The world’s top pickleball athletes, cross-sport icons and global superstar athletes are on their way.
This year’s roster of the best pickleball players who will compete at the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships in November at Brookhaven Country Club has been released. Last year, the event brought 50,000 pickleball fans to Brookhaven’s Pickleball Boulevard.
This international event will showcase the sport’s top players who can only be seen on the professional PPA Tour and MLP events, which has already garnered attention from across the country. Amateur players of all ages and skill levels from 47 states are currently registered.
The Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships will feature all three PPA Tour events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles, providing spectators with a multitude of exciting matchups as fans await the crowning of the 2024 world champions.
"We are thrilled to announce the exceptionally diverse lineup of professional players who will be participating in the Pickleball World Championships," said Connor Pardoe, the CEO & Founder of the PPA Tour. "This tournament brings together the world’s best of the best in pickleball, and we are excited to witness the intense competition and sportsmanship that will be on display."
The list includes:
Anna Leigh Waters, the teenage phenom World No.1 who broke onto the pro pickleball scene at 12 years old, has become pickleball’s biggest star with more Triple Crowns (winning singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the same event) than any other player.
Ben Johns is likely pickleball’s first true legend of the game - the original GOAT who paved the way for pickleball as a professional sport. Johns holds nearly every record in men's and mixed classes and has since branched out into the business of pickleball, co-owning multiple pickleball-related entities.
Eugenie “Genie” Bouchard is a former Wimbledon finalist and Women’s Tennis Association World No.5. She recently turned her talents to the pickleball courts where the Canadian looks to continue her cross-sports success.
Federico Staksrud is currently in a tight race for Men’s Singles World No.1 with Ben Johns. Hailing from Buenos Aires, the Argentine has proven himself to be a tour-de-force in the sport.
Jack Sock, an Olympic Gold Medalist and four-time tennis Grand Slam champion, is a fixture on the PPA Tour and has found great success with his powerful groundstrokes and instinctual play.
Quang Duong is fresh off his first PPA Tour gold medal at the Selkirk Bristol open and the teenager is already a superstar in his home country of Vietnam.
Catherine Parenteau, the World No.1 women’s doubles player, is a tireless competitor, traveling across the country playing in the biggest pickleball tournaments around. When the Montreal native is not competing, she often teaches her craft to others.
Tyson McGuffin is one of the most visible players in pickleball and was named “The Most Electrifying Man in Sports” by Barstool Sports. The tattooed fan-favorite is an icon of the game and works tirelessly to grow the game on social media, reality television and on the court.
Anna Bright is a Fort Worth native who emerged as a varsity tennis superstar at the University of California-Berkeley, where she reached as high as No. 13 in the country.
Lucy Kovalova has one of the most fearsome game-faces on the PPA Tour. The native Slovakian is a consistently top-ranked doubles player and has powerful two-handed backhand, her signature move.
The full pro player field can be found here.
Founded in 2019, the Carvana PPA Tour organizes and conducts tournaments across the country, establishes player rankings and showcases the world’s best pickleball week in and week out. Inviting amateur players to also compete and “play where the pros play,” the Carvana PPA Tour offers divisions for every age group and skill level.