It was the shock heard 'round the pickleball world.

Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau officially split up their unstoppable women's doubles partnership. There were tears, sappy goodbye posts, and lots of online speculation. 

Waters and Parenteau were perennial favorites until Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher stormed onto the scene and provided a formidable challenge in the event.

Bright and Rohrabacher quickly earned “The Girlies” nickname and regularly gave Waters and Parenteau tons of trouble on the 20x44. Yes, there were upsets.

Soon, Bright and Rohrabacher were the second best duo in women's doubles and a rivalry blossomed following several memorable clashes on Championship Sunday.

During the Veolia Cape Coral Open, Rohrabacher shared how important this rivalry was for her game and the sport as a whole.

"It’s super beneficial for the players because there’s no complacency. Since we go back and forth, we’re constantly pushing each other to get better and reach limits and new heights we never thought we could reach," she explained. "It’s exciting for fans to not know who’s going to win each time we show up on Championship Sunday. A rivalry is good for all parties because it’s exciting."

The rivalry brought incredible anticipation and excitement to every Championship Sunday because these teams were essentially an even match. And let’s face it, no sporting event is fun to watch when it’s a blowout.

Rivalries bring attention, viewership, and inspire fans to pick a side (and even wear merch supporting their favorite team). Best of all, rivalries make teams better. 

This particular rivalry was entering into that sweet spot where both teams had beaten each other and neither really had the upper hand. They were at the same level.

Like Rohrabacher, Waters enjoyed the ongoing competition as well.

"Anna and Rachel have really pushed us. I felt like we were getting better and figuring out what strategies worked and what didn’t, and it’s made us a better team," she said during the Veolia Cape Coral Open. "I’m not grateful that we’ve lost against them, but I’m grateful that we were pushed because we had to get creative. All four of us have gotten better as the rivalry continued, and we have such long points because the defense from both teams is so good." 

Those long points with crazy shots and show-stopping defense are the kinds of highlights that go viral for a reason. They’re the plays that demonstrate to every spectator just how high-level this game is. It’s some of the best pro pickleball to witness live at tournaments. 

Now, this rivalry is a thing of the past.

I'm seriously bummed out. The split left me wondering: What could have been?

Interestingly enough, Waters is joining forces with Bright moving forward, which should be a treat for the remainder of the 2025 PPA Tour campaign.  

As the saying goes, “If you can’t beat them, join them.”

But a part of me wishes they hadn’t. 

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