This isn’t a first or even a one-off. Tennis players making a comeback sounds surprising if they’re retired, but it gets a classy pinch of excitement when they do it in another sport. Leigh Waters and her daughter, Anna, are making waves in Pickleball. Not just that, but the pair has showcased a series of thrilling performances to clinch their comeback victory.

In some quarters, pickleball is perceived as a potential threat to tennis, following several players’ vocal support for the relatively new sport. Sam Querry was one of the first ones to divert to pickleball. The former Wimbledon finalist highlighted that he could use his laudable tennis skills to excel in the sport of pickleball. Subsequently, many have followed in his footsteps. Icons like Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick even played in two editions of the Pickleball Slam and, are due for attendance at the event’s third showcase in February 2025.

And now, for the first time in two years, Waters and her daughter paired up for a captivating run at the 2024 Daytona Beach Open in Florida. The former South Carolina tennis player (1997-2001) may have put down her racket and hung her lawyer suit, but she is still up for a challenge. The duo recently clinched the event’s Women Doubles title after downing Jorla Johnson and Tyra Hurricane, 7-11, 11-8, 11-3, for their ninth overall triumph on the PPA Tour. There’s more.

Her 17-year-old daughter is breaking records. In 2019, aged 12, Anna Waters became the youngest professional Pickleball player in history, and now, she is reaping the rewards of her enticing journey.

Leigh Waters’ daughter narrates how she turned a Pickleball pro

Leigh Waters’ daughter Anna is wreaking havoc on her Pickleball opponents and, at the same time, earned a cool $3M with her contract. While her earnings surpassed WNBA sensational players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the 17-year-old later narrated what led her to take up the sport professionally.

During an interview, Anna revealed that it was her mother who thought it fit for her to commence her professional journey. “So my mom asked me to fill in and we played and got silver in the pro tournament, and my mom was like, “Ok, I guess you’re ready to play pro with me. So that’s kind of how my pro journey started.” She further highlighted other activities that pique her interest: “But I also enjoy doing things outside of pickleball, like I love to cook, bake, hang out with my friends. But I think because I’ve been used to it, it’s just kind of a normal thing for me and anything else would be different.”

With an exciting future ahead, the former American tennis sensation’s daughter is poised to become one of the greatest pickleball talents the sport has seen since its founding. Fans will likely await the duo’s next adventure on the tour, potentially slated to kick off in 2025.