Mixed Doubles Masterclass: Waters And Johns Storm To Gold At Carvana Atlanta Open

Source: Pickleball.com

Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns opened Carvana Championship Sunday in Atlanta with a performance that was as clinical as it was commanding, defeating Etta Tuionetoa and Christian Alshon 11-3, 11-2, 11-7 to claim the mixed doubles title.

The top-seeded pair wasted no time asserting their dominance, racing out to a nine-point run on their opening service possession—a surge that effectively set the tone for the entire match. From the outset, Waters and Johns played with precision, poise, and a quiet determination to bounce back from last month’s mixed doubles loss at the Veolia North Carolina Open.

“We were really gunning for this one—not to prove anything to anyone else, but for ourselves,” said Waters after the match. “It was a reminder that we’re capable of more than what we showed last time.”

That mindset translated into a flawless tournament run. Waters and Johns didn’t drop a single game across six matches en route to the title, and their final performance was a showcase of rhythm, court awareness, and high-level synergy.

Tactical Shift Falls Short For Tuionetoa And Alshon

After struggling through the first two games, Tuionetoa and Alshon opted for a tactical switch, shifting Tuionetoa to the left side and Alshon to the right—a formation more aligned with their individual strengths in gender doubles play. In theory, the change made sense: Tuionetoa has excelled on the left in women’s doubles, and Alshon thrives on the right in men’s.

But in practice, the shift wasn’t enough to derail the top seeds. Waters and Johns stayed composed and continued to exploit the gaps, eventually closing out the third game and sealing the match in straight sets.

Record-Breaking Consistency From Johns

With this title, Ben Johns extends his staggering streak of earning at least one gold medal in 39 consecutive PPA Tour tournaments, eclipsing a record previously held by Waters, who had secured gold at 38 straight events from 2021 to 2024.

Still, for the 25-year-old, it’s not about the accolades.

“Outside of the numbers or titles or anything, it just feels great to get on the court and play well,” Johns said. “I can’t say it means anything extraordinary, but I’m super happy with how we’ve been performing. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going today and into the next tournaments.”