Current ranking | No. 1 in the world for doubles, No. 1 for mixed doubles, and No. 1 for singles by the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) as of December 2022 |
| Sponsors | Selkirk Sport, Jigsaw Health, Pickleball Central |
| Signature paddle | Paddletek Bantam TS-5 |
| Mother’s name | Leigh Waters (coach and partner) |
| Father’s name | Chad Waters (former professional baseball player) |
| Brother’s name | Chase Waters (13 years old) |
Anna Leigh Waters’s Early Life
Anna Leigh Waters was born on April 10, 2006, in Boca Raton, Florida. She grew up in a sports-loving family, with her father, Chad Waters, being a former professional baseball player and her mother, Leigh Waters, being a former tennis player and coach. Anna Leigh showed an interest in sports from an early age and played tennis, soccer, and basketball before discovering pickleball. She was homeschooled by her mother, who also became her pickleball coach and partner.
Height
Anna Leigh Waters is 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall. She has a slim and athletic build, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She wears a size 8.5 (US) shoe and a size small (US) clothing.
Age
Anna Leigh Waters is 17 years old as of 2023. She celebrated her 17th birthday on April 10, 2023, with her family and friends. She is an Aries by zodiac sign and has a cheerful and adventurous personality.
Anna Leigh Waters Pickleball
Anna Leigh Waters is a pickleball sensation who has dominated the sport since she was 12 years old. She made her debut at the 2018 US Open Pickleball Championships, where she won the gold medal in the women’s pro singles, becoming the youngest player ever to do so. She also won the silver medal in the women’s pro doubles with her mother, Leigh Waters, and the bronze medal in the mixed pro doubles with Kyle Yates.
Since then, she has won numerous titles and awards, including the 2019 USAPA National Championships, the 2020 PPA Masters, the 2021 PPA Orange County Cup, and the 2022 PPA Tour Championship. She has also represented the USA in the 2019 and 2021 Bainbridge Cup, where she helped her team win the trophy. Her aggressive and creative style of play, powerful forehand and backhand strokes, soft touch and finesse at the net, and exceptional court awareness and anticipation are what make her known.
eigh Waters Relationships and Family
Anna Leigh Waters is very close to her family, especially her mother, Leigh Waters, who is also her pickleball coach and partner. They have a strong bond and share a passion for the sport. The pickleball community dubbed them the “Dream Team,” and they won several titles together, including the 2019 USAPA National Championships, the 2020 PPA Masters, and the 2021 PPA Orange County Cup. They are also the first mother-daughter duo to win a pro title in pickleball history.
Anna Leigh Waters also has a good relationship with her father, Chad Waters, who supports her career and travels with her to tournaments. He is a former professional baseball player who played for the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies. He is now a real estate agent and a pickleball enthusiast. She has a younger brother, Chase Waters, who is 13 years old and plays pickleball as well.
Anna Leigh Waters Net Worth
Anna Leigh Waters has an estimated net worth of $1 million as of 2023. She earns most of her income from her pickleball career, which includes prize money, sponsorships, endorsements, and coaching. She is sponsored by some of the leading brands in the pickleball industry, such as Selkirk Sport, Jigsaw Health, and Pickleball Central. She also has her own signature paddle, the Selkirk AMPED Invikta Anna Leigh Waters Edition, which is one of the best-selling paddles in the market.
What Paddle Does Anna Leigh Waters Use
Anna Leigh Waters uses the Selkirk AMPED Invikta Waters Edition paddle, which is a midweight paddle with a large sweet spot, a long handle, and a fiberglass face. The paddle is designed to suit her aggressive and versatile style of play, giving her power, control, and spin. The paddle also features her signature and logo, as well as a pink and purple color scheme.
Anna Leigh Waters’s Social Media Presence
Anna Leigh Waters has a strong social media presence, with over 50,000 followers on Instagram, over 10,000 followers on Facebook, and over 5,000 subscribers on YouTube. She posts regularly about her pickleball journey, her tournaments, her training, her family, her friends, and her hobbies. She also interacts with her fans and answers their questions and comments. She uses her social media platforms to promote her sponsors, her paddle, and her coaching services.
Anna Leigh Waters Interesting Facts
- She is a vegan and follows a plant-based diet for health and ethical reasons.
- She loves animals and has two dogs, a cat, and a horse.
- She enjoys reading, writing, painting, and playing the guitar in her spare time.
- She is a fan of Harry Potter, Marvel, and Disney movies and books.
- She has a tattoo of a pickleball paddle on her left wrist.
Latest News
Here are some of the latest news:
- She won the women’s pro singles and the women’s pro doubles (with her mother) at the 2022 PPA Tour Championship, which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from December 9 to 12, 2022. She also reached the semifinals of the mixed pro doubles (with Ben Johns).
- The 2022 PPA Female Player of the Year, the 2022 PPA Female Singles Player of the Year, and the 2022 PPA Female Doubles Player of the Year, along with her mother, named her. The fans online voted her as the recipient of the 2022 PPA Fan Favorite Award.
- She announced that she will be attending the University of Florida in the fall of 2023, where she will major in journalism and minor in sports management. She also said that she will continue to play pickleball professionally while pursuing her education.
Anna Leigh Waters Controversy
Anna Leigh Waters has faced some controversy in her pickleball career, such as:
- Some of her opponents and critics accused her of cheating, claiming that she used illegal serves, foot faults, and line calls to gain an advantage. She denied these allegations and said that she always played fair and respected the rules and the referees.
- She was involved in a heated argument with Simone Jardim, another top female player, at the 2021 PPA Orange County Cup, where they exchanged words and gestures after a close match. They later apologized and hugged each other, but the incident sparked a lot of discussion and debate among the pickleball fans and media.
- She was criticized by some of the traditional pickleball players and purists, who said that she was too young, too flashy, and too disrespectful to the sport and its history. They also said that she was ruining the sport’s image and culture with her loud and colorful outfits, her tattoos, and her social media posts. She responded by saying that she loved the sport and its community, and that she was just expressing herself and having fun.
FAQs
Anna Leigh Waters is 17 years old as of 2023. She was born on April 10, 2006, in Boca Raton, Florida.
Anna Leigh Waters’s mother is Leigh Waters, who is also her pickleball coach and partner. They are the first mother-daughter duo to win a pro title in pickleball history.
Anna Leigh Waters is ranked as the number one female player in the world by the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) as of December 2022.
Anna Leigh Waters has an estimated net worth of $1 million as of 2023. She earns most of her income from her pickleball career, which includes prize money, sponsorships, endorsements, and coaching.
Anna Leigh Waters uses the Selkirk AMPED Invikta Anna Leigh Waters Edition paddle, which is a midweight paddle with a large sweet spot, a long handle, and a fiberglass face. The paddle also features her signature and logo, as well as a pink and purple color scheme.
Conclusion
Anna Leigh Waters is a pickleball star who has amazed the world with her skills, achievements, and personality. She is one of the youngest and most talented players in the sport, who has won multiple national and international titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Waters is also a loving daughter, a caring sister, a loyal friend, and a passionate vegan. She is an inspiration to many pickleball fans and aspiring players, who admire her for her dedication, determination