Top Female Pickleball Players of 2024

Some sports are male-dominated like football or rugby. It’s a good thing that racquet sports provide equal opportunities for both genders. Pickleball isn’t an exception here. This sport welcomes everyone. Both women and men can become top pickleball players.

There are many top male pickleball players, from the world’s number 1 Ben Johns to newcomer Federico Staksud. Here we will learn who the best pickleball players are in the female division.

Top Pickleball Players: Women

Anna Leigh Waters

Anna Leigh Waters is the youngest pickleball player and champion in history, becoming a pro at only 12 years old in 2019. She is currently pickleball’s biggest star, ranking number 1 in Women’s Singles, Doubles, and Mixed.

Anna Leigh used to partner with her mother, Leigh Waters, in Doubles and they pioneered the aggressive style of banging and ripping. Currently, she partners with Anna Bright or Catherine Parenteau for Women’s Doubles and Ben Johns on Mixed Doubles. Her mom serves as her manager now.

Anna Leigh is sponsored by Paddletek and uses the Paddletek Bantam TS 5, one of the best power pickleball paddles that also offers increased speed, control, and maneuverability. 

For the best control and spin paddle, check out 101 Pickleball’s Zen Control.

Catherine Parenteau

Catherine Parenteau is a Canadian professional pickleball player. She was a tennis player, in which she ranked top 5 in Canada, before pursuing a pickleball career. She was introduced to pickleball by her coach Simone Jardim in 2015 and she became a pro in 2016. During the same year, she won her first gold medal in the US Open Pickleball Championships Mixed Doubles. She currently ranks number 2 in Women’s Singles and Doubles, and number 7 in Mixed Doubles.

Catherine’s current sponsor is Selkirk and uses the Selkirk Vanguard Power Air Invikta, a paddle designed for power players.

Lea Jansen

Lea Jansen, a pickleball rising star known for her competitive and fierce persona on the court. She was a top-ranked tennis player in the Pacific West. She goes way back with Tyson McGuffin as friends and he was the one who introduced pickleball to her in 2019. She became a full-time pickleball player in 2021 and a pro in 2022. Lea is a type-1 diabetic but that doesn’t stop her from ranking 3 in Women’s Singles, 9 in Mixed Doubles, and 13 in Women’s Doubles.

Lea is sponsored by JOOLA and uses the JOOLA Ben Johns paddle Perseus CFS 14, a paddle that provides impressive power and pop for maximum spins and precise shots.

Anna Bright

Anna Bright is a newcomer pickleball star. She currently ranks 3 in Women’s Doubles and 2 in Mixed Doubles.  She started playing pickleball in 2021 and became a pro in 2022. Before becoming a dedicated pickleball player, she was also a tennis star and ranked 13.

JOOLA currently sponsors her and has a pickleball paddle made specifically for her, the JOOLA Anna Bright Scorpeus CFS 14. This is a charged carbon pickleball paddle that provides impressive pop for counteracting fast shots and helps with powerful drives, and put-aways.

Parris Todd

Parris Todd was a tennis prodigy and held 85 winning titles. Not only was she a tennis expert, but she also launched her fashion line for sportswear, Waisted, USA.

In 2021, Parris started playing pickleball and she became a pro in 2023. Even as a new pickleball player, she has won over 45 titles in the APP and PPATour, 2 MLP titles, and a triple-crowned US Open Championships.

Selkirk currently sponsors her and she uses the Selkirk Vanguard Power Air Invikta pickleball paddle.

Salome Devidze

Salome Devidze is a Georgian professional pickleball player. She was a professional tennis player, however, she had to stop due to an injury. She learned about pickleball and has since climbed the ladder. She currently ranks 5 in the Women’s Singles.

Vivienne David

Vivienne David was a Canadian-born who played junior tennis tournaments before discovering pickleball in 2013. She became a pro in 2015 and played her first pickleball tournament in 2018. She won a singles in the World Pickleball Championships 2019. She currently ranks 3 in Mixed Doubles and 11 in Women’s Doubles.

CRBN currently sponsors her and she uses the  CRBN¹ X Series, a durable carbon fiber pickleball paddle that focuses on spin and dwell time.

Mary Brascia

Mary Brascia, a pickleball rising star, is the inventor of the Mary-Go-Round shot that she did on the 2002 Major League Pickleball (MLP). She was introduced to pickleball by her parents in 2020 and became a pro in 2022. She currently ranks 4 and 20 in Women’s Singles and Mixed Doubles respectively.

Mary is currently sponsored by Selkirk. She uses the Selkirk Labs Project 003 Epic in Doubles, a pickleball paddle for power, control, and spin. She uses the Selkirk Labs Project 002 in Singles, a paddle that provides pure and unstoppable power.

These are the women who dominated the courts of pickleball. Most of these players are tennis players before becoming pickleball players. Pickleball has no limits, from gender to age like Anna Leigh Waters, the youngest pickleball player and champion ever. Pickleball welcomes everyone, new or pro. If you’re planning on becoming a pro, make sure to practice the essential shots of pickleball a lot to improve your skills. Invest in the best pickleball paddles and wear proper pickleball attire in every game.