The Life Time Arden is hosting its second PPA tournament within a seven-month period. This time, the paddles the players are utilizing have the most updated technology. In late September 2025, the Life Time Arden hosted the Vintage Sacramento Open, which showcased wooden paddles.

The second to last tournament of the PPA Tour’s 2025-2026 season is underway in the Golden State’s capital of Sacramento. There are 1,000 PPA Points on the line for the winners of each event. As a reminder, the PPA Tour has moved all tournaments this year to progressive draws.

Weather Outlook for the PPA Sacramento Open

With lows in the upper 40s/lower 50s and highs in the 70s, the weather could not look much better for the Sacramento Open. Winds may become an issue, and Sunday could cause some problems with precipitation, but it's unlikely to derail Championship Sunday.

How to Watch the PPA Sacramento Open

Tuesday and Wednesday: Rd of 64 and Rd of 32

PPA Streamed Courts

Thursday, April 16 — Rd of 16 1pm — 9pm ET | Championship Court and Grandstand Court | pickleballtv

Friday, April 17 — Quarterfinals 1pm — 9pm ET | Championship Court and Grandstand Court | pickleballtv

Saturday, April 18 — Semifinals 1pm — 9pm ET | Championship Court | pickleballtv

Sunday, April 19 — Championship Sunday 1pm — 7pm ET | Championship Court (Gold medal matches) | pickleballtv Noon — 4pm ET | Grandstand Court (Bronze medal matches) | pickleballtv

Top Storylines at the PPA Sacramento Open

Quite a few of the top players have chosen to skip this event to rest and get ready for the upcoming Atlanta Pickleball Championships. Players such as Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright, Hayden Patriquin, Christian Alshon, Jay Devilliers, and more are not playing in this event.

Personally, I like when this happens because it causes some new and different partnerships to form, even if it is just for one tournament.

JW Johnson won gold in both mixed doubles and men's doubles in this event in September, but hasn't had the 2026 he would have liked. Can he find some gold again in Sacramento in 2026?

This is the first tournament for Chris Haworth being the #1 seed in men's singles. It will be interesting to see how he handles that pressure and how long he is able to maintain the #1 seed. Haworth has been building toward this moment for some time now.

Let's get into each individual draw.

Women's Singles at the PPA Sacramento Open

Top Storylines

It is a cliche at this point, but whenever Anna Leigh Waters is not in the draw, it feels like anyone has a chance. That's not really true here, as I don't see anyone outside the top 7 seeds winning, but those top 7 seeds are really wanting to play well in Sacramento.

Kate Fahey is the #1 seed and consistently makes it deep in tournaments (four silver medals this year in the states), but has not won gold yet. Is this her tournament to do so?

Women's Singles Predictions

Semifinalists: (1) Kate Fahey, (6) Kiora Kunimoto, (2) Kaitlyn Christian, and (3) Lea Jansen

Finals: Kate beats Kaitlyn in the finals in two games

Men's Singles at the PPA Sacramento Open

Top Storylines

Chris Haworth is the #1 seed for the first time on the PPA Tour. How will he handle the pressure? Haworth and Lea Jansen previously shared the spotlight at a high-stakes Life Time event, so playing under the bright lights isn't entirely new territory for him.

Ben Johns is playing singles because he isn't playing mixed doubles (with Anna Leigh skipping). In order to have this event count, he has to play singles, and he has a ridiculously tough draw if he wants to make the finals: JW Johnson, Jack Sock, Chris Haworth, and then Hunter Johnson.

According to The Dink's top-20 men's singles power rankings, the singles landscape has shifted dramatically in 2026, making this draw one of the most compelling of the year. The absence of Christian Alshon opens real opportunities for players who have been knocking on the door.

With no Christian Alshon in the draw, Connor Garnett is the #4 seed despite not medaling on tour in over seven months. Garnett has the technique to compete at this level, but Sacramento will test whether he can translate that into results when it counts most.

Men's Singles Predictions

Semifinalists: (1) Chris Haworth, (7) Gabe Joseph, (2) Federico Staksrud, and (5) Roscoe Bellamy

Finals: Haworth beats Fed in three in the finals

Mixed Doubles at the PPA Sacramento Open

Top Storylines

JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson are the #1 seeds, with Anna Leigh and Ben not playing, but they only have two bronze medals to their name in the entirety of 2026. Is Sacramento a launching pad for the siblings?

Parris Todd and Andrei Daescu are the #2 seed. They are also Columbus Sliders teammates in MLP, and the Columbus Sliders have championship DNA heading into this pairing. They are looking for gold.

I like the pairings of (3) Gabe Tardio and Rachel Rohrabacher and (4) Eric Oncins and Tyra Black. LA Mad Drops teammates Max Freeman and Catherine Parenteau are teaming up as the 9 seed, presumably to get some reps together as the MLP season is right around the corner.

Mixed Doubles Predictions

Semifinalists: (1) Jorja and JW Johnson, (3) Rachel Rohrabacher/Gabe Tardio, (2) Parris Todd/Andrei Daescu, and (4) Tyra Black/Eric Oncins

Finals: Parris and Andrei defeat Jorja and JW in the finals in four games

Women's Doubles at the PPA Sacramento Open

Top Storylines

Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters are not playing in this draw, and every team playing is grateful. They have not lost in over 200 days.

An intriguing pairing is #5, Tina Pisnik and Cailyn Campbell. Tina Pisnik has made some surprising moves this season, and this partnership is one more wrinkle worth watching. I have not seen them together before, which makes them one of the more unpredictable teams in the draw.

Rachel and Parris are teamed up together again, which forced Catherine Parenteau to have to go find a partner. She went and got Meghan Dizon. Catherine Parenteau has been navigating partnership changes all year, and this Sacramento draw is another test of her adaptability.

Women's Doubles Predictions

Semifinalists: (1) Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black, (7) Allyce Jones/Jamie Wei, (2) Rachel Rohrabacher/Parris Todd, and (4) Lacy Schneemann/Kate Fahey

Finals: Rachel and Parris beat Jorja and Tyra in the finals

Men's Doubles at the PPA Sacramento Open

Top Storylines

Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio haven't lost together in 2026, including a recent trip to Vietnam. Inside Gabe Tardio's approach to the game reveals just how dialed-in he is heading into Sacramento.

Federico Staksrud and Andrei Daescu are teaming up as the three seed. Fed and Andrei's right-side gamble has already paid dividends once this season, and Sacramento looks like the kind of event where that chemistry could peak again.

Eric Oncins and Dylan Frazier are usually the 5 seed, but in Sacramento they are the 4 seed, which boosts their odds of making the semis much higher. Eric Oncins knows how to win gold at tough events, and a favorable seeding line only adds to that threat.

Men's Doubles Predictions

Semifinalists: (1) Gabe Tardio/Ben Johns, (3) Federico Staksrud/Andrei Daescu, (2) CJ Klinger/JW Johnson, and (4) Dylan Frazier/Eric Oncins

Finals: Gabe and Ben take out CJ and JW in four games

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PPA Sacramento Open and when does it take place?

The PPA Sacramento Open is a Professional Pickleball Association Tour event held at Life Time Arden in Sacramento, California. The 2026 edition runs from Tuesday, April 15 through Sunday, April 19, with Championship Sunday on April 19.

How can I watch the PPA Sacramento Open live?

All streamed rounds of the PPA Sacramento Open are available on pickleballtv, with coverage beginning Thursday, April 16 at 1pm ET on both the Championship Court and Grandstand Court. Championship Sunday features gold medal matches from 1pm — 7pm ET.

Who are the top seeds at the 2026 PPA Sacramento Open?

Chris Haworth is the #1 seed in men's singles for the first time in his PPA Tour career. Kate Fahey is the top women's singles seed, while JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson lead the mixed doubles draw.

Why are some top players not competing at the PPA Sacramento Open?

Several top players, including Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright, Hayden Patriquin, and Christian Alshon, are skipping the PPA Sacramento Open to rest ahead of the upcoming Atlanta Pickleball Championships. This opens the door for mid-tier seeds to make deeper runs and form new partnerships.

How many PPA Points are available at the Sacramento Open?

Winners of each event at the PPA Sacramento Open earn 1,000 PPA Tour points. The tournament uses a progressive draw format, which the PPA Tour has adopted for all events in the 2025-2026 season.