Anna Leigh Waters Dominates at Newport Beach Open with Triple Crown Victory
Waters Achieves Triple Crown at Newport Beach Open
On March 8, Anna Leigh Waters celebrated a remarkable achievement by clinching her 41st career triple crown at the Newport Beach Open in Southern California. She triumphed in the women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles events, marking a significant milestone in her professional journey. The tournament concluded on the Humana Championship Court, where a lively crowd witnessed the thrilling matches. The warm weather conditions contributed to extended rallies, making for an exciting day of competition.
Reflecting on the matches, Waters noted, “We were engaged in many long firefights. This was some of the hottest weather we’ve played in, and it led to some really enjoyable points.” In the men’s doubles final, Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio maintained their unbeaten streak in the 2026 season by defeating second seeds Hayden Patriquin and Christian Alshon with scores of 11-6, 11-2, 3-11, 11-8. This victory marked their 13th title together.
Johns elaborated on their strategy during fast exchanges at the kitchen line, stating, “It’s about pattern recognition. When the ball speeds up in one area, you start predicting where the next shot will go. It may seem fast, but it’s really about reading those patterns.”
Waters' Dominance in Women's Events
Earlier in the day, Waters partnered with Anna Bright to secure the women’s doubles title, overpowering third seeds Parris Todd and Rachel Rohrabacher with a score of 11-4, 11-5, 11-3. Following this, she faced fifth seed Lea Jansen in the women’s singles final, winning decisively with scores of 11-2, 11-1. This victory not only marked her 60th career singles title but also confirmed her 41st Triple Crown on the PPA Tour.
Waters had narrowly missed achieving this milestone at the Carvana Mesa Cup, where she lost in the mixed doubles final. However, she completed the clean sweep this time by winning the mixed doubles earlier in the day before adding the singles and women’s doubles titles. Discussing her mental approach during matches, Waters emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive mindset. “There are many ways things can go wrong during a match. If you dwell on mistakes, your mind starts to believe it. I remind myself to keep pushing forward, even if I miss a shot,” she shared.
The top players on the tour are set to return to action soon, with the main draw of the Veolia Texas Open commencing on March 10.