Snapshot of Dominance: 2025 Reaffirms Why Anna Leigh Waters, Ben Johns Are Pickleball’s GOATS
Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters are widely viewed as the GOATs—greatest of all-time—of pickleball. And while a few might argue that it’s premature to crown anyone as the best ever given the sport’s relatively short history at the pro level, all Johns and Waters have done through the years is win . . . win . . . and win some more.
They’ve stockpiled medals, mostly of the golden variety, and set record after record throughout their careers, setting the bar so high that the next generation of greats will be hard-pressed to measure up to the BJ and ALW legacies.
And, in 2025, Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters proved yet again why they’re considered the GOATS. Just take a look at their medal tally from last season:
The table above is more than enough proof that Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns are true GOATs. But in case you were looking for more, consider these tidbits just to have an even greater appreciation of the GOAT things Waters and Johns did in 2025:
- Anna Leigh Waters was a perfect 12-for-12 in Singles action in 2025. It’s her first time to go unbeaten in Singles action.
- She lost only two games in 12 gold-medal matches in Singles. Brooke Buckner in Mesa and Kate Fahey in Atlanta were the only ones to get at least a game.
- Waters won 12 Women’s Doubles gold medals with two different partners. She won 5 gold medals with Catherine Parenteau and 7 more with Anna Bright. Regardless of partner, ALW lost only 7 of 44 total games in Women’s Doubles.
- Waters and her usual partner-in-crime, Ben Johns, medalled in every tournament in which they played in Mixed Doubles.
- Waters won eight Triple Crowns in 2025. She now has 39 of those in her career.
- Johns won 75% of the games he played in gold medal matches, compiling a record of 80-26.
Needless to say, Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns had themselves quite a 2025. And the scary thing is that both are still very much in their prime. So, don’t be surprised if both continue to be dominant this 2026.
