OVERALL TOP 5:
- SLIDERS ON THE MENU: All 4 MLP Premier Champion Columbus Sliders are in the tournament: Andrei Daescu, CJ Klinger, Parris Todd, and Lea Jansen.
- FINALS MASHUP: Jansen is paired with her Finals competitors from the New Jersey 5s (Meghan Dizon and Noe Khlif) and Andrei Daescu will play with Dizon as well.
- OWLS ON THR PROWL: Challenger MLP Champion Las Vegas Night Owls bring the trophy home and these 4 are playing mixed together: Brooke Buckner/James Delgado and Zoey Wang/Pablo Tellez.
- ESCAPE THE HEAT: Indoor event, so triple digit temperatures will not be a factor on the players.
- OPEN ALL NIGHT: As an Open, 1000 points will go to the winners.
VENUE/TOURNEY/TV:
- Tourney #13 on the campaign – first event at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
- Traditional Open format: singles Thursday, mixed Friday, women’s and men’s doubles Saturday, and then Champions crowned on Sunday.
- Over 1,000 players participating in the event.
- PickleballTV (and the app) will have the coverage, starting each day at 11am Pacific time until Championship Sunday that starts at 10am Pacific. Additional coverage on Tennis Channel, FS1 and FS2.
- Defending Medalists listed below are from the Las Vegas Pickleball Cup in 2024 played next door to the Las Vegas Convention Center at the Fontainebleau.
WOMEN’S SINGLES:
- Defending Medalists: Anna Leigh Waters, Kate Fahey, Salome Devidze
- Kate Fahey is the top seed and looking for her second win in 2025.
- Anna Leigh Waters is not in singles, but playing both doubles events.
- Kaitlyn Christian (2) hasn’t won since going down under to take the title in Australia in February.
- Watch out for: Brooke Buckner (3) – will the MLP title spur her to another singles gold medal?
MEN’S SINGLES:
- Defending Medalists: Federico Staksrud, Dylan Frazier, Jaume Martinez Vich
- Welcome back to the PPA gold medalist and newly signed Chris Haworth. He starts his journey as the most dangerous 52 seed in history.
- Potential round of 32 showdown: Federico Staksrud (1) would seek revenge against Alexander Crum (30) — Crum upset Staksrud in Atlanta.
- Gabe Joseph (9) lost a tough final in Tennessee, could face Michael Loyd (6) in the R16.
- Watch out for: John Lucian Goins (11) – won his first gold medal in Tennessee, can he back it up?
MIXED DOUBLES:
- Defending medalists: Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns, Catherine Parenteau/Riley Newman, Jorja and JW Johnson
- Waters will play both doubles events and holds the mixed top seed with Ben Johns.
- “Columbus 5s” Lea Jansen and Noe Khlif look to do damage as the 12 seed.
- JW Johnson is not playing this tourney, so Jorja is the 4 seed with Jonathan Truong.
- Watch out for: Parenteau/Alshon (2) – continue to be oh so close to that elusive mixed gold together – will this be the week?
WOMEN’S DOUBLES:
- Defending medalists: Waters/Parenteau, Black/Todd, Johnson/Rohrabacher
- Bright and Waters (1) continue to wreck everyone in the field – did not lose a game in TN.
- How will Dizon and Jansen (5) fare after intense MLP battles against each other in the Finals?
- Rohrabacher not playing this event.
- Watch out for: Catherine Parenteau and Parris Todd (2) – they won the Tournament of Champions in 2023 and Todd heads to Vegas loaded with confidence as MLP Champion.
MEN’S DOUBLES:
- Defending medalists: Daescu/Tardio, Bar/Navratil, Alshon/Newman
- Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio (1) seek their 4th win in the last 5 PPA events.
- Fun first-time partner alert: MLP Champion CJ Klinger pairs with the vet Tyson McGuffin (4).
- Riley Newman and Jay Devilliers (8) grabbed bronze in TN and run it back in Vegas.
- Watch out for: Daescu/Alshon (3): Team Power Forward returns seeking another gold and Daescu is at the height of his powers after captaining the Sliders to MLP glory.
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