East Meet West: Venise Chan Interviews Youngest Pickleball Queen, Anna Leigh Waters
VC: What is your motto in life and what do you love about pickleball?
AW: My motto in life is have fun and do what you love! My pickleball motto however is Rip Bang Win Cake! Rip the ball, bang the ball, win the match, and celebrate with cake! I love a lot of things about pickleball, but some of my favorite things are getting to play a professional sport at a young age, traveling around the country with my family, and meeting new people!
VC: Who do you train with and how do you train?
AW: I train with my mom, with JW Johnson (a top pro male player), and with local high level pickleball players and friends. I train pickleball 3-4 days a week unless there is a tournament! I do fitness and strength work about three days per week as well!
VC: You are so young and with incredible achievements already, what’s your next goal and how are you preparing for it?
AW: My next goal in pickleball is to win a triple crown! I have won 2 out of the three events for the past three tournaments so I would LOVE to will all of them! To achieve this goal, I am working on winning women’s doubles by working on certain shots and strategy that I feel will give me a shot at getting Gold!
VC: Do you prefer singles or doubles and why ?
AW: Most people will say I’m crazy but singles is my favorite because it’s just me on the court! Win or lose it’s all on me!
VC: Could you describe the new and upcoming pickleball scene in USA? Who are your favorite celebrities that you’ve played with, and how do you see the sport evolving?
AW: The pickleball scene is getting more “bougie.” So many celebs and pro athletes are playing now and posting on social media about it. My favorite celebrity to play with was Larry Fitzgerald. He was so much fun and he loves the game so much.
VC: Its always great fun to watch you play. Your playing style is pretty aggressive and fearless, would you think your playing style has to do with your personality or how would you describe the correlation?
AW: I think that my aggressive playing style has to do with a few things. Before I started playing pickleball I was a tennis player so when I picked up a pickleball paddle my first inclination was to play pickleball like tennis so I was hitting most shots very aggressively. I wouldn’t say that my personality is aggressive, but I am intense during points so that may play a part in my style of play. I also believe that I play my best when I hit aggressive shots so I try to play as aggressive as possible during matches.
VC: How do you handle a bad day in pickleball?
AW: Usually, after a bad loss I get very upset and angry about the way I played or losing in general. I don’t really feel like talking to anyone for about 30 minutes after the match, but after that 30 minutes I try put the match in the back of my mind and forget about it. I still do the same routine the rest of the day win or lose so that helps me to move on. I pretty much handle a bad day in pickleball the same way. I am frustrated as I am playing and for a short period after but like I said, I try to move on and think about the positives that happened that day!
VC: Do you feel more pressure during matches now that you are ranked no.1 ? Why or why not?
AW: Now that I am ranked number 1 I mostly think of it as an accomplishment and I am proud of it. However, sometimes I do feel a little bit more pressure just because now I feel like I expect myself to win, but on the other hand I tell myself that I am ONLY 15 so being ranked number 1 shouldn’t change anything. Overall, I try to just play my game and have fun on the court during my matches!
VC: Have you been to Asia? Any plans to come over to play pickleball in Hong Kong and/or Asia?
AW: Although I have never been to Asia and as of right now I don’t have any near future plans to play pickleball in Asia, I think that it would be super cool to get to go over there and grow pickleball in a place like Hong Kong! Also, getting to see and experience different cultures is something that sounds like an amazing experience!
VC: Do you think pickleball opens up different opportunities for you and do you think a pickleball pro can make a living just playing pickleball? How?
AW: Pickleball has opened up different opportunities for me such as getting to travel around the country with my family to play in tournaments as well as getting to meet a lot of influential people! There are different ways to make a living in Pickleball. You can make a living through prize money and sponsorships. Or other opportunities such as traveling and teaching clinics, giving lessons, doing exhibitions, being a resident pickleball pro at a club, and giving pickleball vacations.
VC: Finally any tips you can share to pickleball players who want to consider turning pro?
AW: My tips for pickleball players who want to turn pro are to play with players better than you, drill (even though it might not seem fun in the beginning), don’t be afraid to work on new shots in practice, play in local pro tournaments first, and last but not least enjoy the process!
