As of October 27, 2026, the best pickleball players in the world are Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters. Both are No. 1 in the PPA Tour's World Pickleball Rankings, the tour's overall ranking across singles, doubles and mixed doubles: Johns with 18,060 points and Waters with 22,160. Event by event, the No. 1 spots are split. Christopher Haworth leads men's singles, Gabriel Tardio leads men's doubles and Ben Johns leads mixed doubles. On the women's side, Anna Leigh Waters is No. 1 in singles and mixed doubles, and she shares No. 1 in women's doubles with her partner Anna Bright. The tables below are copied from the official PPA Tour standings on October 27, 2026, with a link to each one.
Who is No. 1 right now
| Ranking (PPA Tour) | Men's No. 1 | Women's No. 1 |
|---|---|---|
| World Pickleball Rankings (all three events combined) | Ben Johns, 18,060 pts | Anna Leigh Waters, 22,160 pts |
| Singles | Christopher Haworth, 17,500 pts | Anna Leigh Waters, 17,500 pts |
| Doubles | Gabriel Tardio, 21,500 pts | Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright (tied), 23,600 pts |
| Mixed doubles | Ben Johns, 22,100 pts | Anna Leigh Waters, 22,100 pts |
Overall numbers: the PPA Tour rankings page. Event numbers: the PPA's per-event "Current Seed" standings on pickleball.com, week of October 26, 2026. All read October 27, 2026. Rankings update weekly.
PPA World Pickleball Rankings: top 10 men and women
This is the PPA Tour's main ranking. It blends results in all three events over the last 52 weeks, so a player who wins in all three ranks above one who wins in only one.
Men, overall
| Rank | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Johns | USA | 18,060 |
| 2 | Hayden Patriquin | USA | 14,450 |
| 3 | Gabriel Tardio | Bolivia | 13,653.8 |
| 4 | Federico Staksrud | Argentina | 12,037.5 |
| 5 | Christian Alshon | USA | 11,792.5 |
| 6 | JW Johnson | USA | 10,971.9 |
| 7 | Andrei Daescu | Romania | 10,010 |
| 8 | Tama Shimabukuro | USA | 6,102.5 |
| 9 | CJ Klinger | USA | 6,005 |
| 10 | Eric Oncins | Brazil | 5,711.3 |
Women, overall
| Rank | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna Leigh Waters | USA | 22,160 |
| 2 | Anna Bright | USA | 17,697.5 |
| 3 | Tyra Hurricane Black | USA | 12,097.5 |
| 4 | Jorja Johnson | USA | 12,078.8 |
| 5 | Catherine Parenteau | Canada | 9,295 |
| 6 | Parris Todd | USA | 9,167.5 |
| 7 | Rachel Rohrabacher | USA | 8,590 |
| 8 | Kate Fahey | USA | 8,332.5 |
| 9 | Tina Pisnik | Slovenia | 6,015 |
| 10 | Kaitlyn Christian | USA | 4,906.3 |
Source: ppatour.com/rankings and ppatour.com/leaderboards, read October 27, 2026.
Top 10 pickleball singles players
The PPA's singles-only standings, used to seed singles draws. Country and age as shown on the standings page.
Men's singles
| Rank | Player | Country | Age | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christopher Haworth | USA | 33 | 17,500 |
| 2 | Hunter Johnson | USA | 32 | 14,375 |
| 3 | Federico Staksrud | Argentina | 30 | 14,250 |
| 4 | Tama Shimabukuro | USA | 15 | 7,400 |
| 5 | Christian Alshon | USA | 26 | 6,850 |
| 6 | Roscoe Bellamy | USA | 26 | 6,438 |
| 7 | John Lucian Goins | USA | 18 | 5,950 |
| 8 | Noe Khlif | France | 28 | 5,900 |
| 9 | Connor Garnett | USA | 29 | 5,575 |
| 10 | Zane Ford | USA | 21 | 4,550 |
Ben Johns, the overall No. 1, is 21st in men's singles, with 2,500 points from six events.
Women's singles
| Rank | Player | Country | Age | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna Leigh Waters | USA | 19 | 17,500 |
| 2 | Kate Fahey | USA | 30 | 17,200 |
| 3 | Kaitlyn Christian | USA | 34 | 13,000 |
| 4 | Brooke Buckner | USA | 34 | 10,750 |
| 5 | Lea Jansen | USA | 34 | 7,900 |
| 6 | Chao Yi Wang | Chinese Taipei | 24 | 6,300 |
| 7 | Judit Castillo | Spain | 27 | 5,950 |
| 8 | Kiora Kunimoto | USA | 18 | 5,850 |
| 9 | Catherine Parenteau | Canada | 32 | 4,950 |
| 10 | Andie Dikosavljevic | Australia | 30 | 4,525 |
Source: men and women, week of October 26, 2026, read October 27.
Top 10 pickleball doubles players
In doubles each player has a personal point total. Partners who play every event together often end up with the same number, which is why Waters and Bright are tied at the top.
Men's doubles
| Rank | Player | Country | Age | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel Tardio | Bolivia | 21 | 21,500 |
| 2 | Ben Johns | USA | 27 | 19,900 |
| 3 | Hayden Patriquin | USA | 21 | 17,000 |
| 4 | Federico Staksrud | Argentina | 30 | 15,600 |
| 5 | Andrei Daescu | Romania | 38 | 14,600 |
| 6 | Christian Alshon | USA | 26 | 13,900 |
| 7 | JW Johnson | USA | 23 | 12,200 |
| 8 | CJ Klinger | USA | 20 | 10,750 |
| 9 | Tama Shimabukuro | USA | 15 | 7,675 |
| 10 | Dylan Frazier | USA | 24 | 6,800 |
Women's doubles
| Rank | Player | Country | Age | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (tied) | Anna Leigh Waters | USA | 19 | 23,600 |
| 1 (tied) | Anna Bright | USA | 27 | 23,600 |
| 3 | Tyra Hurricane Black | USA | 25 | 17,300 |
| 4 | Jorja Johnson | USA | 20 | 14,500 |
| 5 | Parris Todd | USA | 28 | 13,550 |
| 6 | Catherine Parenteau | Canada | 32 | 13,150 |
| 7 | Rachel Rohrabacher | USA | 29 | 12,000 |
| 8 | Tina Pisnik | Slovenia | 45 | 8,250 |
| 9 | Lacy Schneemann | USA | 30 | 7,900 |
| 10 | Kate Fahey | USA | 30 | 7,550 |
Source: men and women, week of October 26, 2026, read October 27.
Top 10 mixed doubles players
Men, mixed doubles
| Rank | Player | Country | Age | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Johns | USA | 27 | 22,100 |
| 2 | Hayden Patriquin | USA | 21 | 17,000 |
| 3 | JW Johnson | USA | 23 | 13,250 |
| 4 | Christian Alshon | USA | 26 | 10,900 |
| 5 | Gabriel Tardio | Bolivia | 21 | 8,200 |
| 6 | Andrei Daescu | Romania | 38 | 7,700 |
| 7 | Eric Oncins | Brazil | 24 | 6,200 |
| 8 | Federico Staksrud | Argentina | 30 | 6,000 |
| 9 | Noe Khlif | France | 28 | 4,150 |
| 10 | Tama Shimabukuro | USA | 15 | 3,300 |
Women, mixed doubles
| Rank | Player | Country | Age | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna Leigh Waters | USA | 19 | 22,100 |
| 2 | Anna Bright | USA | 27 | 16,850 |
| 3 | Jorja Johnson | USA | 20 | 13,250 |
| 4 | Tyra Hurricane Black | USA | 25 | 9,850 |
| 5 | Rachel Rohrabacher | USA | 29 | 7,400 |
| 6 | Parris Todd | USA | 28 | 6,150 |
| 7 (tied) | Kate Fahey | USA | 30 | 5,650 |
| 7 (tied) | Catherine Parenteau | Canada | 32 | 5,650 |
| 9 | Tina Pisnik | Slovenia | 45 | 5,400 |
| 10 | Jessie Irvine | USA | 35 | 5,350 |
Source: men and women, week of October 26, 2026, read October 27. Johns and Waters share 22,100 because they play mixed together, as do JW and Jorja Johnson on 13,250.
How the PPA rankings work
The PPA Tour keeps two numbers for every pro, both explained on its How Pro Pickleball Works page.
The World Pickleball Rankings (the overall list)
- It mixes all three events, weighted: gender doubles 50%, mixed doubles 35%, singles 15%.
- It covers the last 52 weeks of PPA Tour results.
- Only a player's best 14 results in each event count. The Pickleball World Championships and the three other PPA Majors always count, even a bad result.
- It decides who gets into events and who gets a bye (a free pass through the first round or two).
- The top 8 men and top 8 women at the end of the year qualify for the PPA Finals.
The PPA says this ranking is rolling out for the 2026 to 2027 season.
The Current Seed (the per-event lists)
The Current Seed is a separate number for just singles, just mixed, or just gender doubles, again from a player's best 14 results. It is used to seed each draw so the top players do not meet too early. In doubles and mixed, the two partners' numbers are combined to seed the team.
How many points an event is worth
| Event type | Champion | Finalist | Semifinals | Quarterfinals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickleball World Championships | 3,000 | 2,400 | 1,500 | 600 |
| The other three Majors | 2,000 | 1,600 | 1,000 | 400 |
| Cups | 1,500 | 1,200 | 750 | 300 |
| Opens | 1,000 | 800 | 500 | 200 |
| Challengers and some international events | 125 to 500 | Smaller share | Smaller share | Smaller share |
The PPA Finals are worth up to 2,000 points, earned through a round robin and knockout semifinals. The tour also lists Gold-contract prize money at Majors and Worlds: $90,000 to win men's or women's doubles, $76,000 to win mixed and $23,000 to win singles.
DUPR: a rating, not a ranking
DUPR is the other number you see next to pro names. DUPR's own explainer puts the difference simply: a ranking is your place on a leaderboard and changes when other players move around you, while a rating measures your playing level and changes only with your own results.
- Scale: DUPR runs from 2.000 to 8.000, and every player, of any age or gender, is on the same scale. New players start as NR (Not Rated).
- Separate ratings: Singles and doubles are rated separately.
- How it moves: DUPR compares your score with what was expected. If your team scores more points than expected, your rating goes up, even in a loss. A narrow win as a heavy favorite can lower it.
- Reliability score: A 1% to 100% figure showing how settled your rating is.
For what 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 mean for rec players, see our guide to pickleball ratings explained.
The highest DUPR ratings we could confirm
DUPR's live leaderboard asks you to sign in, so it could not be read for this article. The latest public snapshot found is from The Dink, which listed the top-rated player on each continent using DUPR ratings from January 11, 2026. These are the highest of those, more than nine months old and not a full top 10.
| Player | Country | Rating (January 11, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Johns | USA | 7.158 doubles |
| Andrei Daescu | Romania | 7.110 doubles |
| Gabriel Tardio | Bolivia | 6.971 doubles |
| Hunter Johnson | USA | 6.927 singles |
| Anna Leigh Waters | USA | 6.850 doubles, 6.478 singles |
MLP, the APP and the United Pickleball Association
Major League Pickleball (MLP) is the team version of the pro game, where pros are drafted onto teams. In 2024 the PPA Tour and MLP finalized a merger. Their parent company is the United Pickleball Association (UPA). Sportcal reported in March 2024 that the two would keep their own brands, backed by a $75 million investment. Today, per the PPA, a pro who signs an official UPA player contract gets main-draw spots at PPA events and a place to play in MLP. The World Pickleball Rankings are built only from PPA Tour points.
The APP (Association of Pickleball Players) runs a separate pro tour with its own rankings. The APP said in December 2025 that it would run or support more than 50 events in 2026.
The big names
Ages for Johns, Waters and Parenteau are worked out from birth dates on Wikipedia and match their PPA profiles. Other ages, homes and title counts (PPA Tour golds only) are from each player's PPA Tour profile, read October 27, 2026.
Ben Johns
Born March 18, 1999, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, so he is 27. He grew up in Laytonsville, Maryland, studied materials science and engineering at the University of Maryland, and lives in Boca Raton, Florida. His profile lists 189 PPA Tour titles (42 singles, 65 doubles, 82 mixed), 21 triple crowns (singles, doubles and mixed at one event), a 108-match men's singles winning streak, and 16 straight mixed titles with Anna Leigh Waters from March 2023 to February 2024.
Anna Leigh Waters
Born January 26, 2007, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, so she is 19. She lives in Boynton Beach, Florida. She turned pro at 12 in 2019, the youngest pro in the sport's history. Her family found pickleball in 2017 while evacuating Florida for Hurricane Irma, and her mother, Leigh Waters, was her first partner and is still her coach. Her profile lists 204 PPA Tour titles (66 singles, 69 doubles, 69 mixed), the most medals and triple crowns of any pro.
Federico Staksrud
Argentina, 30. He grew up in Buenos Aires, played college tennis at the University of New Orleans and Tennessee Wesleyan, and lives in West Palm Beach, Florida. He has 28 PPA Tour titles, 20 in singles, and is the only man in the top 4 of both singles and doubles right now.
Hayden Patriquin
USA, 21, from Yucaipa, California. His grandfather introduced him to pickleball at 13, and the PPA notes he is one of the few pros with no earlier racquet sport. He has 12 PPA Tour titles and is No. 2 overall.
Gabriel Tardio
Bolivia, 21, living in Jupiter, Florida. His grandfather introduced him to the game at 14, and the two built two courts in Bolivia. He has 30 PPA Tour titles, 26 in men's doubles, where he is No. 1.
JW Johnson
USA, 23, grew up in Pittsburg, Kansas. The PPA calls him the youngest player to win a men's singles title, at 19, and says he medaled 47 times with 3 triple crowns in 2022. He has 25 PPA Tour titles. His sister Jorja is No. 4 among women.
Anna Bright
USA, 27, living in Pompano Beach, Florida. She played tennis at UC Berkeley and worked at DUPR before going full time on tour. She has 43 PPA Tour titles (36 doubles, 7 mixed) and is tied for No. 1 in women's doubles.
Catherine Parenteau
Born August 26, 1994, in Montreal, so she is 32. She played tennis at the University of Arkansas, started pickleball in October 2016 and lives in Miami. Her profile lists 55 PPA Tour titles, two triple crowns and an MLP championship as captain of the LA Mad Drops. She is in the top 10 of all three women's lists, as are Waters and Kate Fahey.
Tyson McGuffin
USA, 36, living in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. A former tennis pro and coach, he turned pro six months after taking up pickleball. He has 13 PPA Tour titles and, per the PPA, is the only man besides Ben Johns with a triple crown. He is No. 30 overall.
Rising names
- Christopher Haworth (USA, 33): first played in 2022, turned pro in 2023, 9 PPA titles, all singles. No. 1 in men's singles.
- Hunter Johnson (USA, 32): former ATP doubles player from Taos, New Mexico. 12 PPA singles titles.
- Tama Shimabukuro (USA, 15, Honolulu): turned pro in 2025, now No. 8 overall and top 10 in all three men's lists.
- Kate Fahey (USA, 30): three-time tennis All-American at Michigan. No. 2 in women's singles, 300 points behind Waters.
Most PPA Tour titles of all time
The PPA rankings page tracks every pro title on the PPA Tour since 2020, through the Veolia Pickleball National Championships. A doubles title counts for each partner.
| Rank | Player | Titles | Singles | Doubles | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna Leigh Waters | 196 | 64 | 66 | 66 |
| 2 | Ben Johns | 186 | 42 | 65 | 79 |
| 3 | Catherine Parenteau | 54 | 10 | 37 | 7 |
| 4 | Anna Bright | 39 | 0 | 33 | 6 |
| 5 | Collin Johns | 35 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| 6 | Simone Jardim | 32 | 6 | 14 | 12 |
| 7 | Gabriel Tardio | 28 | 2 | 25 | 1 |
| 8 | Federico Staksrud | 26 | 20 | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | JW Johnson | 25 | 6 | 13 | 6 |
| 10 | Lucy Kovalova | 23 | 0 | 21 | 2 |
Player profiles show slightly higher totals (204 for Waters, 189 for Johns); the PPA does not explain the difference.
What could change the rankings next
On October 27, 2026, the PPA Tour listed the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships in Farmers Branch, Texas, as its next event, dated November 2. Worlds pays 3,000 points for a title, the most of any event. Close races to watch: Waters and Fahey are 300 points apart in women's singles, Waters and Bright are tied in women's doubles, and Tardio leads Johns by 1,600 in men's doubles. New to watching? Start with our pickleball rules guide and our guide to stacking in doubles.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the No. 1 pickleball player in the world?
As of October 27, 2026, Ben Johns is No. 1 among men and Anna Leigh Waters is No. 1 among women in the PPA Tour's World Pickleball Rankings, which combine singles, doubles and mixed results from the last 52 weeks.
Who is the best pickleball player of all time?
There is no official vote, but the PPA's own numbers point to Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters. The tour's title count puts Waters at 196 PPA titles and Johns at 186 through the Veolia Pickleball National Championships, more than 130 ahead of anyone else.
Who is the best singles pickleball player right now?
In the PPA's singles standings for the week of October 26, 2026, Christopher Haworth leads the men with 17,500 points and Anna Leigh Waters leads the women with 17,500 points.
What is a pro's DUPR rating?
The best pros rate around 7. In the January 11, 2026 snapshot reported by The Dink, Ben Johns had a 7.158 doubles rating and Anna Leigh Waters had 6.850. The scale runs from 2.000 to 8.000.
How old is Anna Leigh Waters?
She was born January 26, 2007, so she is 19 as of October 2026. She turned pro at 12 in 2019, the youngest pro in the sport's history.
For the player who is ranked higher in their own head
Nobody on the courts at your local park is chasing Ben Johns. But everyone has a number in mind. We make pickleball shirts, hats and mugs for players who know their rating and believe in a slightly better one.
- The Officially a 3.0, Emotionally a 5.0 T-Shirt ($27), also as a sweatshirt ($42).
- The Self-Rated 4.0 Hat ($32), for the player who has not entered a DUPR match yet.
- The Tennis Was a Phase T-Shirt ($27), because so many of the pros above started in tennis.
More ideas in our funny pickleball shirts and pickleball gifts collections.
Sources
- PPA Tour: World Pickleball Rankings
- PPA Tour: leaderboards
- PPA Tour: How Pro Pickleball Works
- Pickleball.com: men's singles standings
- Pickleball.com: women's singles standings
- Pickleball.com: men's doubles standings
- Pickleball.com: women's doubles standings
- Pickleball.com: men's mixed doubles standings
- Pickleball.com: women's mixed doubles standings
- PPA Tour: Ben Johns
- PPA Tour: Anna Leigh Waters
- PPA Tour: Federico Staksrud
- PPA Tour: Hayden Patriquin
- PPA Tour: Gabriel Tardio
- PPA Tour: JW Johnson
- PPA Tour: Anna Bright
- PPA Tour: Catherine Parenteau
- PPA Tour: Tyson McGuffin
- PPA Tour: Christopher Haworth
- PPA Tour: Hunter Johnson
- PPA Tour: Tama Shimabukuro
- PPA Tour: Kate Fahey
- Wikipedia: Ben Johns
- Wikipedia: Anna Leigh Waters
- Wikipedia: Catherine Parenteau
- DUPR: How It Works
- DUPR: What Is a DUPR Rating?
- DUPR: What Is a Pickleball Ranking?
- The Dink: doubles DUPR leaders by continent
- The Dink: singles DUPR leaders by continent
- Pickleball.com: United Pickleball Association unveiled
- Sportcal: MLP and PPA Tour merge
- The APP: 2026 APP Tour