Looking ahead to the next PPA Tour stop -- the Orange County Cup

Alex Lantz

Director of Content

Last Edited

May 20 2025

Category

News

The PPA Tour Orange County Cup is still about a month away, but on the heels of the Atlanta Pickleball Championships, there are a few interesting storylines that have emerged as we head into the summer months.

Held in San Clemente, California, the Orange County Cup is one of the biggest events on the PPA Tour schedule, offering 1,500 points to the winner in each division. The tournament is hosted at the Life Time Rancho San Clemente, one of the most scenic facilities on tour and a popular venue among pro and amateur players alike.

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Through the first 10 tournaments -- halfway through the PPA Tour schedule -- men's doubles and men's singles have been defined by unprecedented parity compared to prior years.

In men's doubles, JW Johnson and CJ Klinger got their first title together in Atlanta, vaulting them into the mix of 4-5 teams who could threaten to win gold at any given tournament.

Three active teams have now won at least one gold medal in 2025: Andrei Daescu/Christian Alshon (x3), Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio (x2) and Johnson/Klinger (x1). Daescu and Klinger also teamed up for a gold medal at the Daytona Beach Open, which counts for 2025 standings. Ben and Collin Johns won The Masters, which was their final event together, and Tyson McGuffin/Tardio won the Australia Pickleball Open. Meanwhile, Federico Staksrud/Hayden Patriquin have five silver medals and one bronze medal this year and are also among the top teams on a given week.

It's a similar story in men's singles, as 5 players have won titles this season and 4 of those players have won multiple times. They are: Staksrud (1x), Tardio (2x), Hunter Johnson (2x), Ben Johns (2x), Alshon (2x). All 5 of those players will be in the singles draw in San Clemente.

In the women's and mixed divisions, Anna Leigh Waters remains firmly at the top. She snapped what for her was a fairly long triple crown drought (3 tournaments) in Atlanta, winning easily in each division. In women's doubles specifically, Waters and new(ish) partner Anna Bright looked dominant. Can any of the other women's doubles teams mount a serious challenge as we head into the second half of the season? More below on who those challengers might be.

Notable Orange County Cup partnerships

The PPA Tour updated the list of entries recently, and there are a few pairings that stand out. Note: Pairings can still change up until one week before the event.

Men's doubles

Andrei Daescu/Christian Alshon: They lead the field with three gold medals this season, but were beaten by Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio in the semifinals in Atlanta. Can they bounce back?

JW Johnson/CJ Klinger: They hold the title belt with the win in Atlanta. Can they go back-to-back?

Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio: They have now played four tournaments together in 2025 and have two golds and two silvers to show for it. Will they win at a higher clip in the second half of the season?

Federico Staksrud/Hayden Patriquin: As we noted at the top, they are the silver medal kings this season. Can they break through and get a gold?

Quang Duong/Jay Devilliers: Devilliers has been playing well since switching to the JOOLA Perseus Pro IV paddle (find our review here and buy it here), making the quarterfinals in men's doubles and men's singles in Atlanta. He and Duong can both be streaky -- can they get hot at the same time?

Collin Johns/James Ignatowich: They made the quarterfinals in Atlanta, but then were beaten 11-1, 11-6 by Dekel Bar and Dylan Frazier. Can they improve on that and possibly sneak into a semifinal?

DJ Young/Eric Oncins: We saw Oncincs make a big run to the semifinals in men's doubles at the North Carolina Open with Dylan Frazier, and we've seen Young catch fire at times over the years when he's healthy. This is a team I wouldn't want to see in the Round of 16 or quarterfinals if I was one of the top seeds.

Mixed doubles

Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns: They've been beaten twice this season, but looked awfully good in Atlanta. Are they in the midst of another long streak of gold medals?

Jorja Johnson/JW Johnson: They were knocked out in the semifinals in Atlanta, but they've proven they have what it takes to win gold in mixed. Can they mount another challenge to Waters/Johns after beating them in North Carolina?

Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin: Bright has been bouncing between several partners in mixed this season. Is Patriquin her best bet to make a run to the finals?

Andrei Daescu/Meghan Dizon: Daescu has been Mr. Consistent this season in men's doubles and mixed doubles. I expect that to continue and wouldn't be surprised to see this team in the semifinals depending on the draw.

Christian Alshon/Etta Tuionetoa: They upset the Johnson siblings on their way to the finals in Atlanta, which was an impressive showing. Alshon now has three silver medals (with three different partners) and two bronze medals in mixed doubles, in addition to his three men's doubles golds and two singles golds.

Women's doubles

Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Bright: They are the favorites to win every event for the rest of the season until further notice.

Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black: If I was going to assemble a team from the remaining women's players to try to beat Waters and Bright, it would be this one. The Dallas Flash teammates already have one gold medal together this season -- at the North Carolina Open, where they beat Waters and Catherine Parenteau.

Several other top women's players are still listed without partners for San Clemente, including: Parenteau, Rachel Rohrabacher, Parris Todd and Tina Pisnik. We'll keep an eye on how the remaining partnerships shake out in the coming weeks.

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