Inside Brooke Buckner’s staying power in women’s singles
World No. 4 in women’s singles, Brooke Buckner, has managed to stay at the top of an increasingly competitive field, all while raising three kids.
When she turned pro in 2022, she admits her rise came at just the right moment for the sport.
“I didn’t practice. I don’t know what I was doing. To be honest, I got in at the right time when singles wasn’t very deep. That’s just the truth, women’s singles wasn’t very good,” said Buckner. “When I got in, I could hit some groundstrokes and hit the serve hard. I was competent enough, and I could make it to the quarters.”
That version of the game no longer exists.
Today, women’s singles is deeper and more competitive than ever, with a steady wave of new talent entering every tournament. To keep up, Buckner has had to evolve.
“It’s changed a lot. Before I didn’t really train that much singles, but that wasn’t going to work anymore. Now, I train smarter,” mentioned Buckner. “I can’t put in the hours like I could when I was 24, especially with three kids, but tennis taught me how to train, so I like training for pickleball.”
Her approach now is more intentional—balancing time on the court with a focus on fitness, nutrition, and sustainable routines that allow her to compete at the highest level.
Buckner continues to stand out as one of the biggest threats to Anna Leigh Waters in women’s singles.
“Anna Leigh's mental game is light-years above everyone else,” praised Buckner. “Her ability to get out of trouble, handle pressure every day, it’s remarkable.”
Even without a win over Waters yet, though, Buckner believes it’s only a matter of time.
On the Pickleballers Podcast, co-host Jared Paul asked if she sees herself beating pickleball's most dominant athlete.
“I think I’ll get her once before I retire,” remarked Buckner.
As an early entrant into the pro scene, Buckner has also had a front-row view of how quickly the women’s singles field is evolving.
What was once dominated by former tennis players like herself, Kate Fahey, and Kaitlyn Christian is now being challenged by a new generation of true pickleball natives, including Kiora Kunimoto.
“I call them the “Pickle Kids.“ When they take over, I’ll be out,” said Buckner. “I think there will be one to two that break through into the top five, but I still think that the footwork that you learn from tennis is one of the biggest advantages that players who have a tennis backgrounds have.”
Buckner is particularly impressed by Kunimoto.
“Kiora is definitely the one we’re all watching. She’s proven it already,“ said Buckner. “She’s beaten me, and she’s made it to the quarterfinals a few times.”
At the same time, Buckner takes pride in the path she’s carved to remain among the game’s elite.
Her journey includes stepping away from competition to start and grow her family, then returning to perform at a high level.
“I started playing pickleball after I had kids and had a child in the middle of it, so I just want people to realize that you can still go do things once you start a family,” concluded Buckner. “A lot of times, people don’t realize that they can still chase their dreams once they have kids. That’s something that’s really important to me because it’s changed my entire life.”
Good news for fans, Buckner isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
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