This one isn’t just another sponsorship announcement — it feels like a “market-shifter.”
Franklin Sports has officially signed Anna Leigh Waters, the undisputed No. 1 player in pickleball, to a multi-year paddle partnership — and the ripple effects could be felt across the entire sport.
At just 18 years old (turning 19 this month), Waters is already the most accomplished player the pro game has ever seen. She currently holds the No. 1 ranking in women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, and she’s the winningest player in PPA history with an eye-popping 181 gold medals and 39 triple crowns. That’s not future potential. That’s present-day dominance.
The Deal at a Glance
According to reporting from Sports Business Journal, the agreement centers on product — and it’s more than just a logo-on-the-jersey arrangement.
- Multi-year paddle deal: Waters will compete with Franklin’s C45 Carbon Fiber Paddle.
- Signature line in the works: Waters will co-design a line of paddles, bags, and accessories.
- A new ball is coming: Franklin and Waters will collaborate on a new pickleball to launch alongside the brand’s existing X-40.
- Branding details still TBD: It’s not yet clear whether Franklin will receive logo placement on Waters’ match kit.
Franklin’s timing here is notable: the company has been entrenched in pickleball’s rise for years, with the X-40 becoming one of the sport’s most recognizable balls and the official ball of major events like the US Open Pickleball Championships — plus the official and exclusive ball of the APP Tour.
Why Franklin Went All-In
Franklin Sports didn’t hide how big this moment is for them.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the undisputed number one pickleball player in the world to the Franklin Sports family,” said Adam Franklin, President of Franklin Sports.
“Anna Leigh’s remarkable talent, competitive spirit, and passion for the game align perfectly with our mission to support athletes at every level while continuing to grow the sport globally.”
Franklin has been part of pickleball’s rise since 2017, when it launched the X-40, now the most widely used ball in the sport and the official ball of USA Pickleball, the APP Tour, and the US Open Pickleball Championships. Signing Waters takes that legacy and adds a true face of the modern game.
Why Waters Chose Franklin
For Waters, this wasn’t just about brand visibility.
“When looking for the right partner for the future of my game, performance was a priority,” Waters said.
“I’ve been so impressed by Franklin’s commitment to paddle innovation. Beyond the technology, I had an immediate connection with the team and felt like part of the family.”
She also emphasized trust — and a shared vision.
“I have a lot of trust in this partnership and am especially excited to work together on our shared vision for international growth.”
How the Rumor Mill Built to This Moment
This signing didn’t come out of nowhere — it landed after weeks of unusually loud speculation across pickleball media and social.
Here’s the quick timeline that fueled the frenzy:
- Early January: Multiple outlets framed Waters as the sport’s biggest “free agent” in both the paddle and apparel categories heading into 2026.
- Jan. 5, 2026: A now-deleted social post from the Polo Club of Boca Raton appeared to show Waters using a Franklin-shaped paddle while wearing Nike gear — including Nike pickleball shoes. That instantly poured gasoline on the “Franklin + Nike” theory.
- Within hours: The post disappeared, but screenshots and breakdowns spread everywhere.
- Jan. 8, 2026: The Franklin paddle deal was confirmed publicly.
If you want to see how the speculation unfolded in real time, these were some of the most-circulated pieces:
- Pickleball.com: the now-deleted “Franklin paddle + Nike apparel” post
- The Dink: Waters spotted testing Franklin while wearing Nike
- The Kitchen: “ALW Decision Watch” and brand-by-brand theories
- Zane Navratil: a player’s-eye view of the sponsorship stakes
The “Missing” Categories: No Shoes, No Apparel — and That Matters
One detail that immediately jumped out: this announcement is framed as a paddle partnership (plus bags/accessories and a ball collaboration) — but there’s been no mention of apparel or footwear, specifically, as part of the Franklin deal.
That’s a big deal because Waters’ Fila apparel agreement reportedly lapsed at the end of 2025, and industry reporting expects a new apparel deal to be announced soon.
In other words: the Franklin signing may be just one piece of a larger sponsorship “reset” for 2026.
And yes — the Nike theory is still out there. The now-deleted Boca Raton post that showed Waters in Nike gear is a big reason why. But it’s worth emphasizing: the apparel side has not been officially confirmed (and the early “Nike” chatter was based on sightings, not a formal announcement).
What’s Coming Next (This Is the Fun Part)
This partnership is designed to go beyond a static endorsement and into “build-with-the-athlete” territory.
- Competition-ready paddle tech: Waters is expected to compete with Franklin’s C45 platform.
- Hands-on product involvement: Co-design, testing, and iteration — not just a name on the face.
- Signature collection: Paddles, bags, and accessories are explicitly on the roadmap.
- A new ball launch: Franklin and Waters are collaborating on a new pro-level pickleball to complement the X-40 lineup.
Also worth watching: Waters’ first “full spotlight” event with this new deal should come quickly, with the PPA Tour’s Carvana Masters Powered by Invited scheduled for mid-January.
The Bigger Picture: A “Big Player + Big Player” Signal
Waters first picked up a paddle in 2017 and rose alongside her mom, Leigh Waters (still her coach/manager), helping define the faster, more aggressive style that now dominates pro pickleball. Today, she isn’t just the face of women’s pickleball — she’s one of the sport’s most valuable marketing assets, period.
That’s why this deal feels like more than a sponsorship:
- It looks like a “category claim.” When a top athlete chooses a brand with massive retail reach, it can reshape buying habits far beyond the pro scene.
- It mirrors other sports’ inflection points. In mature sports, the biggest stars tend to align with the biggest distribution engines — not just the niche “performance-first” brands. Pickleball appears to be moving in that direction.
- It hints at consolidation pressure. As elite player deals get bigger and more product-centric (signature lines, co-development, global marketing), smaller paddle brands may struggle to compete on budget, manufacturing, or shelf space. That often leads to partnerships, acquisitions, or a “few winners” capturing outsized market share.
In short: the sport’s most dominant player is now aligned with one of its most influential mass-market brands — and that combination tends to accelerate the separation between the top of the market and everyone else.
What to Watch Now
- The apparel/footwear reveal: Who replaces Fila — and will Nike actually make the leap from sightings to signature deal?
- On-court debut: How quickly Waters fully transitions in competition (and what the paddle setup looks like in match play).
- Signature line timeline: When Franklin announces the first ALW-branded products.
- The “new ball” rollout: Whether it becomes a true pro-tour contender alongside the X-40 ecosystem.
This doesn’t just feel like a sponsorship. It feels like the start of a new chapter — for Franklin, for Anna Leigh Waters, and for pickleball itself.
