In the third PPA Tour event in the same amount of months, drama was high, upsets were huge, and so was the temperature and humidity.
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The Veolia PPA Bristol Open took place at the Bristol Sportsplex, in Bristol, Tennessee. It seems the hybrid model of tournament is locked in now, on the PPA Bristol Open schedule for Opens:
- Wednesday: singles through quarterfinals
- Thursday: mixed doubles thru quarterfinals
- Friday: gender doubles through quarterfinals
- Saturday: Semifinal Saturday
- Sunday: Championship Sunday
Let's get into the action.
Top Storylines at the PPA Bristol Open
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns Both Double Crown
Anna Leigh and Ben played a combined 36 doubles games (in gender doubles and mixed doubles) in Bristol, and went 33-3.
The most dominant performance on the weekend came from Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters in women's doubles. They were a combined 11-0, never dropping a game. Their combined scoreline was: 121-22, or 11-2 average. They pickled teams three times, including a double pickle.
The most points they gave up in a single game was six in the finals against Rachel and Jorja.
Not to be outdone, Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns nearly made the same run as Anna and Anna Leigh. They only lost one game, which was in the semis, to Riley Newman and Jay Devilliers. Despite that one loss, here was their combined record together: 129-59, or 10.75-4.9 average, losing one game.
They only allowed Matt Wright and Jaume Martinez Vich a TOTAL of nine points in their three game championship match. To learn more about what makes this partnership tick, check out inside Gabe Tardio's pickleball bag.
In mixed doubles, Johns and Waters didn't have any problems before running up against JW and Jorja Johnson in the finals. They won in five games, 11-3 in the fifth. It seems like the Johnson siblings are the only team that can put up a fight against the best in the world. We will see if that changes throughout the rest of 2025.
John Lucian Goins Wins His First PPA Tour Gold at the PPA Bristol Open
"Johnny G", as the broadcasters called him all weekend, was a man on a mission.
Let's start out with this: John Lucian Goins is 17 years old. It was said multiple times on the broadcast that he is 16. He recently turned 17.
Now that we have that out of the way, Johnny G took out some big time players. Here are his results from the PPA Bristol Open, as the 19 seed:
- Rd 64: Win vs. #44 Wyatt Stone, 11-4, 13-11
- Rd 32: Win vs. #55 Yuta Funemizu, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7
- Rd 16: Win vs. #3 Connor Garnett, 11-5, 13-11
- QF: Win vs. #18 Adam Harvey, 11-7, 11-8
- SF: Win vs. #7 Christian Alshon, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8
- Final: Win vs. #19 Gabe Joseph, 13-11, 9-11, 11-2
Goins is going to be dangerous moving into the second half of the year on the PPA Tour. The teen has what it takes to beat anyone in the world. I wouldn't be surprised to see him crack the top 10 on the singles circuit by the end of the year.
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Parris Todd Earns Her Second PPA Bristol Open-Level Gold in Singles
Parris Todd won the PPA Tucson Open, back in February and added to her collection in Bristol.
Parris had to beat three top 10 seeds in order to win the title. She beat Mary Brascia, Brooke Buckner, and then Kaitlyn Christian, in the final.
The final was an epic display of competition from both Parris and Kaitlyn. In a two game match that couldn't have been any closer, Parris won 12-10 in both games. As one of the most consistent performers on the tour this season, Parris continues to prove she belongs among the elite women's singles players in pro pickleball.
Other PPA Bristol Open Storylines
Matt Wright and Jaume Martinez Vich made it all the way to Championship Sunday, earning a silver medal. This was the first medal for Wright in 273 days, while it was Vich's first in 147 days. They beat Hayden and Fed in the quarters, 11-9, in game three. Then in the semis, they beat Tyson and Max Freeman, 11-7, 11-8 in games two and three, after getting pickled in game one.
Dylan Frazier appeared to have injured his right hamstring in a singles match in the Round of 16 against Noe Khlif. He tried a sliding stop, extending his right leg, and came up limping and obviously hindered by the right leg. He still played mixed doubles and men's doubles, but was in obvious pain.
This is one to keep an eye on for the MLP Playoffs this week in San Diego.
Another thing to keep an eye on headed into the MLP Playoffs is Christian Alshon's foot stomping. It is very strange and can throw opponents off. He nearly got called for it a couple of times in a match against Hayden Patriquin and Parris Todd.
I believe he actually did get called for it as a distraction in his bronze medal match in mixed doubles.
The LifeTime ball is definitely benefitting some players, while others are a little slower to get used to playing with it. According to a side-by-side comparison of the LifeTime and Franklin pickleballs, the Life Time ball definitely bounces higher and is great for players who hit precise ground strokes in singles, and those that like to pull speedups off the bounce in doubles. Keep an eye on future PPA Tour events to see if this holds true.
As Sports Illustrated noted in their deep dive on pro pickleball, players like Anna Leigh Waters have been relentlessly dominating the pro circuit, and the Bristol results only reinforce that point.
Full PPA Bristol Open Results
Women's Singles 🥇 Parris Todd 🥈 Kaitlyn Christian 🥉 Brooke Buckner
Men's Singles 🥇 John Lucian Goins 🥈 Gabriel Joseph 🥉 Christian Alshon
Mixed Doubles 🥇 Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns 🥈 Jorja Johnson/JW Johnson 🥉 Anna Bright/Andrei Daescu
Women's Doubles 🥇 Anna Bright/Anna Leigh Waters 🥈 Jorja Johnson/Rachel Rohrabacher 🥉 Parris Todd/Hurricane Tyra Black
Men's Doubles 🥇 Gabe Tardio/Ben Johns 🥈 Matt Wright/Jaume Martinez Vich 🥉 Riley Newman/Jay Devilliers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a double crown in pickleball, and who achieved it at the PPA Bristol Open?
A double crown in pickleball means winning gold medals in both gender doubles and mixed doubles at the same event. At the PPA Bristol Open, both Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns each achieved a double crown, combining for a 33-3 record across their doubles matches.
Who is John Lucian Goins, and why was his PPA Bristol Open singles win so significant?
John Lucian Goins is a 17-year-old pro pickleball player who entered the PPA Bristol Open as the 19th seed and beat several top-10 players on his way to gold. His run included wins over the #3 seed Connor Garnett and the #7 seed Christian Alshon, making it one of the most impressive individual performances of the 2025 PPA Tour season.
How dominant were Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters in women's doubles at the PPA Bristol Open?
The pair went a perfect 11-0 without dropping a single game, combining for a scoreline of 121-22 across all their matches. They pickled three separate teams, including a double pickle, and gave up a maximum of only six points in their finals match against Jorja Johnson and Rachel Rohrabacher.
Was Dylan Frazier injured at the PPA Bristol Open, and will it affect his MLP Playoffs availability?
Dylan Frazier appeared to injure his right hamstring during a singles match in the Round of 16 and was visibly hindered throughout the rest of the tournament. He continued competing in mixed doubles and men's doubles despite the injury, making his status for the MLP Playoffs in San Diego a major question heading into that week.
What is the LifeTime ball, and how did it affect play at the PPA Bristol Open?
The LifeTime ball is the official ball of the Carvana PPA Tour and is known for bouncing higher than other pro tour balls. At Bristol, it appeared to favor players with precise groundstroke games in singles, as well as those who rely on pulling speedups off the bounce in doubles play.
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