Pickleball star Anna Leigh Waters sets Manila return for celebrity showdown

Pickleball champion Anna Leigh Waters. HandoutMANILA — World-renowned pickleball champion Anna Leigh Waters will return to Manila before the year ends for a celebrity match at the IAm Worldwide Pickleball Showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseumn on December 9.

Her return comes after her first visit to an Asian country, where she headlined the Franklin Asia Pickleball Showcase by Franklin Sports in Manila. The 19-year-old, who was accompanied by her parents, said she was surprised by the warm reception she received from Filipino fans.

“I didn’t know what to expect here in the Philippines when I arrived three days ago,” Waters told ABS-CBN News on Thursday. “But it was definitely more. I just had the best three days of my life.”

“I felt so much love and support from so many people I never met before. But everything was incredible just what the sport pickleball can do. People can work together,” she added.

Waters’ visit to the Philippines was made possible by IAm Worldwide, which signed her up this year to become the wellness brand’s global ambassador.

“I feel that I’ve known everybody and they knew so much about me,” Waters said. “They give me love, everybody here, everything. I’m having a great time. When I partner with people, I want to make sure there’s a good relationship.”

Waters, who turned professional at 12 and went on to become one of pickleball’s dominant players, winning titles in women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, is happy that people, young and old, are enjoying the sport as part of their lifestyle. 

“That’s really cool to see,” Waters said. “Pickleball being part of the culture. In America, the sport is really growing. I feel that has been happening in the Philippines, as well.”

Pickleball champion Anna Leigh Waters. Handout

As Waters keeps on moving through her goal, expect more milestones that she will accomplish. 

“Chasing the top is easier than staying in the top,” she said. “When I first became number one and started winning gold medals, I felt like the goal was always to get there and to stay there.

“The number 200 for me proves to myself that I was not only good enough to reach the top, but good enough to stay there when everyone’s gotten for you and putting your best against you. So that, I think, really is a challenge in itself.”

Waters is proud of herself for weathering the storm. She has responded to that kind of pressure every day, day in a day out. “I feel like a lot of players struggle in finding paddles that fit their game specifically, because a lot of players were either searching for the paddles that hit their weaknesses or their strength,” she said.

Last June, IAm Worldwide flew to New York to shoot the commercial of Waters for the brand.

“Thank you, guys for being so welcoming to me back in New York,” she said. “They were so nice to welcome me into their family. The shoot was so great. Everybody was very professional. I had so much fun shooting with the gummy bears. That was like the commercial of my dreams.”

(From left) John Lynch, head of marketing of Franklin Sports, Anna Leigh Waters, head of international Jared Franklin, and Waters’ parents Stephen and Leigh Waters. Handout

Family, to Waters, is the most important. Her mom, also named Leigh, is also her first trainor. 

“Having my family around has been so important to me,” Waters said. “This is something I’ve been doing since the beginning.

“My parents keep me grounded and have taught me important values along the way. I really couldn’t do what I do without her. And I wouldn’t have a head on my shoulders if it wasn’t for my parents.”