Anna Leigh Waters Set for Asia Debut at Hanoi Cup Pickleball Event

For the first time in her career, Anna Leigh Waters will bring her pickleball game overseas, competing at the MB Hanoi Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam, beginning April 1. The 19-year-old will enter women's doubles with Anna Bright and mixed doubles with Ben Johns at the My Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena.

The tournament will award 1,000 ranking points to champions as part of the Professional Pickleball Association's global ranking system. This year marks the first time PPA Tour Asia will fully standardize its ranking points with the global Carvana PPA Tour, meaning athletes competing in Hanoi will have their points directly applied to their official world rankings. The tournament carries a total prize pool of $300,000.

In the draw, Waters and Bright enter as the No. 1 seed in women's doubles, while Waters and Johns are seeded No. 1 in mixed doubles, with the second mixed doubles seed going to Bright and Hayden Patriquin, and Tyra Black and Gabriel Tardio slotted third.

With nearly 700 registered athletes, this is the largest turnout ever recorded for a PPA Tour Asia event. Joining Waters and Johns in the draw are international names including Gabriel Tardio, Hayden Patriquin, Tyson McGuffin, Federico Staksrud, Tyra Black and Dylan Frazier. Prominent Vietnamese competitors, including Ly Hoang Nam, Trinh Linh Giang, Phuc Huynh, Ken Tam and Sophia Tran Phuong Anh, will also take the court.

"Making my international debut in Vietnam is one of the highlights of my career," Waters said. "I've experienced the sport's growth in the U.S., and I am honored to be part of the first PPA Tour Asia event in Hanoi. To be able to compete and then share the sport I love through exhibitions and clinics in Ho Chi Minh City with Franklin Sports is an incredible opportunity to help grow the game on a world stage."

Following the tournament, Waters will travel to Ho Chi Minh City on April 6-7 to host clinics and a showcase event in partnership with equipment manufacturer Franklin Sports. Franklin Sports noted that "Anna Leigh represents the very best of the sport," calling her participation in their Ho Chi Minh showcase "a powerful step to engage fans and inspire new play."

At just 19 years old, Waters is already one of the most decorated players in the sport, holding the No. 1 ranking in women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles on the PPA Tour, with a record 191 gold medals and 41 triple crowns across major competitions. Earlier this year, Nike signed a deal with Waters in the company's first partnership in pickleball; she will represent Nike in apparel and footwear across all competitions and serve as a global ambassador.

The 2026 PPA Asia 1000 MB Hanoi Cup marks the third PPA Tour Asia event hosted in Vietnam, following previous events in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. The MB Hanoi Cup also marks the tour's first visit to Northern Vietnam. The five-day competition will take place at the My Dinh Indoor Arena, a venue capable of accommodating about 3,000 spectators daily.