Key Highlights
- She has been unbeaten in women’s singles since March 2024. Pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport in the US as well as globally, with participation increasing by 311 per cent between 2022 and 2024, according to reports from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).
- In 2024, there were an estimated 19.8 million pickleball players in the United States, and the number has grown even further since.
- As a result, it became inevitable for elite sports brands to woo pickleball players, with Nike becoming the first to take that step by adding its first pickleball athlete to a roster filled with global stars. Anna Leigh Waters previously had a deal with Fila, but that agreement expired in 2025.
- Her new deal with Nike will see Waters wear the brand’s footwear and apparel at her professional appearances.
- She is expected to make her Nike apparel debut at the Carvana Masters event in Rancho Mirage, California, taking place this week, with play finishing on January 18. The details of the deal, however, have not been disclosed.
