World No.1, Anna Leigh Waters, earns two gold medals in Cape Coral

Feb 16, 2026 2 min read

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KAITLYN CHRISTIAN, FINAL-10 Credit: Carvana PPA Tour)

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Throngs of pickleball fans crowded into The Courts, Cape Coral to see pickleball’s elite battle for gold and glory at Carvana PPA Tour Zimmer Biomet Cape Coral Open.

Fans were able to witness Nike athlete Anna Leigh Waters earn multiple gold medals, a fan-favorite earn a milestone, and competition for world No.1 in men’s singles.

The tournament took place at The Courts, Cape Coral from Feb. 9-15 and featured both amateur and professional players.

In women’s doubles, the team of Waters and Anna Bright earned their 17th title together, defeating the Kawamoto sisters, Jackie and Jade, and Bright became only the second player in history (Catherine Parenteau) to have achieved 30 or more gold, silver, and bronze medals.

In women’s singles, former Wimbledon finalist and global sports superstar Genie Bouchard earned the silver medal, losing to Kaitlin Christian in the final. The windy conditions made for a thrilling match, as Bouchard took game one, before Christian locked in to take games two and three. Christian said after the match,

“It was tough conditions today, super windy. I definitely don’t think either of us played our best. I felt like I struggled a lot this week, but I thought the crowd really brought the energy,” she said of the performance. “Happy to get a fourth gold. I haven’t gotten one in a while, so this one means a lot to me.”

The men’s singles final saw the 15th clash between the two biggest titans of singles pickleball, Federico Staksrud and Hunter Johnson. The match saw Staksrud win his 18th career gold medal in singles on his 30th birthday after a terrific cat-and-mouse match.

Complete gold medal results:

• Mixed Doubles: Johns/Waters def. Bright/Patriquin 11-7, 9-11, 3-11, 12-10, 11-5.

• Women’s Doubles: Waters/Bright def. Kawamoto/Kawamoto 11-9, 11-5, 11-2.

• Men’s Doubles: Johns/Tardio def. Johnson/Klinger 111-9, 11-3, 11-7.

• Women’s Singles: Christian def. Bouchard 13-15, 11-6, 11-2.

• Men’s Singles: Staksrud def. Johnson 11-9, 11-7.

The Carvana PPA Tour sees action next at the Carvana Mesa Cup, taking place Feb. 16-22. Waters, Bright, Bouchard, and Staksrud will battle against superstars Ben Johns, Christian Alshon and more. All action will be streamed LIVE on Pickleballtv with windows on Fox Sports 1 Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

— Tournament recap and all photos courtesy of Carvana PPA Tour