The favorites may have prevailed in every division on Championship Sunday at the PPA Tour Atlanta Pickleball Championships, but in a few years fans could look back on this week as the tournament Tama Shimabukuro became a star.

The talented 15-year-old from Hawaii made the final in men’s singles and the semifinals in men’s doubles at one of the biggest tournaments of the year, despite starting the week as a double-digit seed in both divisions.

He became a crowd favorite with impressive wins over No. 2 Federico Staksrud, No. 11 Noe Khlif and No. 3 Hunter Johnson in singles. He ultimately fell to No. 1 Chris Haworth in Sunday’s men’s singles final, but not before the announcers dubbed Atlanta “Tama Town” because of the fan support he was receiving all weekend.

“The crowds were so great this whole week,” Shimabukuro said after Sunday’s final. “I was just trying to stay calm, and this crowd got me through every match. Thank you to everyone here.”

In doubles, Shimabukuro and Yuta Funemizu upset No. 2 Hayden Patriquin/Christian Alshon in the Round of 16, then beat No. 9 Riley Newman/Armaan Bhatia in the quarterfinals before falling to No. 13 Roscoe Bellamy/Connor Garnett (more on them later) in the semifinals.

Shimabukuro and Funemizu settled for fourth after getting beat by Andrei Daescu/Federico Staksrud in Sunday’s bronze-medal match, but the result puts both of them on map as serious contenders who could be future Top-10 players on the men’s side.

Funemizu is originally from Japan and is a former world champion in soft tennis. He became the first Japanese player to sign an exclusive contract with the United Pickleball Association in early 2025.

For Shimabukuro, this week’s results validate the hype he has gotten from fellow players and those who follow the pro game closely. He has been highly touted since late last year, and was the No. 9 overall pick by the Utah Black Diamonds in this spring’s Major League Pickleball free-agency draft.

But coming into Atlanta, he had only made it past the Round of 16 once in men’s singles and once in men’s doubles.

So what changed? As somebody who watches a lot of pro pickleball, it seems to me like he’s just becoming more and more comfortable against the top players — and gaining confidence with every match. We’ve known the talent was there, but now he has the look of a player who believes he can and should win these big matches. That’s a dangerous combo, and I suspect it will lead to more strong results for the rest of 2026 and beyond.

Here’s a closer look at the results from each division this week:

Men’s doubles

Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio claimed their 8th straight men’s doubles title of 2026 and 17th overall with a win Sunday over No. 13 Roscoe Bellamy/Connor Garnett (11-5, 11-7, 11-2).

Johns/Tardio were pushed a little bit in Game 2 as Bellamy/Garnett started playing very aggressive and strung together a few quick points, but Johns/Tardio pulled away late and then dominated Game 3.

“Super happy to come away with a gold this week,” Tardio said after the win. “Last year we got silver at this tournament, so it feels good to get the gold.”

Johns spoke afterward about the huge crowds that filled Championship Court all week in Atlanta, which is one of the longest-running stops on the PPA Tour.

“It’s incredible to see,” Johns said. “I think the first year I played here, the tennis court was still here, there were only temporary nets and nobody cared to watch any professional pickleball tournaments. So it’s remarkable to see how far it’s come, and it wouldn’t be possible without everyone attending and making it what it is.”

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For Bellamy and Garnett, the run to the final was sparked by an upset over No. 3 JW Johnson/CJ Klinger in the Round of 16. That opened up their half of the draw, and they beat Jack Sock/Blaine Hovenier in the quarterfinals before taking down Shimabukuro/Funemizu in the semifinals. It was the first time playing together for Bellamy and Garnett, and the first doubles medal for Bellamy in his 4 years as a pro.

“It’s so cool just being here in front of this crowd,” said Bellamy, who has been known more for his singles results in the past. “It’s such a crazy experience. This is the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of, and to do it with CG by my side is better. I’m not gonna lie, doubles might be a little more fun because you have a partner with you. This week has been super magical.”

The result was also crucial for Garnett, who came into the week at No. 19 in the men’s doubles points standings. Atlanta was a Slam — meaning there were 2,000 points on the line — and the last tournament before the season-ending PPA Finals in San Clemente, California, which start this week. The Top 8 in singles and mixed doubles and the Top 16 in men’s and women’s doubles get an invite to the Finals. Although the PPA Tour hadn’t posted the updated points standings as of Sunday evening, Garnett’s silver this week will likely move him into the Top 16.

“I’ve been 17th the last two years, so really hoping to get in,” he said. “It’s just been awesome getting to share the court with Roscoe this week. … Atlanta has always been a great spot for me. Obviously wanted to get the win today, but still great to be out here.”

Women’s doubles

As they have all year, No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Bright dominated the women’s doubles field and cruised to their 8th gold medal of the year with a win over No. 2 Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black on Sunday (11-3, 11-4, 11-0).

Their toughest test of the week actually came in the Round of 16 against No. 13 Brooke Buckner/Milan Rane (11-6, 11-7), but otherwise they held their opponents to under 5 points in every game. They also defeated Jackie and Jade Kawamoto handily in the quarterfinals 11-3, 11-2.

The Kawamotos were one of just two teams to beat Waters/Bright in 2025, with Johnson/Black being the other. Waters/Bright dominated both of those teams this week.

Mixed doubles

It was a similar story in mixed doubles, as top-seeded Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters cruised to their fourth straight title, including an easy win Sunday over No. 3 Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin (11-4, 11-5, 11-4), who are the only team to have beaten them this year.

Johns/Waters have now won 9 of their last 10 games against Bright/Patriquin since losing to them in the final of the Mesa Cup back in February.

“You never expect it to go that way, but it’s certainly the goal,” Johns said of Sunday’s dominant performance. “You have those nitty gritty matches where you’ve got to work with what you have and win how you can, but when you do play really well, you’re thankful for the preparation that went into it. Sometimes, you get days like these where you both play really well, and when you do, it’s gratifying for sure.”

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Men’s singles

Chris Haworth, Federico Staksrud and Hunter Johnson have been trading wins in men’s singles for the past several months.

But in the biggest tournaments, it’s been all Haworth, and on Sunday he captured his second gold in a Slam this year. His other wins in 2026 have come at the Masters (Slam), the Mesa Cup and the Greater Zion Cup — all tournaments with 1,500 or more points on the line.

So while he may not have been the crowd favorite with the fan support Shimabukuro received all week and in Sunday’s singles final, Haworth was certainly the favorite to win this week’s title. He dropped just one game all week.

“I knew most people would be rooting for (Shimabukuro), and you can’t blame them. I mean, I would honestly be cheering for him if he wasn’t playing me,” Haworth said after Sunday’s match. “But I played college tennis, so I’m used to people cheering against me. It kind of motivates you a little bit.”

Women’s singles

Anna Leigh Waters was sporting two knee braces during her matches on Sunday, so some wondered whether she would be vulnerable to an upset in women’s singles.

It definitely wasn’t her cleanest performance, as she faced a game point against in Game 1 vs. No. 2 Kate Fahey, but rallied late to take that game 12-10 and then won Game 2 11-5.

Waters seemed to turn it on after the crowd broke into a “Let’s Go Fahey” chant toward the end of Game 1. She didn’t drop a point the rest of the way and even motioned for the crowd to get on her side instead of cheering for Fahey.

The win gives Waters her 44th Triple Crown.

“This week was a grind for me, just kind of leaving it all out there at the end of the season,” Waters said. “I would play with two broken ankles, so I was just out here fighting today. Even though it might not have been my best movement-wise this week, I’m just going to keep fighting.”