In March 2026, the \"Texas Open,\" a stop on the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) Tour held in Texas, came to a close. The one who showed overwhelming presence at this tournament was Anna Leigh Waters (known as ALW). She swept all three events -- singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles -- achieving what's called a \"triple crown.\"<\/p>\n
But this triple crown wasn't just any triple crown. On the Texas courts where fierce strong winds blew throughout the tournament, ALW put on a stunning performance, as if turning even that wind into an ally. For outdoor-court pickleball, strong wind is one of the hardest conditions to deal with. That she pulled off serves, drop shots, lobs, and precise exchanges at the kitchen line all at a high level within those conditions was a tournament that once again made us feel ALW's otherworldly consistency.<\/p>\n
A PPA triple crown can't be achieved simply by entering three events. Every opponent is a top pro in the world. Standing at the top in all three events, especially including mixed doubles, which easily becomes a scramble, is impossible unless the three factors of stamina, concentration, and tactics all mesh.<\/p>\n
The PPA Texas Open is one of the series tournaments thatPPA Tour<\/a>runs throughout the year. Texas is an area with very high pickleball popularity even within the US, and this tournament, using large outdoor courts, brings top male and female pro players together in one place.<\/p>\n The defining feature of this tournament was the weather conditions particular to Texas in March. Gusting winds blew intermittently and fiercely, and situations that made ball control markedly difficult persisted. Anyone with experience playing outdoors will understand: with just wind present, predicting a serve's bounce, a drop shot's trajectory, and a lob's landing point all go haywire. Reportedly, the conditions were such that even pro players commented that they \"couldn't play proper pickleball.\"<\/p>\n Despite such a situation, ALW's play was steady throughout. Rather than disliking the wind, it was a tournament that showcased an adaptive play style, reading the strength of the wind and adjusting the power and direction of her shots each time.<\/p>\n Pickleball Viewing Guide | The Highlights of APP, PPA and MLP, Plus a Pro Player Directory<\/a>As introduced in, the PPA is a tour series representing America's pro pickleball world. Along with the APP and MLP, it's an organization leading the world's pro scene. This tournament's results are also an important match directly tied to the overall rankings for the entire 2026 season.<\/p>\n For those who don't know, here's a brief introduction. Anna Leigh Waters (Anna Leigh Waters<\/a>) is a female pro pickleball player from the US, a presence sweeping the women's pro scene of the 2020s. She rose to prominence as a pro in her teens, and in her early twenties she has a record impressive enough to be called \"the strongest female player ever.\"<\/p>\n What's noteworthy is the breadth of her adaptability. Not just powerful attack shots, but delicate drop shots, lobs that shake up the opponent, and precise hand control at the kitchen line -- every technique is at a world level, and being able to display it even under harsh conditions like \"strong winds\" is ALW's true specialty.<\/p>\n In doubles, she pairs with her mother, Leigh Waters, and is also famous as the \"Waters family.\" In mixed doubles her partner sometimes changes by tournament, but she shows a high degree of completeness with any partner. Top pro players who are family is a distinctive presence rarely seen even in Japan's sports world.<\/p>\n This triple crown achievement will likely be one of the especially memorable victories in ALW's career. The fact that she alone could maintain exceptionally high performance while the external factor of \"strong winds\" acted as an equal negative against the other players proves that her technique, mental strength, and physical ability are all a cut above.<\/p>\n Here, rather than stopping at a spectator's article, let's add a player's-eye analysis. The play style ALW showed in the wind should be greatly useful to amateur players too.<\/p>\n 1. Strengthen Your Awareness of Keeping the Ball Low<\/strong><\/p>\n On strong-wind days, high-trajectory shots are easily carried by the wind, raising the risk of losing control. As ALW showed, making frequent use of drop shots anddink<\/a>(low cross shots) and continuing to hit on trajectories that pass over the net as low as possible becomes the key.<\/p>\n 2. Deliberately Reduce Your Serve's Ball Speed<\/strong><\/p>\n On windy days, a hard serve can conversely be pushed by the wind and go out. A control-type serve prioritizing depth and direction over speed is effective.Practice methods to stabilize your pickleball serve | Tips for getting it in and repetition training<\/a>As touched on in, a stable serve is also directly tied to psychological reassurance throughout the match.<\/p>\n 3. Shorten Your Mental Reset Cycle<\/strong><\/p>\nWhat Kind of Player Is Anna Leigh Waters (ALW)?<\/h2>\n
Practical Lessons You Can Learn from Strong-Wind Conditions<\/h2>\n