The Las Vegas lights shined bright on the PPA Tour this past weekend at the PPA Las Vegas Strip event held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Number one seeds were upset, a teenager won his second tournament in a row, and a cell phone call caused quite the controversy.
Top Storylines from the PPA Las Vegas Strip
The Annas Lost for the First Time at the PPA Las Vegas Strip
It was the talk of the town. Would Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters lose a game in 2025? Zane and I even had a lunch bet going on this (hint: I won, and now we are playing double or nothing).
The partnership that took down the Annas? The Dallas Flash duo, Hurricane Tyra Black and Jorja Johnson. They played in the semi-finals on Saturday and this was one of the best matches of the weekend.
With Bright and Waters winning game one, it looked like the match might be over, but Black and Johnson gained momentum in game two, and never looked back. Final scoreline: 5-11, 11-6, 11-3.
I believe this is good for women's doubles pickleball for a couple of reasons. First, this shows that the Annas can be beat. Secondly, this could become a really fun and entertaining rivalry, similar to ALW/CP vs. 'The Girlies', before the breakup.
Lastly, these four women along with Parris, Rachel, and Catherine are atop the women's doubles pyramid, and forcing others to continue to improve in order to keep up. This helps the entire product get better.
Jorja and Tyra were able to maintain their momentum from the semis and beat Parris Todd and Catherine Parenteau, winning 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, in a thriller.
Tardio and Johns Are Now the Team to Beat in Men's
It is a known thing that Ben Johns does not love playing indoors and has vision problems with low lighting. This tournament was played in a convention center with.... low lighting. Did it matter? Not one bit.
In fact, Tardio and Johns only lost one game, in the finals, 10-12. They played Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu, beating them in a thrilling four game match on Sunday.
Tardio and Johns didn't lose any other games and dominated their opponents headed into the finals, beating them a combined 88-24 in their four matchups. That is an average scoreline of 11-3.
This win marks the third in a row for Tardio and Johns, and fifth in 2025. With the competitive balance of men's doubles, I didn't think any team would win five medals this year - I was already proven wrong.
While there is still a "big four" in men's doubles, Tardio and Johns are now the team to beat.
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LOOCH Is Here to Stay
Speaking of back to backs. John Lucian Goins, the 17-year-old sensation, won his second consecutive gold medal in Las Vegas pickleball singles at the PPA Las Vegas Strip.
On this week's PicklePod podcast, Zane doubled down on Goins being the most complete singles player in the world.
In the last two events, Goins has beat the following players:
- Connor Garnett
- Christian Alshon
- Gabe Joseph
- Gabe Tardio
- Jack Sock
- Hunter Johnson
He beat Hunter Johnson in the finals in a very compelling match, 11-4, 11-9. The teenager has a ton of momentum headed into PPA Cincinnati in two weeks.
Ben and Anna Leigh Win Their Fourth Consecutive PPA Las Vegas Strip Mixed Gold and Eighth on Tour This Year
Yes, they have lost a few times this year, but Ben and Anna Leigh are very much the team to beat in mixed doubles. Eight gold medals and four in a row - and it's only September.
Sports Illustrated profiled just how far Anna Leigh Waters has come in the sport, and performances like this at the Las Vegas Strip tournament only add to that legacy.
The most recent team to beat them was JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson, in the North Carolina Open. JW took this event off, so the field was slightly lesser because of that.
They did lose two games in this event, which is a rarity. They lost a game to Anna Bright and Federico Staksrud in the semis, and lost a game to Hayden Patriquin and Hurricane Tyra Black in the finals. Other than that, it was clean sailing for the #1 team in the world.
I did like seeing both Bright and Staksrud teaming up, along with Patriquin and Black. All four of those players are playing lights out right now, but haven't been able to beat ALW and Ben consistently, so why not try different pairings?
Kaitlyn Christian Earns Her First Win Since January in One of the Best Women's Finals in History
I know. The headline is a little click-baity, but I promise this match had it all. The scoreline was 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 and the match took over an hour and a half.
Fahey and Christian are both known to be great competitors, and this match was the epitome of that.
She has cemented herself firmly in the top five conversation of women's singles players in the world right now. The CBS Sports broadcast partnership has helped bring this level of Las Vegas pickleball drama to a national audience.
Again, if you didn't see this one, it is well worth the replay:
Full PPA Las Vegas Strip Results
Women's Singles 🥇 Kaitlyn Christian 🥈 Kate Fahey 🥉 Brooke Buckner
Men's Singles 🥇 John Lucian Goins 🥈 Hunter Johnson 🥉 Jaume Martinez Vich
Mixed Doubles 🥇 Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns 🥈 Hurricane Tyra Black/Hayden Patriquin 🥉 Anna Bright/Federico Staksrud
Women's Doubles 🥇 Jorja Johnson/Hurricane Tyra Black 🥈 Catherine Parenteau/Parris Todd 🥉 Anna Bright/Anna Leigh Waters
Men's Doubles 🥇 Gabe Tardio/Ben Johns 🥈 Christian Alshon/Andrei Daescu 🥉 Hayden Patriquin/Federico Staksrud
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won women's singles at the PPA Las Vegas Strip?
Kaitlyn Christian took home the gold in women's singles at the PPA Las Vegas Strip, defeating Kate Fahey in a grueling 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 match that lasted over an hour and a half. It marked her first singles title since January and third gold medal of the year overall.
How many PPA Tour events have Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio won together in 2025?
Tardio and Johns have won five PPA Tour events together in 2025, including three in a row heading into the PPA Las Vegas Strip. Their dominant run through the Las Vegas bracket, where they lost only one game total, has firmly established them as the top men's doubles team in the world.
Who is John Lucian Goins and why is all the buzz around him?
John Lucian Goins, known as LOOCH, is a 17-year-old professional pickleball player who won back-to-back gold medals in men's singles at consecutive PPA Tour events. His run at the PPA Las Vegas Strip included wins over Hunter Johnson, Jack Sock, and Gabe Tardio, and PicklePod host Zane has called him the most complete singles player in the world.
Did Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns lose any games at the PPA Las Vegas Strip?
Yes, they lost games in both their semifinal and their final at the Las Vegas Strip tournament, which is a rarity for the dominant mixed doubles pair. They dropped a game to Anna Bright and Federico Staksrud in the semis, and another to Hayden Patriquin and Hurricane Tyra Black in the championship match, but still claimed gold.
Who won women's doubles at the PPA Las Vegas Strip?
Jorja Johnson and Hurricane Tyra Black of the Dallas Flash won women's doubles gold at the PPA Las Vegas Strip, defeating Catherine Parenteau and Parris Todd 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9 in the finals. The pair made history earlier in the event by handing Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters their first games lost in 2025.
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