Imagine you’ve played 302 matches at the highest level of pickleball. Of those, you have won 295 and lost only 7. That’s a 97.3% win rate.

Sounds like a fantasy. But for Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters, it’s reality.

They are the most dominant team in the history of our sport across any doubles discipline. But there are two — or maybe three — other teams who are going to make it very difficult for Johns and Waters to maintain that level of dominance in mixed doubles going forward.

Below we explore the recent performance of the top four teams in mixed doubles at the PPA Tour Veolia Pickleball National Championships in North Carolina and how we can expect them to fare the remainder of the 2026-27 season.

Read next: 5 new pickleball paddles that have impressed us recently

Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters

The top seeds lost to JW and Jorja Johnson (the No. 3 seeds) in the semifinals in North Carolina. It was a hard-fought match that came down to Game 3. Game 2 was up for grabs, but Johns/Waters couldn’t quite close it out. Final score: 4-11, 11-9, 11-6.

To my eye, Johns and Waters did not play their best that match. They seemed a bit lackluster, and Waters’ dinks were not as crisp and penetrating as usual. The announcers commented on this as well. But my overall takeaway from this match is that even when Johns and Waters are not at their best, it still takes a Top 4 team three games to beat them.

And beating them becomes even harder in a best-of-5 final at a major tournament. So even though they lost in the semifinals at this event, Johns and Waters will remain the clear favorites for the rest of the year.

The added difficulty for them in 2026 is that they likely have to contend with two big challenges on their path to gold every single tournament: One in the semifinals and one in the finals.

I asked PPA Tour Statistician Jim Ramsey about the incredible win percentage Johns and Waters have. Here’s why other teams are not likely to ever challenge that number, much less get to 90% overall: Say a team wins a tournament, then loses in the final the next week. Do that over and over. That would be spectacular. Well, that team went 5-0 to win, then 4-1 for a silver. That’s 9-1 and your elusive 90%. Upper tier, but not a rate to challenge 97%, especially in a field with Johns and Waters, who distribute losses to everyone’s overall record. Make sure to give Jim a follow at ProPickleballStats on Facebook to stay up with all the latest stats from the PPA Tour.

Read next: What the top pickleball pros are using right now (September 2026)

Hayden Patriquin and Anna Bright

Patriquin and Bright were the No. 2 seeds in North Carolina. They did not have to face Johns and Waters; instead, they faced the Johnson siblings in the finals. The first game was back and forth. The Johnsons came out firing on all cylinders, and Patriquin/Bright seemed a bit flat at first. But when the dust settled, they had “stolen” game 1. Games 2 and 3 were not close. Final score in favor of Patriquin/Bright: 11-9, 11-3, 11- 7.

From my perspective, this is a very difficult matchup for the Johnsons – even more difficult than Johns/Waters. When Hayden roams at the kitchen line the way he can, he is a challenging threat up there. And Bright may be the best cross-court dinker in the game.

This team is the most likely one to challenge Johns/Waters for the top spot in 2026-27. I think it will all come down to Patriquin’s play, as Bright has proven to be one of the most consistent players on the tour. I have a sneaking suspicion that working with Coach Juan Benitez will help Patriquin unlock a level of consistent performance that has eluded him in the past (Benitez himself made it to the pro tour by being an extremely consistent player).

If Patriquin raises his floor even higher, count on this team to be in the mix for gold week in and week out.

Read next: JOOLA is releasing a new paddle later this month. Here’s what we know about it.

JW and Jorja Johnson

The Johnson siblings have been near the top of the mixed doubles game for about 3 years. They’ve now beaten Johns/Waters multiple times and have had a ton of success as teammates in MLP.

From my point of view, these are the factors that will dictate the Johnsons’ success in 2026-2027:

  • Will JW play big enough? He has the fastest and probably strongest hands in the game. For the Johnsons to have the best chance of success, JW needs to play big and aggressive pickleball, particularly in the biggest matches. He did that in North Carolina.
  • Will Jorja create or get lulled into a cross-court dink game? Jorja has some of the best court vision of any player on tour. When she feels loose and free to use it, watch out. Jorja can also hang in a firefight with many men’s players opposite her, Johns included. Patriquin seems to present a different challenge, though. If Jorja can create and attack, especially funneling balls toward her brother’s side of the court, this team is tough to beat. If it becomes a right-side-to-right-side dinking contest, the odds tilt in favor of the team with either Bright or Waters on it.

Christian Alshon and Rachel Rohrabacher

This is a dark horse team for 2026-27. When they are both healthy, Alshon and Rohrabacher can be a dangerous team. Alshon has come on as one of the “biggest” players on the tour, taking up a lot of court. But … that can sometimes backfire – particularly against the top teams.

If this team can find the right balance and gel together, they can beat any team on a given day.

Conclusion

Expect many Saturday mixed doubles slates featuring these four teams. If you were forced to pick one team week in and week out, it would have to be Johns and Waters. But don’t be shocked if their wining percentage for 2026-2027 is closer to 85% than to 100%, as it has been to this point in their partnership.

If you get the chance to attend a PPA Tour event (including Challenger events), give yourself the treat of seeing these athletes play live. You’ll be glad you did.