DALLAS, TX - The draws for the PPA’s Desert Ridge Open taking place this week in Phoenix, AZ, are out.

Some big-name players are not competing in the event, namely JW and Jorja Johnson, Dylan Frazier, Judit Castillo, and Jack Sock.

Catherine Parenteau is also not playing singles.

With these folks not making the trek to Arizona, other players have a chance to make their move and set the tone for the rest of the year.

Here’s who to watch in each draw.

Men’s Doubles

Seventeen-year-old CJ Klinger comes into Phoenix after earning a gold medal in men’s doubles alongside Will Howells at the APP Punta Gorda Open. The MLP Challenger champion is joining forces with Jaume Martinez Vich, who continues to improve as a doubles player and is only two months removed from beating the Johns brothers at the Hertz Gold Cup with Wyatt Stone.

Klinger doesn’t compete in PPA events often, so this pairing will be worth watching.

Another player fresh off an APP doubles medal is Michael Loyd, who took home bronze in Punta Gorda alongside Ryler DeHeart.

Loyd is teaming up with Patrick Kawka after the pair nearly upset Christian Alshon and Julian Arnold in Palm Springs. We’ll see if Loyd can maintain his form in Phoenix.

Last but certainly not least in men’s doubles, No. 17 seeds Augie Ge and Craig Johnson should be on everyone’s radar. This lefty-righty combo helped lead the Gilbert Gladiators to an Arizona Pickleball League Season 2 title in December and took Tyson McGuffin and Dekel Bar to three games in the Round of 16 at the Masters.

If both teams win their first matches at Desert Ridge, a rematch awaits.

Men’s Singles

No. 14 seed Chris Haworth should come into this event riding high after securing his first pro gold medal in Punta Gorda. If both he and Connor Garnett win their first-round matches, they’ll meet in an intriguing Round of 16 matchup.

Another name to watch in men’s singles is Marcel Chan. He’s coming off an impressive run from qualifiers to the Round of 16 in Palm Springs that featured wins over Yates Johnson and Travis Rettenmaier.

He’ll need to get past No. 9 seed and 2023 bronze medalist Julian Arnold to make a similar run in Phoenix, but he’s a name to keep track of for this tournament and beyond.

Elsewhere, No. 1 seed Ben Johns began his 2024 singles campaign with a loss to Quang Duong, but don’t be surprised if he comes out more motivated than usual to assert his dominance in the singles field.

Mixed Doubles

Two new mixed doubles pairings dominate the news surrounding this draw.

Catherine Parenteau and fellow Selkirk-sponsored player Jack Sock are set to play together for the whole year, but with Sock not playing in Phoenix, Parenteau is partnering with Christian Alshon.

Alshon made it to the Round of 16 at the PPA Masters alongside his coach Leigh Waters, so this is a great opportunity for the 23-year-old to continue building his confidence in the event with another strong partner.

Another new pairing that will be on display this week features Lea Jansen and Jack Munro. The ambidextrous 19-year-old Munro doesn’t often compete at PPA events and should be intriguing to watch alongside one of the tour veterans.

One team worth watching in its second event together is Rachel Rohrabacher and Federico Staksrud. This pair had a stellar start to their partnership in Palm Springs, defeating No. 3 seeds Jorja and JW Johnson on their way to the quarterfinals.

They would face No. 2 seeds Anna Bright and James Ignatowich in the Round of 16 if both teams make it, setting the stage for women’s doubles partners Bright and Rohrabacher to go toe-to-toe in mixed.

Women’s Singles

Catherine Parenteau isn’t playing singles this week, but other strong players are joining the fray.

Salome Devidze will make her 2024 debut in Phoenix, coming in as the No. 4 seed. The 30-time singles medalist took home a title her last time out, winning the Hertz Gold Cup in November in a field without Waters, Parenteau and Jansen.

Parris Todd is back in a PPA singles draw after a stellar performance in Palm Springs where she took down Lacy Schneemann and Lauren Stratman before eventually falling to Parenteau in the quarterfinals.

Two of the APP’s winningest women’s singles players in 2023 could face off in the Round of 16 if they both win their first-round matches.

Another name to watch in women’s singles is Utah Tech University’s Averee Beck in the No. 16 slot. She helped lead the Trailblazers to a team title at the APP U.S. Collegiate Championships earlier this month, while also capturing individual titles in singles and women’s doubles along the way.

Women’s Doubles

It’s only the second tournament of the year, and there’s already a bit of a partner carousel developing in women’s doubles.

Lea Jansen said back in October that she and Hurricane Tyra Black would play women’s doubles together in 2024, but they’re not partnering up this week.

Jansen is set to play with Susannah Barr, an accomplished pro with over 45 medals to her name, including 11 in 2023 playing alongside Megan Fudge on the APP Tour.

Given her success with Fudge, there’s no reason to believe that partnership is coming to an end, but her partnership with Jansen is still notable.

Black, on the other hand, is teaming up with Parris Todd, who secured nine APP women’s doubles medals of her own last year playing with Simone Jardim.

Another team to watch this week is Tina Pisnik and Andrea Koop in the No. 11 slot. Though still relatively new to the sport, Pisnik has made impressive strides in her game, nearly upsetting Callie Smith and Lucy Kovalova competing with Jorja Johnson in Palm Springs. 

She’s playing alongside a veteran of the sport in Koop, who has 48 career pro medals. This team will be a tough out in the bottom half of the bracket.