The Pickleball Central Indoor National Championships wrapped up in Minneapolis. The PPA Tour will now move back to Florida for the next stop, and the players will no doubt welcome the sunshine in Cape Coral. Despite the frigid outdoor temperatures, the action was hot indoors, with what had to be a record number of close, down-to-the-wire matches. There were a number of big stories from the tournament.

 

 

Parris Todd returned from suspension and looked to be in top form. With Anna Leigh Waters sitting out singles, it created a rare opportunity for someone else to claim a gold medal. Todd was the one to jump on the chance. Todd was the #4 seed, but on the way to the title she took down, in order, #5 Catherine Parenteau, #1 Kaitlyn Christian, and #3 Lea Jansen. Todd added a silver in women’s doubles (with Tyra Black) and a bronze in mixed doubles (with Andrei Daescu). All in all, a very successful week for Todd.

 

 

 

It is only January, so it is a little early to label a match as the best of 2026, but when we try in December to remember the best matches of 2026, let us not forget the men’s doubles final from Minneapolis. Hayden Patriquin and Christian Alshon took on Andrei Daescu and Gabe Tardio. Daescu and Tardio had been tested before the final, needing to win two three-game matches. Patriquin and Alshon had a relatively easy time making it to the final, not losing a game along the way. In the final, Patriquin and Alshon came out hot, winning game one 11-1. After that, nothing came easy. Like a couple of heavyweight boxers, the two teams traded blows, with each making a run to take a lead, only to see the opponents come back to tie or take the lead. Daescu and Tardio won game two 14-12, Patriquin and Alshon took game three 12-10, but Daescu and Tardio forced a game five with an 11-8 game four win. Game five was anyone’s game. Patriquin and Alshon had their chances, but it was Daescu and Tardio who came out on top 12-10. Fittingly, game five needed overtime, in what was a truly great and well-played final.

 

 

 

Chris Haworth won last week in California and sought to make it back-to-back in Minneapolis. Men’s singles is, by far, the toughest event on the PPA Tour to score a repeat gold medal. Haworth began as the #5 seed. He worked his way to the final, with victories over such quality singles players as Grayson Goldin, surprising youngster Cam Chaffin, and Dylan Frazier. In the final, he played #1 seed Hunter Johnson, who got to the final by winning three straight three-game matches. In the final, despite Johnson having been the one to play the longer and tougher road, it was Haworth who appeared to run out of gas. Johnson prevailed by a surprisingly easy score of 11-6, 11-0. Expect Johnson and Haworth to battle back and forth for the #1 spot throughout 2026.

 

 

 

Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright reinforced their claim as the best women’s doubles team. They continue to look like an unstoppable force. The reached the final without losing a game, and only losing 11 points in six games. In the final, they finally met some resistance from #3 seed Tyra Black and Parris Todd. Black and Todd won game two, but could only muster nine total points in the other three games, as Waters and Bright chalked up another gold medal. As Waters and Bright win gold after gold, at some point we will all start to discuss if they can go undefeated in 2026. The two pairings that have beaten them remain the only two who appear to have a realistic chance to do so, Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black and Jade Kawamoto/Jackie Kawamoto. Both of those teams did it in 2025; can they do so in 2026?

 

 

 

I had a good week to start the year at The Masters and managed to continue the hot streak with the Indoor Championships. I correctly hit on nine of the 10 gold medal finalists, missing only Hunter Johnson. For the five winners, I correctly predicted the winners in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and women’s singles. Not a bad week!

 

The PPA Tour will take a week off before the Zimmer Biomet Cape Coral Open begins February 9. Expect to see everyone back in action and healthy in sunny Florida.

 

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