From coincidence to world number 1
Anna Leigh Waters started playing pickleball at the age of 10. That was in 2017 - many years before this sport was labeled "the fastest growing sport in the United States" - when her family, who lived in Florida and had a tennis background, had to evacuate to her grandparents' house in Pennsylvania to avoid Hurricane Irma.
Waters' grandfather, Neil, was the first to suggest the whole family try playing to kill time. "At first we were like, No, it's an age-old game," Waters recalled, "I even thought: Is it like hitting a pickle through a net? I don't know what it is at all.
She finally tried, and was immediately captivated. In just 1 year, Waters competed in professional-level tournaments with her mother, Leigh. On the podcast "Welcome to the Party", Waters said she played for her mother. "It all happened by chance," Waters said, "I started at the lowest level when it was 3.0 and after each tournament, I increased to 0.5... then I realized I needed to wear glasses and that helped me play much better".
My mother was playing professional pickleball at that time and one of her pairs suddenly withdrew from the tournament at the last minute. She asked me: Do you want to play with me?... We won the Silver Medal and lost to the team that was probably 2 of the 3 best players in the world at that time. At that time I was 11 years old and my mother said: Mom thinks you have potential. I turned 12, continued to practice and just 5 months later, we defeated the world No. 1 team".
At the age of 14, she became the world No. 1 female tennis player. At the end of 2019, Waters and her mother were ranked as the world No. 1 pair in doubles.
Top income
Now, at the age of 19, Waters is a familiar name at the top of the PPA Tour rankings - the leading professional pickleball league system in the United States - and also tops the income table of the United Pickleball Association (the organization managing PPA and Major League Pickleball according to the team model), with a 7-digit income each year from both inside and outside the court.
She is a phenomenon, often called the "GOAT" of pickleball, and is constantly expanding her role as a brand ambassador and representative face for this sport.
She is Tiger Woods, Serena Williams of pickleball," agent Ryan Harwood commented. Harwood is currently an advisor to the representative company VaynerSports. In evidence of the youthfulness of this sport, Harwood is also co-owner and general manager of Team New Jersey 5s - where Waters plays in Major League Pickleball - and is a shareholder of UPA (the unit that negotiates contracts between players and the league, rather than with teams).
I see her as a very special generational talent," Harwood added, "She has 3 factors: Youth, dominance and commercial ability.
Harwood and Waters met when she was selected for Team New Jersey 5s in 2023. Since then, he has become a close advisor, in the group of the most important people around Waters, along with her parents, grandparents; physical medicine doctor Ashton Tyree (who regularly accompanies her to tournaments); coach Brandon Oakes; and even bus driver Eric Wooley.
Earlier this year, Waters moved his representative company from Octagon to VaynerSports - a company co-founded by AJ and Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary is also a partner with Harwood in New Jersey 5s and the creative company VaynerX). Currently, this company manages Waters' entire career, from competition contracts, brand deals to social media channels.
Expanding the portfolio of cooperation
Waters' brand partner portfolio includes: Delta Air Lines, DoorDash, RXBar, Pilla glasses, U by Kotex women's care product line and most recently the Ulta Beauty cosmetics chain. She is also the main face of the recent 4th Pickleball Slam event, competing with Andre Agassi, James Blake and former WTA player Eugenie Bouchard.
“We are very selective in cooperation. I want to make sure they are products that I really like,” Waters said, “Audiences can clearly recognize what is natural, what you actually use, and what is just receiving money to post.”
The agreement with Ulta - a 1-year contract - is a clear example of personal passion oriented towards commercial opportunities. Waters said she has used the brand's skin care and makeup products since childhood. This agreement includes placing a logo on her jersey, and Waters will join the group of female athletes-ambassadors that Ulta plans to launch.
What Anna Leigh has done in her sport at a very young age is extremely interesting - and that is associated with the inspiring image she brings to our beauty community," Ulta's Marketing Director, Kelly Mahoney, shared, "And of course, pickleball is a sport that almost anyone can play, which is of particular interest to us.
Costume contracts with Fila and rackets with Paddletek - Waters' most valuable contracts - will expire at the end of this year.
This is the first time my costume and racket contracts have expired together, so we are having very interesting exchanges with many different companies," Waters said, "I think there is no wrong choice. Currently, I just keep an open mind.
Harwood said that Waters' off-court income is at several million USD per year, equivalent to a top female tennis player. However, he also emphasized: "The number 1 in the world, both male and female, in pickleball are exceptions". Meanwhile, Waters' salary from UPA exceeds 2 million USD per year, equal to the number 1 male and mixed doubles player Ben Johns. UPA is currently renegotiating contracts in the direction of increasing the proportion of bonuses instead of fixed salaries like in 2023, but CEO Connor Pardoe said that Waters is likely to still be one of the highest earners.
Pardoe added that in working sessions with sponsors, Waters is always an attractive name. DoorDash is an example. “When we discussed expanding their presence in pickleball, they didn't need to think much,” he said, “They want Anna Leigh Waters to be the one to appear in the commercials”.
Preparing for the next step
In addition to competing and sponsoring, Waters said she has thought about investing in companies related to pickleball, although admitting that this is a long-term plan. In the short term, she is more interested in creating content. This month, she plans to launch a YouTube channel about cooking - her biggest hobby outside the arena.
Waters also spends a lot of time traveling to promote pickleball. She will participate in the Pickleball World Championships organized by UPA at Brookhaven Country Club (Texas), a tournament that attracted 57,000 spectators last year. Before that, she also stood out on the ESPYs red carpet. And in 2026, she is considering international destinations, including Asia - where UPA began to expand.
Those events are like a two-pronged shot," Waters said, "It helps me develop my brand, and also helps this sport develop. I am very focused on helping pickleball grow, because I really love it, and I believe that others will also like it as soon as they try it.
