I think the rest of the world is finally starting to catch on to Anna Leigh Waters' elite athlete status.

A billboard celebrating Waters' pickleball accomplishments was recently revealed in Times Square, and she attended Miami Swim Week, all in the same weekend.

Waters just signed with Vayner Sports, and thanks to them, she was able to participate the festivities at the W Hotel in Miami Beach, FL, alongside Leigh Waters.

“It was a really cool event,” said Anna Leigh. “I didn’t know what to expect, but it was a lot of fun. I never would have thought I’d get to go to something like that.”

It was a prime opportunity to meet some other notable figures in women's athletics, including pop culture icons Livvy Dunne, Alix Earle, and Ilona Maher. 

Waters especially enjoyed connecting with Maher, a professional rugby player who was a part of the gold-medal winning women’s rugby team at the 2024 Summer Olymics. 

Though Waters is a celebrity in her own right, it’s amusing to hear that she was a little nervous speaking with Maher at first. 

“It was funny because my mom and I were staring at her for a while. We were trying to make sure it was her before we walked up to her and started talking,” she mentioned. “Then I was introduced to her, and she was super sweet. It was cool because she’s also an athlete and she’s doing a ton of other amazing things with her career, so I really liked talking to another high-profile athlete.” 

Waters hit it off with Dunne as well.

“She was so personable to me. We just got along so easily and we had so much in common. I definitely talked to her the longest,” she said. 

Though Waters may have met some of her favorite icons, she was also recognized by others in attendance. 

“It was really fun to meet some people who’d heard of pickleball and heard of me, and there were a lot of high-profile people there, so it was great to connect with different people and make some great contacts,” said Waters.

The 18-year-old hopes this is just the start of building many good connections to Sports Illustrated. 

“It’s one of my dreams to be on Sports Illustrated, so it was a great introduction to meet all the people there. I’m really hoping I’ll get that opportunity one day,” said Waters. 

At this rate, I think it’s only a matter of time until she achieves this goal. After all, fellow pro Genie Bouchard has graced the cover and routinely makes apperances in Sports Illustrated Swim praising for her off-court fashion. 

And considering that Miami Swim Week is one of fashion’s biggest events of the year, what did the World No. 1 wear for this occasion? 

She sported an adorable light pink and red two-piece set from Versace that truly matched the seaside Miami vibe perfectly. Though, Leigh had to hold her shoes. 

“We didn’t realize it was going to actually be on the beach, so thank goodness my mom was there because she was holding my shoes for me and taking pictures. She’s the best mom ever. I was so glad she was there with me because it was just such a cool experience, and having her there with me made it so much better,” concluded Waters. 

Anna Leigh's hard work is clearly paying off.

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