World No. 2 Federico Staksrud reminded everyone why he’s one of the most consistent forces in men’s singles pickleball, defeating breakout star Roscoe Bellamy 11-3, 11-2 in a dominant performance to capture the men’s singles title at the Rate Vegas Cup.

The win adds another gold to Staksrud’s already loaded 2025 campaign — his third singles title of the year following victories at The Masters, Sacramento, and now Vegas — and reaffirms his grip at the top of the PPA Tour standings despite a recent slip from No. 1 to No. 2.

“I had to play my best — honestly, that was my best,” Staksrud said after the match. “He’s [Roscoe’s] going to be here more often, and he’s going to win championships for sure. He’s such an amazing player, so congrats to him.”

Bellamy’s Run Captivates Fans

Though the finals result was relatively one-sided, Bellamy’s run to Championship Sunday was one of the weekend’s most talked-about stories.

The 6-foot-5 No. 16 seed tore through a stacked draw, beginning with a stunning upset over #3 seed Christian Alshon in a three-game thriller in the round of 16. He then toppled #11 Gabe Joseph in the quarterfinals — who had himself knocked out former world No. 1 Ben Johns — before going on to take down top seed Hunter Johnson in the semifinals, 11-7, 13-11.

Bellamy’s mother — a former professional tennis player and current top senior pickleball pro — coached him courtside, while his semifinal opponent and close friend Hunter Johnson joined his bench after being eliminated by Bellamy the day before.

Bellamy’s silver marks the second finalist appearance of his PPA career, following a runner-up finish in North Carolina earlier this year (to Gabe Tardio).

Staksrud’s Consistency Defines Greatness

On his side of the draw, Staksrud methodically handled his opponents, dispatching #13 Zane Ford, #6 Jack Sock, and #22 Marshall Brown — another surprise semifinalist — to reach the final after only dropping two games [to Ford and Sock].

Despite losing the world No. 1 ranking to Hunter Johnson at the end of August, Staksrud has remained steadfast in his perspective: he’s not slipping — the field is simply catching up.

“I don’t feel like I’ve been playing differently,” he said earlier this week. “Everyone’s level is just rising.”

That rise has not derailed his momentum. The Argentine now boasts 16 career men’s singles titles, second all-time. He’s also one of just six men ever to win back-to-back tournaments, joining elite company in Ben Johns, Zane Navratil, Hunter Johnson, Christian Alshon, and John Goins.

Since turning pro, Staksrud has earned 21 career titles across singles and doubles [no mixed titles] and has appeared in 32 singles finals, with an impressive 16–16 overall record — 15–7 against players not named Ben Johns.

What’s Next

As the PPA Tour heads towards the end of the year, Bellamy’s breakthrough signals the arrival of a new contender in men’s singles — while Staksrud’s latest victory proves that even as the talent pool deepens, the elite class of pickleball still runs through him.