Show Notes
Anna Leigh Waters joins the Picklepod to break down the Fives’ MLP championship win, the pressure of the DreamBreaker, and the team decisions that helped them get over the hump.
She shares how Federico Staksrud changed the team, why beating the St. Louis Shock made the victory even more special, and how she handles criticism, social media noise, and the pressure of being considered the face of pickleball.
Anna Leigh also talks about the players she loves competing against, the parts of her game she’s still working to improve, and the mystery behind her question-mark Franklin paddle.
Go to https://GIVEAWAY.THEDINKPICKLEBALL.COM and enter to win the Anna Leigh Waters C45 'The Fives" Paddle - Ends September 16, 2026
🏓 Donate to the Solomon Boltes Memorial Pickleball Courts: https://www.gofundme.com/f/building-solomon-boltes-memorial-pickleball-courts
📩 Subscribe to our free newsletter for everything that matters in pickleball: https://subscribe.thedinkpickleball.com
#Pickleball #PickleballPodcast #mlp #ppa
------------------
Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify
-Follow us on IG : https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/
-Join the Pro Pickleball Talk Discord → https://discord.gg/ZCqXrxhgsv
-For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam
-Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/
-Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball
------------------
0:00 What was the difference this year?
2:29 The addition of Fed
4:39 Leading a team with roster decisions
6:16 Does it feel better beating the Shock?
8:26 Who is the most satisfying to beat?
10:04 Blocking out the opinions online
13:53 The greatest competitor Zane has ever seen
17:53 What are you working on now?
19:31 ALW’s only weakness
21:28 The New Anna Leigh Waters signature paddle? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from PicklePod
Pickleball is getting louder, messier, and more interesting—and this week’s conversation proves it. Zane Navratil and Nico break down the latest pro pickleball stories, from tournament scheduling chaos in Australia and Hong Kong to first-time gold medalists, the rise of Elliott Shupp, and the debate over what belongs on center court.
The biggest indoor pickleball business story of the year collides with a wild Chicago recap, and the debate around Annalee Waters, Ben Johns, and the future of pro pickleball gets surprisingly deep fast. If you want the sharpest takes on the PPA Chicago chaos, the Pickler bankruptcy, and the next wave of stars, this is the episode.
Anna Bright joins Zane and Nico after her gold-medal run in Las Vegas to explain the moment everyone was talking about: challenging a ball at 10-0 with a double pickle on the line.
Zane Navratil is a PPA gold medalist again—and Nico Acevedo nearly turned a grueling tournament run into a championship of his own. Zane shares what made PPA Barcelona feel like a throwback, while Nico joins the conversation to unpack his breakout performance alongside Yuta Funemizu.
One of the wildest pickleball Sundays in a long time just got even crazier. A 15 seed nearly hijacks men’s doubles, a bird literally crashes the singles final, and the new PPA format changes are already reshaping who gets rewarded, who gets punished, and who might be gaming the system.