World No. 1s Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters Headline Pro Player Field At 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships, Which Will Feature Record Prize Purse

Tune in to the broadcast Nov. 7-12 across ESPN, Tennis Channel and pickleballtv

DALLAS (October 24, 2023) – World No. 1s Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters headline the outstanding pro player field participating in the 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships powered by Invited and the PPA Tour. Pickleball’s largest-ever tournament runs from November 5-12 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, an inner-ring suburb of Dallas. 

Given their remarkable resumes, Johns and Waters are the most recognizable names in pickleball worldwide. Johns is the first-ever player to win 100 career titles on the PPA Tour. At age 24, he is the winningest player – male or female – in PPA history with 104 career gold medals. Waters is second overall in PPA titles with 83. The 16-year-old phenom has 19 career Triple Crowns on the PPA Tour, tied for most all-time alongside Johns. Dallas pros participating in Nationals include pickleball veterans Riley and Lindsey Newman, and former professional soccer player, Ivan Jakovljević, who hails from Croatia but calls Dallas home. 

Joining Johns and Waters in the pro field is a long list of pickleball’s brightest stars. Men’s participants include Federico Staksrud, Tyson McGuffin, Jay Devilliers, Collin Johns, Julian Arnold, Dylan Frazier, JW Johnson and former ATP star Sam Querrey, while women’s notables include Catherine Parenteau, Anna Bright, Hurricane Tyra Black, Irina Tereschenko, Lauren Stratman, Callie Jo Smith, Jorja Johnson and many more.

The pros will be competing for a record prize purse of more than $200,000. The winning teams in pro gender and mixed doubles will each receive $18,000, while the winning singles players will each receive $6,660. The overall grand purse, including the senior pro and split payouts, is more than $275,000.

“Brookhaven Country Club will soon be the center of the pickleball universe. Nationals is one of the crown jewel tournaments, and with pickleball’s best athletes going head-to-head and a record prize purse at stake, the competition promises to be fierce and electrifying,” said Connor Pardoe, Founder and CEO of the PPA Tour. “Led by Ben and Anna Leigh, the pro player field is exceptionally deep, so the brackets in every discipline will be hotly contested. From singles to doubles to mixed doubles, anything can happen. That’s the beauty of this event, winning and etching your name in the history books means everything.” 

The amateur field competing at Nationals will feature over 3,500 competitors representing 49 states and the District of Columbia. Notable entrants include Tiger Woods’ former golf coach Hank Haney, former World No. 13 ranked tennis player and collegiate tennis coach Alice Tym, former NCAA Basketball Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough, NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, big wave surfer Kelson Lau, Rubik’s Cube world record holder Chris Olson, and mother-daughter duo Angie and Ella Cosma.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a highly competitive group of pro players to be vying for that coveted title of national champion and a record prize purse in just a few weeks’ time,” said Mike Nealy, USA Pickleball Chief Executive Officer. “Nationals gets more exciting each year as the best talent in pickleball square off at this event, and I know this year’s competition will not disappoint. We cannot wait to see who lifts that Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championship trophy this year.” 

The Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7pm CT on Championship Court will also be a highlight for fans. The exhibition will see top pickleball pros and sports stars Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Romo, Jason Kidd, Scottie Scheffler, Tyler Seguin and John Isner lace up and show out in front of a raucous crowd at USAP Nationals and on tv on ESPN.

The pro competition and broadcast schedule for Nationals is as follows:

*Subject to change

Tuesday, November 7

• 7pm CT: Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Romo, Jason Kidd, Scottie Scheffler, Tyler Seguin and John Isner
• Where to Watch
  • ESPN: 7:00 pm-8:00 pm CT
  • pickleballtv: 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CT

Wednesday, November 8

• 10am CT Start: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles – Round of 32
• Where to Watch:
  • Tennis Channel: 3:30 pm-7:00 pm CT
  • pickleballtv: 10:00 am-8:00 pm CT

Thursday, November 9

• 10am CT Start: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles – Round of 16
• Where to Watch:
  • Tennis Channel: 3:30 pm-7:00 pm CT
  • pickleballtv: 10:00 am-8:00 pm CT

Friday, November 10

• 10am CT Start: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles – Quarterfinals
• Where to Watch:
  • Tennis Channel: 3:30 pm-7:00 pm CT
  • pickleballtv: 10:00 am-8:00 pm CT

Saturday, November 11

• 10am CT Start: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles – Semifinals
• Where to Watch:
  • Tennis Channel: 3:30 pm-7:00 pm CT
  • pickleballtv: 10:00 am-8:00 pm CT

Sunday, November 12 – Championship Sunday

• 10am CT Start: Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles – Gold Medal Matches
• Where to Watch:
  • ESPN: 3:00 pm-5:00 pm CT
  • pickleballtv: 10:00 am-3:00 pm CT

More than 20,000 attendees are expected to take in the pickleball action and enjoy the festivities at Brookhaven, which underwent $5.3 million in transformative renovations and upgrades.

Individual tickets for Nationals, along with week-long passes, and tickets for pickleball clinics and select events on-site at Brookhaven are available now. Click here for purchase information. The event starts on Nov. 5 with clinics and other activities, while tournament competition will officially begin on Nov. 6.

PPA Tour Media Contact:
Jeff Watson, VP of Communications
j.watson@ppatour.com, 817-944-2298

USA Pickleball Media Contact:
Melissa Zhang, Director of Communications & Content
mzhang@usapickleball.org, 508-768-5649

About USA Pickleball
USA Pickleball is the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of pickleball in the United States. Its mission is to promote the development and growth of the sport while sanctioning events and providing annual members with premier tournaments, educational opportunities, player rankings, official rules and other exclusive benefits. USA Pickleball is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that is governed and operated by a Board of Directors and a national office staff, who provide the guidance and infrastructure for the continued expansion of the sport.

About Carvana PPA Tour
Founded in 2019, the Carvana PPA Tour is where pickleball’s top athletes go head-to-head to determine the best male and female players in the world. The Carvana PPA Tour organizes and conducts tournaments at world-class facilities across the country, establishes women and men player rankings, and awards over $5.5 million in annual prize money during the 2023 season with equal play and pay. 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. Characterized by a uniquely festive and fun atmosphere, Carvana PPA Tour events deliver unparalleled experiences for fans on-site, including pro player meet-and-greets, clinics, food, beverages, live entertainment, giveaways, games, shopping, and VIP upgrades. For more information, go to www.ppatour.com, and follow us on social: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn. For more information, go to www.ppatour.com and follow us on social: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn.