Coming into this weekend, Anna Leigh Waters had won all there is to win in pro pickleball except one thing: A Major League Pickleball title.

That changed on Sunday, as the New Jersey 5s completed a 2-0 sweep of the St. Louis Shock in the 2026 MLP Finals in front of a packed crowd at Central Park in New York City.

The 5s won both Finals matches in a Dreambreaker (22-20 on Saturday and 21-9 on Sunday), as each of the doubles lineups played to a 1-1 split in the two matches.

Saturday scores
Anna Bright/Kate Fahey def. Anna Leigh Waters/Jorja Johnson 11-2
Hayden Patriquin/Gabe Tardio def. Federico Staksrud/Will Howells 11-8
Noe Khlif/Anna Leigh Waters def. Hayden Patriquin/Anna Bright 11-4
Federico Staksrud/Jorja Johnson def. Gabe Tardio/Kate Fahey 11-8

Sunday scores
Anna Leigh Waters/Jorja Johnson def. Anna Bright/Kate Fahey 11-9
Federico Staksrud/Will Howells def. Hayden Patriquin/Anna Bright 12-10
Hayden Patriquin/Anna Bright def. Noe Khlif/Anna Leigh Waters 10-6
Gabe Tardio/Kate Fahey def. Federico Staksrud/Jorja Johnson 11-9

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It was the third straight appearance in the MLP Finals for New Jersey, but in 2024 they lost to the Dallas Flash and in 2025 they lost to the Columbus Sliders. Waters said after Sunday’s match that those past playoff defeats and a few bumps throughout the 2026 season helped prepare the team for the big moments they were in this weekend.

“I think it just shows in the tight moments we stick together as a unit,” Waters said. “That’s what we kept telling each other is, ‘Be a unit,’ and I think throughout the years we’ve been doing this in MLP and getting to the Finals, we’ve always been a unit and always come back and always given it our all.”

Waters played a crucial role in both Dreambreaker wins, outscoring St. Louis’ Kate Fahey 6-4 on Saturday and 6-2 on Sunday in their head-to-head matchup in singles. Staksrud, who was named Finals MVP (more on that below), also gave the 5s much-needed points in singles. He outscored Hunter Johnson — the No. 3 men’s singles player in the world — 7-5 on Saturday and 6-2 on Sunday.

“Everybody played insane in the Dreambreaker today,” Waters said. “It’s really hard to win a Dreambreaker with the score we did, especially against such a great team like the Shock.”

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Federico Staksrud takes home first-ever MLP Finals MVP award

Federico Staksrud celebrates after a point during the 2026 Major League Pickleball Finals.
Courtesy photo, Major League Pickleball

Major League Pickleball added a Finals MVP award this season, which was voted on by several pickleball media members (including me). It was an easy vote in my opinion — Staksrud’s passion and energy seemed to push the 5s forward throughout the weekend. His win with Howells on Sunday over Patriquin/Tardio put New Jersey firmly in control of the match, and he was 2-1 with Johnson in mixed on the weekend.

Staksrud was traded to the 5s from the Orlando Squeeze at the trade deadline in mid-July and wasted no time making an impact on his new team. He finished the year 7-4 with Howells in men’s doubles and 9-2 with Johnson in mixed.

“There’s a lot of emotions because we work so hard every day for this, and it’s just unbelievable,” he said. “It’s something that I’m gonna remember my whole life. That’s what I play for — for these moments.”

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MLP sets single-day attendance record

The 2026 Major League Pickleball Finals set a league attendance record.

Saturday’s crowd of 4,200 in Central Park set the single-day attendance record for an MLP event, as the league’s attendance numbers continue to show big year-over-year growth. There was also a packed crowd on Sunday, and tickets on the secondary market were going for significantly more than the regular price.

Sunday’s match also featured a 1-hour time slot on CBS, showcasing a very close and entertaining men’s doubles game to a national TV audience.

New Jersey General Manager Ryan Harwood credited both fanbases and league leadership for creating a great atmosphere for the season’s biggest matches.

“(St. Louis sets) the standard — they set the bar very high as an organization,” Harwood said. “And (5s fans) have been more electric than ever this year. They showed up at every single MLP … they travel on their own. It’s incredible to see the true fandom that MLP has brought to this sport.”