From the very first serve, the match was fueled by adrenaline and riveting exchanges, setting the stage for Anna Bright and Dekel Bar to achieve what no mixed doubles team had managed in nearly a year: bringing down Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns.
On Saturday afternoon, the No. 3 seeds pulled off a thrilling 12-10, 7-11, 11-9 upset, sending shockwaves through the Humana Championship Court and hinting that this could be one of the season’s most memorable contests.
A Break in a Historic Run
For most of 2024, Waters and Johns were close to untouchable. They combined to win 16 of the 17 mixed doubles tournaments they entered, frequently dominating opponents in straight-game performances.
Waters, in particular, has seen her star power surge, with her agent projecting earnings exceeding $3 million in 2024—potentially the highest of any pickleball player, male or female.
On top of that, Waters secured a triple crown at the 2023 PPA Masters without dropping a single game, underscoring her extraordinary skill. Meanwhile, Johns continued to solidify his reputation as one of the sport’s most consistent winners.
Despite their near-invincible status, many observers noted a subtle closing of the gap in early 2024. While Johns and Waters still reigned over the pickleball world, opponents began to push them harder, turning what were once near-certain victories into tougher, more hotly contested battles.
Seizing the Moment
Such was the case on Saturday. After splitting the first two games, Bright and Bar found themselves trailing 1-5 in the decider, only to battle back and switch sides with a 6-5 lead—thanks to Bright’s timely serves and Bar’s towering deliveries.
Later, down 7-9, they strung together a four-point rally to cap the 90-minute encounter in triumphant style.
This victory was reminiscent of Waters and Johns’ last defeat nearly a year ago, also involving Bright. Back then, she partnered with Andrei Daescu at the Austin Open to hand the star duo a rare loss. Following Saturday’s match, Bright credited Bar with neutralizing Waters’ lethal speedups at crucial moments.
“The key to beating them for me is trusting that my male partner is going to handle Anna Leigh’s attacks because I can’t avoid hitting her the ball, but I also can’t press and try and do too much,” she said. “Dekel did a great job because she had some amazing speedups—she’s always going to—but I think he handled them really, really well.”
Staying Focused on the Prize
Although this victory stands out as a major achievement for Bar, he isn’t allowing the euphoria to overshadow the next hurdle.
“Obviously it’s an amazing win today, but tomorrow is a new day,” he said. “We’ll start fresh knowing that we have one more match to go. We’re going to give it everything and focus as best we can to take them down.”
No. 2 seeds Jorja Johnson and JW Johnson await in the finals, poised to test the momentum that Bright and Bar have built.
If the newly dethroned champions’ history of dominance reveals anything, it’s that victories against them come at a premium—and that makes Saturday’s upset all the more significant in the rapidly evolving world of pickleball.
