About the Finals

The Finals have historically been in December, ending the traditional calendar year on the PPA Tour. However, since announcing the 2025-2026 season in September, the Finals will be in May for the foreseeable future.

The Finals is an event worth 2,000 PPA points for the winners (equivalent to a Slam), but not everyone can play. The top eight teams/players qualify for the Finals. Here is the breakdown:

Women’s Singles: Top 8
Men’s Singles: Top 8
Women’s Mixed Doubles: Top 8
Men’s Mixed Doubles: Top 8
Women’s Doubles: Top 16
Men’s Doubles: Top 16

So how are partnerships made in doubles? This is one of the fun aspects of the Finals - the top seed gets to choose their partner for the event. He/she can choose anyone that has qualified for the event. After the first seed chooses his/her partner, the second seed then chooses, and so on. In mixed doubles, the first woman seed chooses her male partner and then the second woman seed chooses hers, and so on.

The Finals is a round robin style tournament where there are two pools of four teams/players. The round robin gives each team/player three matches. The best two teams/players advance to a semifinal round where the 1 seed from one pool plays the 2 seed from the opposite pool, and vice versa.

A warning - the points used to determine qualifiers is called The Race. On the PPA Tour website, the points default to The Rank, but The Race determines who qualifies for the Finals.

With all of that being said, let’s take a look at each group of players and who is going to qualify for the Finals.

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Women’s Singles

Locks: Anna Leigh Waters, Kate Fahey, Kaitlyn Christian, Brooke Buckner, Lea Jansen, and Catherine Parenteau

Probables: Chao Yi “Zoey” Wang

Analysis: Zoey is nearly a lock with two events remaining, despite her skipping Sacramento. That leaves one spot in the Finals up for grabs between Genie Bouchard (not playing Sacramento), Parris Todd (not playing Sacramento), Judit Castillo (playing both Sacramento & Atlanta), and Liz Truluck (not playing Sacramento). The wildcard here is Parris Todd. She hasn’t played singles since winning the Indoor National Championships in January, but she IS playing Atlanta. She would have to finish 500 points above Bouchard in Atlanta to at least tie her. If Bouchard makes the quarterfinals, Parris would have to finish at least third in Atlanta to leap frog Bouchard. The dark horse here is Castillo, since she is playing both Sacramento and Atlanta. She’s got to make up 550 points on Bouchard to leapfrog both Bouchard and Todd for the eighth and final spot.

Tice’s Predictions: Anna Leigh Waters, Kate Fahey, Kaitlyn Christian, Brooke Buckner, Lea Jansen, Catherine Parenteau, Zoey Wang, and Genie Bouchard

Men’s Singles

Locks: Chris Haworth, Federico Staksrud, Hunter Johnson, Christian Alshon, Connor Garnett, and Roscoe Bellamy

Analysis: The top 6 seeds are locks, as I don’t think three people are leapfrogging Roscoe Bellamy in two events. This leaves two spots in the finals between JLG, Jack Sock, and Gabe Joseph. Noe Khlif is playing well, but would have to make up 1,200 points on Sock, which is a tall task. All of the guys in question are playing both Sacramento and Atlanta, except JLG is skipping Sacramento. I think Gabe Joseph overtakes JLG for the last spot in the Finals, with a superb outing in Sacramento.

Tice’s Predictions: Chris Haworth, Federico Staksrud, Hunter Johnson, Christian Alshon, Connor Garnett, Roscoe Bellamy, Jack Sock, and Gabe Joseph

Women’s Mixed Doubles

Locks: Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson, Hurricane Tyra Black, and Jessie Irvine

Probables: Catherine Parenteau & Tina Pisnik

Analysis: There are four players within 150 points of each other for that eighth and final spot. The mixed doubles qualifiers is absolutely crazy. Rachel Rohrabacher is on the outside looking in? Insane. Here are the 6-11 seeds right now, and their partners in both events:

*Kate and Fed have been playing together all year, but they are both listed as "needing partners" on the registration site, so I made the assumption

Out of those last three spots, I think Catherine is for sure going to make it, and Tina looks like she will as well. Truong is essentially out of it, as she is the only one not playing Sacramento (stress fracture). I think the woman who finishes best between Parris, Rachel, and Kate in Atlanta takes that last spot.

Tice’s Predictions: Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson, Hurricane Tyra Black, and Jessie Irvine, Catherine Parenteau, Tina Pisnik, and Parris Todd

Men’s Mixed Doubles

Locks: Ben Johns, JW Johnson, Hayden Patriquin, Andrei Daescu, Christian Alshon, Gabe Tardio, and Federico Staksrud

Analysis: The top 7 seeds are locks. Really this comes down to a race between Noe Khlif and Eric Oncins, with Khlif 450 points ahead. Noe is playing with Meghan Dizon in Sacramento and with Jessie Irvine in Atlanta. Eric is playing with Tyra in Sacramento and with Tina in Atlanta. I think that last spot will go to whichever player between Noe and Eric has a better draw in Atlanta.

Tice’s Predictions: Ben Johns, JW Johnson, Hayden Patriquin, Andrei Daescu, Christian Alshon, Gabe Tardio, Federico Staksrud, and Noe Khlif

Women’s Doubles

Locks: Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright, Hurricane Tyra Black, Jorja Johnson, Catherine Parenteau, Parris Todd, Rachel Rohrabacher, Jade Kawamoto, Lacy Schneemann, Jackie Kawamoto, Tina Pisnik, and Meghan Dizon

Analysis: The 13th seed through T-20 seed is only separated by 1,400 points. That means there are nine players fighting for those last four spots in women’s doubles. Here are the 13-T20 seeds right now, and their partners in both events:

*Kate and Parris have been playing together recently, but they are both listed as "needing partners" on the registration site, so I made the assumption

This is probably the most intriguing run for the Finals. If I had to predict, I think Jessie Irvine, Kate Fahey, Kaitlyn Christian, and Zoey Wang earn the last four spots.

Tice’s Predictions: Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright, Hurricane Tyra Black, Jorja Johnson, Catherine Parenteau, Parris Todd, Rachel Rohrabacher, Jade Kawamoto, Lacy Schneemann, Jackie Kawamoto, Tina Pisnik, Meghan Dizon, Jessie Irvine, Kate Fahey, Kaitlyn Christian, and Zoey Wang

Men’s Doubles

Locks: Gabe Tardio, Ben Johns, Christian Alshon, Hayden Patriquin, Andrei Daescu, JW Johnson, Federico Staksrud, CJ Klinger, Eric Oncins, Dylan Frazier, Tyson McGuffin, and Jay Devilliers

Analysis: The 13th seed through 17th seed is only separated by 300 points. That means there are five players hunting for four spots. I think Garnett is too far back to really be a factor in the race. Here are those five players and partners fighting for the last four spots:

Noe is looking like the favorite out of the five. Riley hoping a new partnership with Armaan keeps him in the top 16. Matt Wright is likely to drop out of the top 16 because he isn’t playing Sacramento, but Noe in Atlanta is a great partner, so he could stay. Jaume has two good partners and Augie is taking a risk by partnering with Dekel. I think Wright skipping Sacramento will cause him to drop out of the top 16.

Tice’s Predictions: Gabe Tardio, Ben Johns, Christian Alshon, Hayden Patriquin, Andrei Daescu, JW Johnson, Federico Staksrud, CJ Klinger, Eric Oncins, Dylan Frazier, Tyson McGuffin, Jay Devilliers, Noe Khlif, Riley Newman, Jaume Martinez Vich, and Augie Ge