The PPA Masters tournament has kicked off the calendar year in professional pickleball for the past three years, and 2026 is no exception.

It might be the picturesque backdrop of Mission Hills Country Club, or maybe it’s the way that the all-white fits contrast with the green courts to create a Wimbledon-like feel. Whatever it is, there’s something about the year’s first tournament that always brings the big moments.

With this year’s Carvana PPA Masters powered by Invited beginning in just a few days, let’s revisit some of the biggest moments that Palm Springs has played host to over the years.

2025: Johns brothers end partnership with a gold

I also wrote about this in my article breaking down the biggest moments of the 2025 PPA season, but this was a truly special moment for Ben and Collin Johns.

It was known that this would be the final tournament of the brothers’ legendary run together, but they still blocked out the noise to secure their record-extending 35^th men’s doubles title on the PPA Tour.

2024: Bright, Rohrabacher play first tournament together

Even though Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher had lots of reps competing for the Orlando Squeeze during the 2023 Major League Pickleball season, they didn’t play a PPA Tournament together until the 2024 Masters.

‘The Girlies,’ as they would affectionately be referred to throughout their partnership, took silver in their first tournament as a partnership. From there, it didn’t take long for them to establish themselves as worthy rivals for the top pairing of Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau.

Bright/Rohrabacher went on to win eight PPA titles and 20 medals together before ending their partnership in 2025.

2024: Genie Bouchard, Donald Young make pro pickleball debuts

Bouchard and Young joined the growing number of former tennis stars flocking to pickleball, a group that also includes Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, and Tina Pisnik.

It was tough sledding at first for both players, although Young did win a men’s doubles match with Alvaro Terron and a mixed doubles match with Angie Walker.

Both players have improved by leaps and bounds since their first event, with Bouchard even making a Championship Sunday appearance at the Las Vegas Cup in October.

2024: Dylan Frazier wins inaugural PPA singles title

Dylan Frazier beat JW Johnson, Tyson McGuffin, Quang Duong, and Federico Staksrud in consecutive matches to complete a dark horse run to his first career singles title on the PPA Tour.

Though Frazier had earned three PPA singles medals before this run, he was predominantly known as a doubles specialist at that point in his career as he and JW Johnson established themselves as a top 3 men’s doubles team on tour.

2023: Sam Querrey makes pickleball debut

Before Jack Sock, Genie Bouchard, and Donald Young, there was Sam Querrey. The Wimbledon semifinalist was one of the first former pro tennis stars to make regular appearances on the PPA Tour, and he made his debut at the 2023 Masters in singles against Alex Neumann.

Querrey fell by a 3-11, 3-11 score line, but the loss opened the door for him to make a hilarious post-match commentary video for social media.

Querrey retired from pickleball in late 2025, but he has found success in other endeavors as an analyst for Tennis Channel and as a co-host of the “Nothing Major” podcast.

Notable Masters streaks on the line in 2026

• Anna Leigh Waters hasn’t lost a match at the Masters since the tournament moved from La Quinta, CA to Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage in 2023. She will look to secure her fourth consecutive Triple Crown at the event in her first tournament since switching her paddle sponsor from Paddletek to Franklin.
  
  
• Ben Johns has won all three men’s doubles titles since the tournament moved, with each one coming with Collin Johns. He will look to make it four in a row in 2026 alongside Gabe Tardio.
  
  
• Federico Staksrud has made three straight men’s singles finals in Palm Springs and will be looking to defend his 2025 title next week as the No. 2 seed.

Check out the draws here, and catch main draw action from Palm Springs on Pickleballtv starting Jan. 13.