She’s the best female pickleball player ever. And only 19.

Anna Leigh Waters at the Professional Pickleball Association finals in San Clemente, Calif., on May 5. Peyton Fulford for NBC NewsPickleballShe’s the best female pickleball player ever. And only 19. Anna Leigh Waters is the No. 1-ranked singles, doubles and mixed doubles player in the world.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 12, 2026, 6:01 AM EDTBy Greg RosensteinSAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Professional athletes aren’t supposed to lose to 12-year-olds. But most 12-year-olds weren’t like Anna Leigh Waters in 2019. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Waters was in middle school when she turned pro in pickleball and quickly showed that she was headed for big things, to the shock of her much older opponents. “When I was younger, I didn’t really understand it, but a lot of people were treating me poorly on the court or would get pretty upset [and] call me names,” Waters told NBC News. “But now that I’m older, I realize the feelings they must have been going through losing to a 12-year-old. I could see how that could get people to maybe do things that they characteristically wouldn’t do.” Seven years since her debut, Waters, 19, is the No. 1-ranked female singles and doubles player in the world and widely considered the greatest to ever compete. “It’s her, and there’s not really an argument that it could be anyone else,” Professional Pickleball Association CEO Connor Pardoe said at this weekend’s finals. “She wins everything. She’s virtually unbeatable.”Anna Leigh Waters during her PPA Carvana Mesa Cup semifinal match in the Pro Women's Singles Division at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz., on Feb. 21.Bruce Yeung / Getty ImagesPardoe is referring to Waters’ 194 career gold medals on the tour. And her 44 triple crowns for claiming gold in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles at a single tournament. Both are records, regardless of gender. Waters isn’t...