Anna Leigh Waters made history in July as the first pro pickleball athlete to attend the ESPY Awards.

Accompanied by her mom and coach, Leigh, the pair enjoyed the unique experience at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles together.

“It was pretty surreal being there and seeing all these athletes passing by that you see all the time in the media. Anna Leigh and I just couldn’t believe it was real,” shared Leigh. “I think the last time I wore a formal dress was at my wedding 20-something years ago. I hardly wear makeup, so getting the glam was a lot of fun. I actually took dress shopping a little more seriously than AL because she might get to do this again, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get to go to a red carpet again, so I decided to go all out.” 

When the Waters' received the call that they could attend the ESPYs, Leigh immediately went shopping to find the perfect dress.

Anna Leigh, however, waited until the last minute to get hers. 

“Immediately, I went shopping. I didn’t have anything in my closet that was formal enough, and AL just said she was going to wear something out of her closet the whole time,” mentioned Leigh. “The day before we left, though, she needed to get shoes, so we went to the mall and she saw this dress, tried it on, and she loved it.”

“In my defense, I had another formal dress hanging in my closet,” noted Anna Leigh.

Anna Leigh ultimately wore that "last-minute" purchase - a black Victoria Beckham dress with a plunging neckline that instantly felt right. 

Leigh wore a strapless black Valentino dress with gorgeous feathers. And while it was exciting to see the women all dolled up, it was shocking to see that Leigh wasn’t sporting Gucci. 

Gucci is her favorite brand, of course, and she reps it courtside at the vast majority of tournaments.

“I went to Gucci and unfortunately there wasn’t anything that suited the event,” explained Leigh. “But I did give them the first chance.”

Attending the ESPYs was a monumental moment for Anna Leigh, Leigh, and the picklesphere in general.

Leigh was especially proud to see her daughter earn a spot among the top athletes on the planet. 

“When we first started playing pickleball, it was just something fun we did. When it started to get bigger and saw some money coming in, I don’t think we ever expected it to be what it is now, especially seeing it represented at the ESPYs,” said Leigh. “It was so cool for me, as a mom, to go behind the red carpet where all the photographers were so I could see all these celebrities coming through just waiting to see AL, and then all of a sudden I hear all the photographers start yelling, ‘ALW!’ That was one of the coolest moments.”

Leigh will cherish those memories forever.

“Anna Leigh handled it like a champ,” she concluded. “We’re not taking anything for granted because it’s so unexpected, and I feel blessed to be a part of it.”

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