The 2026–27 Carvana PPA Tour season opens in Cary with the first of four majors — 2,000 points on the line, more than 1,400 players in the draw, and the new World Pickleball Rankings in effect for the first time.
Why It Matters
The Tour's new September-to-May season starts with a major, and it is the first event scored under the three-discipline World Pickleball Rankings: 50% gender doubles, 35% mixed, 15% singles.
Overall Top 5
Happy New Year: the Carvana PPA Tour now follows a September-to-May format, like the NHL and NBA.
Worldly affair: the new World Pickleball Rankings are three-dimensional, combining all disciplines — 50% gender doubles, 35% mixed, and 15% singles.
No "I" in team: how will the MLP winners, and those that came up just short, fare with a quick turnaround?
Rock you like a hurricane: who will hoist the trophy like the NHL's Canes? The pro-am is Thursday night.
Major implications: the year starts with one of four majors, worth 2,000 points.
Venue, Tourney & TV
This is the first event of the 26/27 season, with over 1,400 players participating.
A progressive draw on the pro side means one round per bracket per day, and no bronze matches.
Coverage on PickleballTV begins at 10 a.m. Eastern Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, with a 9 a.m. start Saturday. Tennis Channel carries afternoon coverage Thursday through Sunday (non-exclusive).
Women's Singles
Top four seeds: 1) Anna Leigh Waters, 2) Kate Fahey, 3) Kaitlyn Christian, 4) Brooke Buckner.
Anna Leigh Waters' unbeaten streak has reached 824 days at the start of the main draws in NC.
Potential battle in the round of 16: Brooke Buckner (4) vs. Cailyn Campbell (13).
Watch out for Sofia Sewing (46) — a very talented player who will move up the rankings quickly, but she has to start in the 40s and will be a tough out in Cary.
Men's Singles
Top four seeds: 1) Chris Haworth, 2) Federico Staksrud, 3) Hunter Johnson, 4) Christian Alshon.
Haworth is No. 1 in the world and hoping to pick up where he left off from his win at the PPA Finals — but he has not had a good DreamBreaker season in MLP, just three points over .500.
Ben Johns is playing singles as the 24 seed and Tyson McGuffin as the 39 seed, and they meet in the round of 64. Theater.
Another round-of-64 thriller: JW Johnson (28) vs. Max Freeman (33).
Watch out for Grayson Goldin (26) — he battles a stroke, perseveres, and just won the PPA Asia event in China.
Mixed Doubles
Top four seeds: 1) Anna Leigh Waters / Ben Johns, 2) Anna Bright / Hayden Patriquin, 3) JW Johnson / Jorja Johnson, 4) Rachel Rohrabacher / Christian Alshon.
Ben Johns is the only player among the top four seeds not playing in the MLP semifinals.
Eric Oncins and Tina Pisnik are paired as the 7 seed, having made the Newport final earlier in the year.
Round-of-64 barnburner: Catherine Parenteau / Riley Newman (10) vs. Sofia Sewing / Casey Diamond (64).
Watch out for Hurricane Tyra Black and Gabe Tardio (5) — a dangerous, talented duo that will be tough to beat. They have not played together in the US in over two years, and finished third in Hanoi in April.
Women's Doubles
Top four seeds: 1) Bright / Waters, 2) Black / Johnson, 3) Rohrabacher / Todd, 4) Schneemann / Pisnik.
Waters and Bright are undefeated in 2026.
A new, dangerous team lands as the 5 seed: Sofia Sewing and Catherine Parenteau.
Potential round of 16: Etta Tuionetoa / Meghan Dizon (7) vs. Kaitlyn Christian / Brooke Buckner (9).
Watch out for Kate Fahey and Lea Jansen (6) — can they make a run to the semis or farther?
Men's Doubles
Top four seeds: 1) Johns / Tardio, 2) Alshon / Daescu, 3) Patriquin / Staksrud, 4) JW Johnson / Shimabukuro.
Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio are undefeated in 2026.
What's old is new again: Patriquin/Staksrud (3) and Alshon/Daescu (2) pair up again, both seeking their gold-medal-winning ways of 2025.
Potential round of 16: Will Howells / CJ Klinger (5) vs. Roscoe Bellamy / Connor Garnett (9).
Watch out for Tama Shimabukuro and JW Johnson (4) — what will Tama Time plus the Flickwizard produce? A fascinating new pairing that will be must-see TV.
