STORYLINES FOR THE BIOFREEZE USA PICKLEBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS POWERED BY INVITED & THE PPA TOUR 

OVERALL TOP 5:

• EVERYTHING’S BIGGER IN TEXAS: Over 3,500 players competing on 80 courts-biggest pickleball event EVER. 
• X MARKS THE BALL: Franklin X-40 is the official ball of the event
• NOW THAT’S PROGRESSIVE: First ever progressive draw for the PPA, meaning one round of all pro brackets is played each day.  
• PEER PRESSURE: Pro draws seeded by a committee of pro players. 
• ZIP. ZERO. NADA: Anna Leigh Waters has zero losses in women’s doubles in 2023, paired with Catherine Parenteau

BROADCAST & VENUE HIGHLIGHTS (all times Central): 

• Tuesday: Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown: ESPN 7-8pm and pbtv 8-9 pm
• Wednesday-Saturday: pbtv 10am-8pm; Tennis Channel 330-7pm
• Championship Sunday: pbtv 10am-finish, ESPN 2-4pm
• 1^st year of Brookhaven Country Club hosting Nationals – tourney moved from Indian Wells, CA last year. 
• Competitors range in age from 7 to 93. 

MEN’S SINGLES:

• DEFENDING MEDALISTS: Ben Johns, Julian Arnold, Tyson McGuffin
• Potential round of 16 classic: Gabe Joseph (8) vs. Collin Shick (9)
• NOT PLAYING: Federico Staksrud and Dylan Frazier (both playing doubles)
• WATCH OUT FOR: Thomas Wilson might be the most dangerous 21 seed in pickleball history 

WOMEN’S SINGLES:

• DEFENDING MEDALISTS: Anna Leigh Waters, Lea Jansen, Salome Devidze
• Jorja Johnson is a very talented 10 seed
• Can anyone break up the CP/ALW Sunday stranglehold?
• WATCH OUT FOR: Megan Fudge who has a big opportunity as the 3 seed

MIXED DOUBLES:

• DEFENDING MEDALISTS: Waters/Newman, Parenteau/Johns, Todd/JW Johnson
• JW and Jorja Johnson (3) hold the only win over Ben and ALW in 2023 and are a serious threat to medal.
• Alshon and Black (8) are a team on the rise.
• WATCH OUT FOR: AB and Big Poppa (2) who didn’t get to play the final in Vegas due to James’ injury. 

WOMEN’S DOUBLES:

• DEFENDING MEDALISTS: Parenteau/Waters, Bright/Irvine, Stratman/Todd
• Dallas Pickleball Club teammates Allyce Jones and Callie Smith (4) looking to medal
• Todd and Irvine (3) have the firepower to get to Sunday. 
• WATCH OUT FOR: Anna Bright and Jade Kawamoto – are they the duo to take out ALW/CP?

MEN’S DOUBLES:

• DEFENDING MEDALISTS: Johns/Johns, Bar/Johnson, Newman/Wright
• JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier lost a classic 5 game thriller in Vegas to the Johns – can they grab gold here?
• Spicy potential quarter: Staksrud/Tellez (4) vs. Wilson/Arnold (5)
• WATCH OUT FOR: MLP teammates and champs Newman and Alshon (3)