Lauren Stratman has been far more successful in the Doubles categories over the last year or so than in the Singles. However, that may be about to change.
Initial Reservations
Lauren Stratman loves her doubles, and she was very honest when she asked whether she felt at ease with her singles game, “Definitely not. I’m way more comfortable playing doubles, but more recently, I’ve gotten more comfortable in singles.”
Despite her initial reservations, Stratman is adapting well. As a seasoned PPA Tour player, she’s been showcasing impressive results in a recent string of strong performances, arguably the best in her singles career.
As Stratman explained to ppatour.com, “I’ve been working at it more and believing in myself more. I know I am capable of getting those results.”
Fourth At The Kansas City Open
With a total of 14 medals in her tour journey, she has secured three in singles and two in the past two tournaments. Notably, she secured a fourth-place finish in the Kansas City Open, narrowly missing a medal by falling to Jorja Johson in the bronze medal match.
This marked the third consecutive tournament where she was in contention for a medal. However, Stratman acknowledged room for improvement, sharing, “I feel like I have a lot to get better at.”
As might have been expected, Anna Leigh Waters has returned to the final rounds. She has made a strong comeback after skipping the previous week’s Tournament of Champions in Utah and facing an upset in the quarter-finals of the competition before that.
She triumphed over Stratman in the semifinals, battling back after losing a game, ultimately defeating Lina Padegimaite in the quarterfinals.
A Second Career Triple Crown For Anna Leigh Waters
Waters is set to compete against Catherine Parenteau on Championship Sunday tomorrow. Parenteau enters the match after an impressive performance in Utah, securing her second career triple crown. Her semi-final victory over Johnson, with an 11-8, 13-11 score, highlighted an intense contest featuring remarkable scoring streaks from both sides.
Tyson McGuffin staged a remarkable comeback in the men’s competition for the second consecutive week. Overcoming a 10-3 deficit in the first game against Federico Staksrud, he ended up securing a 12-10, 11-5 victory.
This accomplishment places him in the gold medal match for the second tournament in a row and puts him in a position to earn another triple crown.
McGuffin’s opponent in the final is Ben Johns, who delivered a flawless performance throughout the day. Johns managed to sweep all four matches without dropping a game and limited his opponents to no more than seven points per match.
Staksrud claimed the bronze medal by defeating Julian Arnold—an impressive fifth singles medal since May for Staksrud.
Lauren Stratman
Lauren Stratman was brought up in Santa Barbara, California, and, like many peers on the tour, hails from a distinguished tennis background. Her journey included competing in D1 college tennis at Columbia University and Westmont College.
The pivot to pickleball came in 2018 when she heeded the suggestion of some tennis students. This culminated in her inaugural pickleball tournament participation in February 2019.
Within the PPA Tour, Stratman holds the status of a Gold Card member. She competes alongside her boyfriend, Julian Arnold, as her mixed doubles partner.
Outside competing, she contributes to the pickleball community by giving clinics all over the country across the nation, primarily at venues like Chicken N Pickle, as well as various pickleball destination camps.
When her pickleball engagements aren’t taking precedence, Stratman likes to travel and spend time with her Australian sheepadoodle, Baylee.
Lauren At A Glance
Resides: Seymour, TN
Turned Pro: 2022
Age: 29
Height: 5′ 7″
Plays: Right-handed
Paddle: Free Agent
Vulcan Kansas City Open
The Vulcan Kansas City Open is part of the PPA Tour World Championship Series and runs until Sunday, August 26th.
The tournament is taking place at Elite Tennis and Wellness, 14481 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66223
Go here to see the latest latest scores and results from the tournament. You can also buy tickets by following the link.
Watch live on Amazon Prime (subscription required) by following this link.
Click here to read our preview of the Vulcan Kansas City Open.
