Anna Leigh Waters appears in live interview on ESPN's SportsCenter

The Kitchen Team

Covering all things pickleball

Last Edited

Jul 11 2025

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News

World No. 1 women's pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters appeared in a live interview on ESPN's SportsCenter on Thursday afternoon from the Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament.

SportsCenter was on scene as part of its "50 States in 50 Days” tour, which celebrates local sports stories and traditions across the country. The tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan, marked the 14th stop of the tour, and ESPN featured several segments highlighting the power of pickleball to unite sports fans across Michigan.

Waters sat down with anchor Christine Williamson for a 5-minute courtside interview that aired live on ESPN2 over the noon hour.

You can watch the full interview here ⬇️

Williamson said it was the first time she'd attended a pro pickleball tournament, and they discussed the sport's rise both at the amateur and pro level during the interview. Specifically, Williamson asked Waters about what she would say to doubters who don't view pickleball as a real sport.

"Before I started playing, I was honestly one of those doubters," Waters said. "Once I got on the court, I was like, 'I get the hype.' This is a real sport -- it takes athleticism, it takes hard work. So I would say to those people, just get out on the court and try it for yourselves."

They also talked about pickleball's potential to be in the Olympics one day, growth of the game internationally and at the junior level, and Waters' experience playing with her mom, Leigh Waters, on the PPA Tour as she rose to the top of the game.

"We started playing together and that was just a crazy bond," Waters said. "I was traveling country with my mom, we were playing a professional sport and winning and we were No. 1 in the world together at one point. So just having all these memories playing with my mom has been amazing. It's something that I will always remember."

Williamson also got a tour of Waters' RV, where she spends most of her time at tournaments when she's not on the court. Check it out below.

Other stops on the "50 states in 50 days" tour include UFC 317 in Las Vegas, the MLB Home Run Derby in Atlanta, The ESPYS in Los Angeles, WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis and the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.