Happy Monday!
Wow, the PPA Mesa Cup Tournament was kinda crazy (more on that down below, obviously), but I wasn't there! Last year, I signed a contract extension with the PPA to play eight international tournaments per year.
As a result, I won't be playing all of the US tournaments, but I'm super excited to head to Hanoi at the end of March (holy crap, that's just a month away) and to Kuala Lumpur again in May!
Instead of Mesa, I headed to Denver to teach some more clinics through pickleballpros.com (email Chris if you want me to come to your club at [email protected]) at the Picklr Littleton and 3rd Shot!
I really enjoy teaching.
Selfishly, there's instant gratification when something clicks with a student, and I can see it work in their game right away.
Here’s your PPA Mesa Cup Recap:
The 66-Match Win Streak Is Over
Hayden & Anna Just Changed Everything
One week after their championship choke, Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin absolutely dismantled Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters — the team that had won 11 straight golds and 66 straight matches. The key? Hayden surviving on defense by feeding middle balls to Ben's forehand, neutralizing Ben's offense while generating his own.
Watch the video to see the side-by-side breakdown of exactly why this worked.
Is Ben Johns Back in Singles?
Ben hadn't medaled in a singles event since May 2025 before this weekend. As the #10 seed, he took out world #5 Connor Garnett, world #2 Federico Staksrud, and world #3 Christian Alshon before falling to Chris Haworth in the final.
Hot take: Chris Haworth ends this season as world #1 — and Ben knows it.
Want the rest? Watch the video (← Click here or above)
Quick Hitters:
One more thing…
MLP Tickets are available for sale!
If you plan on attending any MLP or PPA events, make sure to save yourself some money by using the codes listed here:
Stay Legendary,
– Zane
P.S. Last week it was 700. This week, it's 750 members. The Transition Zone is going to the moon. If you want to get better at Pickleball, I promise that this is the course for you. Try it free for two weeks here!