Hey, Happy Almost New Year!
We're closing out 2025 with what might be the biggest story in pickleball history.
Anna Leigh Waters is officially a free agent, and the speculation about where she lands is absolutely wild!
You can watch the video below for my take, or read about it below the video!
The Paddletek Era is Over
Anna Leigh Waters is no longer on the Paddletek website, and that doesn't happen by accident.
Her contract is likely ending December 31st, 2025, which means the biggest signing in pickleball history is about to happen.
Where will she go? How much will she get paid?
I break down all the contenders in the video above 🎬.
The Frontrunners and the Long Shots
JOOLA is the obvious favorite. They have the money, the paddles, and the market share. But would Anna Leigh risk playing second fiddle to Ben Johns, who has a lifetime deal with them?
Selkirk seemed like a possibility until they basically announced they're out of the pro sponsorship game entirely.
One of their founders straight up said pros are "10-20x overpaid compared to other sports."
Yeah... they're out.
Franklin, Adidas, Wilson, and Vulcan all have interesting selling points, but are probably longshots, and the video breaks down the pros and cons of each.
The Nike Wild Card
Here's where it gets interesting. Nike has been rumored to be sniffing around pickleball, and there was supposedly a meeting between the Waters family and Nike executives.
Anna Leigh parted ways with Fila this year, so she's a free agent for clothing, too.
Nike famously failed at tennis racquets and golf clubs, even with Tiger Woods. But what if they partnered with an existing paddle brand? Nike provides the clothing, design, and branding.
The paddle company provides the equipment.
Sound far-fetched?
My wife works at Skims, and that's exactly what Nike did to break into athleisure—they created Nike x Skims.
Could we see Nike x JOOLA? Nike x Franklin?
How Much Will She Get Paid?
Eight figures.
Minimum $10,000,000 guaranteed over at least 3 years.
Anna Leigh Waters is the face of pickleball. If Paul McBeth can make 8 figures in disc golf, Anna Leigh can do it in our sport.
Ben Johns likely makes over 7 figures annually with JOOLA.
Anna Leigh will make more.
This is going to be a landmark deal for pickleball, and I'll have a full update as soon as the news breaks!
Stay Legendary,
-Zane