A shocking split in pro pickleball

Adidas coming in hot in 2025

April 10, 2025

 

We almost couldn’t believe it when the news came across our desks earlier this week: Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau were splitsville.

Huh? Sure, the duo had just lost for the second time this season at the North Carolina Open, but they were still clearly the No. 1 women’s doubles team.

So what happened? Get the full story below.

And a quick shout out to our boy and future podcast co-host, Roscoe “The Dragon” Bellamy, for reaching the singles gold medal match. We’re so proud. 🥹

Also in this issue:

  • We see you Eric Oncins 🤩

  • Win a new JOOLA Pro IV 🤞

  • Pickleball fraud leads to arrests in AZ 👮‍♂️

  • These off-court habits will improve your game đź’Ş

  • Group to attempt pickleball world record 🌎

Let’s cook. 🧑‍🍳

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HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Eric Oncins is HIM.

The image above is a little bit misleading. Eric Oncins, the guy in the white shirt on the left, looks like he’s about to smash an Erne right at Christian Alshon across the net.

The only problem with that idea: The ball doesn’t get high enough. So instead, Oncins somehow hangs in the air and hits a much slower flick through the middle of the court.

Oncins’ reaction to that shot and others throughout the match apparently didn’t sit well with Alshon, who made a distinct hand gesture toward Oncins after the match.

The drama between those two is especially interesting because they are now teammates on the same Major League Pickleball team — the Texas Ranchers.

We had the Ranchers at No. 6 in our preseason power rankings and think they could end up being better than that if all the pieces gel this year. But it’s looking like they might need some team therapy sessions before the first event in Orlando later this month.

POLL

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FEATURED STORY

Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau end partnership

We don’t know all the reasoning behind why Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau ended their historic partnership earlier this week, but what we do know is this: Waters called Parenteau on Monday, less than 24 hours after they had lost to Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black in the women’s doubles final in North Carolina.

She told Parenteau she wanted to try something different and that was pretty much the extent of it.

The news followed Monday afternoon that Waters would be teaming up with Anna Bright for the remainder of the 2025 season, which was also a surprise considering Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher were widely regarded as the No. 2 women’s doubles team. They had challenged Waters and Parenteau on multiple occasions in 2024 and so far in 2025.

WHAT NOW?

The shakeups leave Parenteau and Rohrabacher without partners at the moment, although the good news on that front is they still have a month before the next PPA Tour stop — the Atlanta Pickleball Championships May 12-18. They could also pair together, as both have shown an ability to play both the left and right side in the past.

Regardless of who they pair with, taking down Waters and Bright will be a tall task for any team going forward. Bright is widely regarded as the No. 2 women’s player right now, and she’s had success with Waters in the past — the two won all 7 tournaments they played together in 2023.

REMEMBERING A DOMINANT DUO

Waters and Parenteau will go down as the most dominant women’s doubles team ever (as of now anyway), with an overall record of 159-6 (96%) and 31 titles together.

Our founder, Jared Paul, took a moment after the news broke to shine a light on Parenteau.

“Catherine is the true consummate pickleball professional,” he said. “Since the day I discovered the sport, when The Kitchen was merely an idea, Catherine and her partner Athena were always supportive, kind and welcoming, and that has been my experience with Catherine ever since. She carries herself with true grace.”

ARIZONA PICKLEBALL SCANDAL

Father and son accused of defrauding investors to build $300M pickleball facility

Two Arizona men were arrested last week after investigators alleged they used one of the largest pickleball and sports facilities in the country "as a means to exploit and defraud investors," according to the FBI.

The father and son opened what was then called Bell Bank Park in Mesa three years ago, a sprawling complex that featured more than 40 pickleball courts, 24 soccer fields, an indoor volleyball facility, several baseball/softball fields and more.

The pickleball side of the operation has hosted several PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball events over the past several years, as well as the USA Pickleball National Championships last fall.

The facility cost nearly $300 million to build, but the business defaulted within months of opening and filed for bankruptcy in 2023. The original owners eventually lost the venue -- now operating as Arizona Athletic Grounds -- and owed $366 million to bondholders, contractors and other service providers.

The FBI this month arrested the father and son, saying they allegedly "executed the scheme using fraudulent documents to lie about the status of the proposed project in order to raise hundreds of millions of dollars, which they used to enrich themselves."

They allegedly forged documents faked interest from major sports groups in order to get investors to buy in, then used the money to buy multiple vehicles for themselves and a family member and spent more than $400,000 on a house.

INSTRUCTIONAL

3 off-court habits that will improve your game

Getting better at pickleball isn’t just about drilling and rec play. While those things are certainly helpful, they will only take you so far.

If you feel like you’ve hit a plateau and aren’t improving anymore, it’s time to make a decision: Are you comfortable with where you are in your pickleball game or do you want more?

If you want more out, you’re going to have to put more in. Lucky for you, there are a few simple things you can do off the court that we GUARANTEE will improve your game.

Hydration

Did you know that 60-75% of people are dehydrated? Yeah, look it up. This is the easiest and most effective way to up your game without really doing anything but drinking more water. If you want to take it a step further you can mix in some electrolyte packets to start your day.

Exercise

You're not wrong if you think to yourself, "Pickleball is exercise." In fact, it's great exercise. But there will likely come a point where spending time on the court just isn't enough to keep increasing your fitness level. If you think you might have reached that point, there's an obvious solution: Hit the gym.

A group of four pickleball players -- aptly named "The Pickle Breakers" -- will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest marathon rally playing pickleball this weekend in Texas.

The current record of 34 hours and 5 minutes was set in the UK, but the group is hoping to bring the title back to the U.S. with a goal of playing for 36 hours straight. They will begin their effort at 6 a.m. April 12 and (hopefully) finish at 9 p.m. April 13 at Pickler Universe in Carrollton, Texas. They will be allowed to take a 5-minute break each hour.

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

New JOOLA Pro IV shapes coming soon

JOOLA released the new Perseus Pro IV, Agassi Pro and Graf Pro paddles last month, and is now gearing up to launch the rest of the Pro IV series.

The new models ensure that there’s a shape of the Pro IV that will fit every type of play style, and each shape comes in a 14mm or 16mm thickness. In general, the 14mm models are more poppy and maneuverable at the kitchen line, while the 16mm models offer a more plush feel with added power from the baseline and on full swings.

The new shapes launch next week, but you can pre-order them now.

Check out our review of the Perseus Pro IV to learn more about the new technology in these paddles and how they perform on the court.

QUICK HITS

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