Leigh Waters

Leigh Waters is the ultimate pickleball mom, and we mean that as the highest possible compliment. A former Division I tennis player at the University of South Carolina, Leigh discovered pickleball alongside her daughter Anna Leigh Waters in 2017 when the family evacuated to Pennsylvania during Hurricane Irma. Anna Leigh's grandfather introduced them to the sport, and the rest is literally history. The mother-daughter duo became the first (and still only) mom-daughter team in professional pickleball, winning numerous doubles titles and even appearing in the first nationally televised pickleball match on CBS Sports in 2022, where they defeated Lucy Kovalova and Callie Smith.

As ALW got better and better, Leigh made the selfless decision to transition from playing partner to full-time coach, especially after suffering an ACL injury in 2022. But make no mistake, Leigh was no charity doubles partner. She and Anna Leigh were ranked the No. 1 women's doubles team, and Leigh's court IQ and steady hand were a huge part of why ALW developed the aggressive style that's made her the most decorated player in the sport. Today, Leigh coaches Anna Leigh and other pros, bringing the same pressure-free, supportive approach her own parents gave her as a young athlete. She's the architect behind the greatest pickleball career ever, and the sport wouldn't look the same without her. Follow her on Instagram @leighwaters1.