The Fasenra Sacramento Open is in the books and there were some fireworks and pool splashes in the Golden State capital.
This was the second to last PPA tournament prior to the PPA Finals in San Clemente next month (next week the Atlanta Pickleball Championships begin). A lot was on the line for players on the bubble to make it into the finals. For more on that, I wrote a recap of where things stood prior to the Sacramento Open in terms of PPA Points.
While this tournament was important for a lot of players, there were also players who chose to skip, because it was directly after the MB PPA Tour Asia Hanoi Cup. Players such as Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright, Christian Alshon, Hayden Patriquin, and others chose to skip Sacramento.
Let’s get into the action.
Tyra Black and Eric Oncins Earn Their First PPA Sacramento Open Gold Together
With Ben and Anna Leigh out of the picture, it felt like this event was wide open, with the Johnsons as the prohibitive favorites.
Eric and Tyra beat #6 seed Jonathan Truong and Jessie Irvine 11-9, 11-3 in the quarters. In the semis, they faced off against the #2 seed in Parris Todd and Andrei Daescu. Eric and Tyra won that 11-6, 9-11, 11-7.
In the finals against Jorja and JW, Tyra came in with a heavily taped leg, as she had injured her hamstring earlier in the day in women's doubles. Eric knew he had to play big and play fast, and they did just that.
They got off to a quick start, winning game one, 11-7. However, Jorja and JW came roaring back and really took momentum, winning games two and three 11-6, 11-3.
Games four and five were a dogfight, with Eric and Tyra winning by the slightest of margins, 11-8, 11-8.
This marks Eric’s first gold medal in mixed doubles in his career, and first gold in the states (he won two gold medals in Asia last year in men’s doubles). This marks Tyra’s second gold in mixed doubles, as she won earlier in the year at the Indoor National Championships with Christian Alshon.
Afterwards they were both emotional and cried during their post match interview, showing how much the win meant to them. If you missed this finals match, and only have time to rewatch one match from this event, this is the one to watch.
Rachel Rohrabacher and Parris Todd Win Their First Gold Together
In their third ever tournament together, Parris and Rachel won gold together for the first time. The duo has progressively gotten better, as they won bronze in Red Rock in March 2025, silver in Newport Beach last month, and now gold.
As the #2 seed, Parris and Rachel beat the #6 seed, #5 seed, and #1 seed in the finals.
In the finals, they faced off against #1 seed, Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson. Rachel and Parris showed their versatility in the final, playing straight up, stacking Parris on the left at times, and stacking Rachel on the left other times. I believe this is a trend that will continue to play out, especially in women's doubles.
The gameplan for Parris and Rachel was obviously to be aggressive. They came out swinging and won game one, 11-5.
Late in game one, Tyra hurt her leg trying to get to a ball, and came up limping a bit. Eventually she asked for a medical timeout and there was a delayed break, waiting for medical personnel. She had the right leg wrapped, but then within five minutes of starting play, took it off.
She was obviously in pain and uncomfortable.
After Tyra and Jorja won game two 11-6, despite the Tyra injury, it was all Rachel and Parris in games three and four. They won 11-4, 11-6.
With the musical chairs that the Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters partnership caused, it seems like this Parris and Rachel partnership may become more of a permanent thing. Time will tell.
Federico Staksrud Wins His Third Gold in PPA Sacramento Open Singles in 2026
Federico is super consistent finishing top four in singles, despite singles being one of the most volatile events in pickleball.
Fed didn't lose a game all week long, beating Pesa Teoni, Tama Shimabukuro, Noe Khlif, Roscoe Bellamy, and Zane Ford. He actually pickled Khlif in game two, in the quarterfinals.
The big race in men's singles is between Fed, Chris Haworth, and Hunter Johnson. All three may go back and forth in terms of the #1 seed over the next six months to a year.
Speaking of Hunter Johnson...
Some Bizarre Stuff Happened Involving PPA Sacramento Open Referees
Hunter Johnson got disqualified in game three of his quarterfinals matchup against Zane Ford. Johnson was down in game three and called timeout. As he walked to his bench, he threw his paddle with his left hand toward his bag.
The paddle handle hit the ground and took a weird bounce, hitting a patron in the stands in the leg. Don Stanley, head referee, was called out to the courts, and it was determined that Hunter was disqualified.
The other incident also involved Stanley. In a men's doubles quarterfinal match between Eric Oncins/Dylan Frazier and Pablo Tellez/Jack Sock, Oncins got called for a technical warning for blowing on a ball. I posted about this immediately after on X:
Controversial Referee Call Made by Don Stanley
— Erik Tice (@azetice) April 18, 2026
Thanks to memesofpickleball on IG, I saw an extremely controversial call made by Head Referee Don Stanley today.
The controversy occurred in the quarterfinals of the men's doubles match between Dylan Frazier/Eric Oncins and Pablo…
These are exactly the kinds of officiating moments the sport needs to get right. The PPA Tour is already instituting stricter penalties for repeat offenders, and rulings like these will only intensify that conversation.
Kate Fahey Gets Her First PPA Sacramento Open Gold Since September
Since her last win in Sacramento, Kate had one bronze and five silvers. She is very clearly the #2 overall player in women's singles right now.
Kate ran into a bit of trouble early, losing the only game of the event in her first game in the Round of 32, to Kwon Mihae, 9-11. Mihae is a UPA Asia Trailblazer product. Fahey would go on to win 11-1, 11-3 in games two and three.
Kate would go on to pickle her opponents three times throughout the week, including the finals. She was flawless in the final against Kaitlyn Christian, beating her 11-3, 11-0.
Fahey will continue to medal in singles for the foreseeable future, with her combination of athleticism, consistent groundstrokes, and abilities at the net. Her kitchen game in particular is a masterclass in net dominance.
Gabe and Ben Remain Undefeated in 2026 After PPA Sacramento Open
There really is no competition for Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns in 2026. Sure, teams will take a game or two off them, but they are now 7-0 in the US together this year.
In fact, in 35 matches, Gabe and Ben have only lost nine games. This means in 2026 they are 77-9, for a 90% game win percentage. Hayden Patriquin and Christian Alshon have four of those nine losses by Tardio and Johns, but they weren't even in Sacramento.
Ben and Gabe lost a game in the quarters against Blaine Hovenier and Jaume Martinez Vich, and then lost another one to Federico Staksrud and Andrei Daescu. In the finals, they faced off against JW Johnson and CJ Klinger, winning 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 11-2.
So even though they lost three games, Ben and Gabe look to be firing on all cylinders heading into the Atlanta Pickleball Championships. For context on just how dominant this Tardio-Johns partnership has become, their win rate rivals some of the most dominant doubles pairings in tour history.
As CBS Sports has noted, pickleball at the professional level is evolving rapidly, and dominant partnerships like Ben and Gabe are shaping what the modern doubles game looks like. Their run through the PPA Sacramento Open was a reminder that no one is close.
How Does the PPA Sacramento Open Affect the Men's Doubles Race?
The Tardio-Johns dominance is the story everyone keeps dancing around. At 90% game win percentage, they aren't just winning, they're making it look routine.
The real intrigue heading into Atlanta is whether Patriquin and Alshon, who account for four of Tardio-Johns' nine losses, can finally break through with both teams in the same draw. That is the matchup pickleball fans deserve.
If you want to understand how right-side and left-side positioning is reshaping the doubles game, watching Tardio-Johns is the best free clinic on tour.
All PPA Sacramento Open Medalists
Women's Singles 🥇 Kate Fahey 🥈 Kaitlyn Christian 🥉 Lea Jansen
Men's Singles 🥇 Federico Staksrud 🥈 Zane Ford 🥉 Roscoe Bellamy
Mixed Doubles 🥇 Tyra Black / Eric Oncins 🥈 Jorja & JW Johnson 🥉 Parris Todd / Andrei Daescu
Women's Doubles 🥇 Rachel Rohrabacher / Parris Todd 🥈 Jorja Johnson / Tyra Black 🥉 Cailyn Campbell / Tina Pisnik
Men's Doubles 🥇 Gabe Tardio / Ben Johns 🥈 CJ Klinger / JW Johnson 🥉 Federico Staksrud / Andrei Daescu
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the PPA Sacramento Open mixed doubles?
Eric Oncins and Tyra Black won the mixed doubles gold at the PPA Sacramento Open, defeating Jorja and JW Johnson in a five-game battle. It was Eric's first mixed doubles gold of his career and Tyra's second overall.
Who won women's singles at the PPA Sacramento Open?
Kate Fahey won women's singles gold, dismantling Kaitlyn Christian 11-3, 11-0 in the final. It was Fahey's first gold since winning the Sacramento event back in September.
Why was Hunter Johnson disqualified at the PPA Sacramento Open?
Hunter Johnson was disqualified after his paddle struck a spectator in the stands. After calling a timeout in game three of his quarterfinals match against Zane Ford, Johnson threw his paddle toward his bag, it took an erratic bounce off the handle, and hit a patron in the leg. Head referee Don Stanley ruled it a disqualification.
How dominant are Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio in 2026?
Tardio and Johns are now 7-0 in the US in 2026 with a 90% game win percentage across 35 matches. They have lost only nine games all year, making them the most dominant men's doubles team on the PPA Tour by a significant margin.
What happened with the controversial referee call involving Eric Oncins?
Eric Oncins received a technical warning from head referee Don Stanley for blowing on a ball during a men's doubles quarterfinal match. The call was widely considered controversial and sparked immediate debate across pickleball social media.
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