Short answer: Anna Bright is a 27-year-old pickleball pro from Boca Raton, Florida, who played college tennis at Cal Berkeley. In pickleball she is No. 2 in the PPA’s women’s world ranking behind Anna Leigh Waters, and Waters’ women’s doubles partner, with 42 PPA titles.
The 30-second version
- The ranking: No. 2 in the PPA’s women’s World Pickleball Ranking as of October 19, 2026, behind only Waters.
- The résumé: 42 PPA titles on her athlete page, all of them doubles or mixed.
- The background: UC Berkeley tennis, then a job at DUPR, then pro in 2022.
- The price tag: the No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLP draft, for $1.23 million.
- Steal this: fast, soft hands from the left side. It is the most copyable skill on tour.
Who is Anna Bright?
Anna Bright is an American professional pickleball player who plays women’s doubles and mixed doubles on the PPA Tour. Her PPA Tour athlete page lists her as 27, 5 feet 7 inches, right-handed, living in Pompano Beach, Florida, and a pro since 2022.
She grew up in Boca Raton and went to West Boca Raton High School, according to her Cal Bears tennis bio. That bio covers her four years at UC Berkeley, from 2017 to 2021: twice All-Pac-12 second team, a spot in the NCAA singles championship, and a 20-3 senior season.
The PPA bio adds two details. She reached a career-high national ranking of No. 13 in college tennis. Her Cal bio shows that ranking came in doubles, which fits everything that followed. She also worked as an account manager at DUPR before she went full-time on tour.
What has Anna Bright won?
Anna Bright has won 42 PPA Tour titles, according to her athlete page: 35 in women’s doubles, 7 in mixed and none in singles. The PPA’s all-time title table shows 39, but it is labelled as running only through September’s National Championships. Her two titles in Las Vegas in October would explain most of the gap.
The big ones from the last two seasons:
- Two golds at 2026 Nationals. At the Veolia National Championships in Cary, North Carolina, she won women’s doubles with Waters and mixed with Hayden Patriquin, Pickleball.com reported. Full results are in our Nationals recap.
- Two more in Las Vegas. At the October Las Vegas Open she was the only player to win two titles. She and Patriquin beat the top-seeded Ben Johns and Waters 11-9, 11-7 in the mixed final, The Dink reported.
- The big women’s doubles titles. The PPA’s title table credits her with the 2025 Worlds and the 2026 Indoor Nationals in women’s doubles, both with Waters.
- All-MLP first team. Pickleball.com’s 2026 postseason awards named her first team All-MLP.
Who does Anna Bright play with?
In women’s doubles, Anna Bright plays with Anna Leigh Waters. Pickleball.com reported the pairing in April 2025, when Waters split from Catherine Parenteau. The two had already won seven titles together in 2023.
Before Waters, her regular partner was Rachel Rohrabacher. In a reflection after their split, Pickleball.com put that partnership at about two years, eight golds and a 91-16 record.
In mixed doubles in 2026 she has played with Hayden Patriquin. Their wins include the Mesa Cup in February, Nationals and Las Vegas. See what paddle Hayden Patriquin uses if you follow him too.
Which MLP team is Anna Bright on?
Anna Bright plays Major League Pickleball for the St. Louis Shock, and her 2026 season there had a strange start.
The Shock left her off their keeper list in February, which The Dink called a surprise. Then they took her back with the first pick of the free agency draft for $1.23 million, Pickleball.com reported. Our guide to how the MLP draft works explains why a team would do that.
It nearly paid off. St. Louis reached the 2026 MLP Finals in Central Park, a few hours down the road from Leominster, and lost the series 2-0 to the New Jersey 5s. Both matches went to a DreamBreaker. The full story is in our MLP Finals recap.
What paddle does Anna Bright use?
Her PPA athlete page lists the JOOLA Scorpeus Pro V 14mm, and MLP also lists JOOLA as a sponsor. I found no source saying otherwise. More on the paddle itself on our Anna Bright paddle page.
How does Anna Bright play?
Anna Bright plays the left side and wins with her hands. The PPA bio credits “fast hands, consistency, and good anticipation.” Asked by Pickleball Magazine about her strengths, she said good wrist flexion, good hands, soft hands and good doubles instincts.
Pickleball.com analyst Jim Kloss explained why that suits Waters. In a May 2025 piece he described Bright as one of the few very top left-side players, comfortable in the faster game and able to defend and counter power.
Steal this from Anna Bright’s game
You cannot copy Waters’ power. You can copy Bright’s hands. Most rec doubles in New England is decided by who wins the fast exchanges at the kitchen, and most 3.5 players lose them by swinging. Three things to try this week:
- Soft first, fast second. When a ball is sped up at you, block it back low before you try to counter. Our reset guide has the paddle angles.
- Win the hands battle with a short swing. Keep the paddle up and out front and punch, do not swing. Drills are in how to win hands battles.
- Learn the left side. If your partner has the bigger forehand, take the left and own the middle with your backhand. See stacking to keep each of you on your best side.
More profiles are in The Pro Corner, and the full skill ladder is on the Learn hub.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Anna Bright?
Anna Bright is 27, according to her PPA Tour athlete page as of October 2026.
Where is Anna Bright from?
She grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, and played college tennis at UC Berkeley. Her PPA Tour page lists her home as Pompano Beach, Florida.
How many titles has Anna Bright won?
Her PPA Tour athlete page credits her with 42 titles: 35 in women’s doubles and 7 in mixed doubles. She has not won a PPA singles title.
Who is Anna Bright’s doubles partner?
She plays women’s doubles with Anna Leigh Waters, a partnership that began in April 2025. In 2026 her mixed doubles partner has been Hayden Patriquin.
What MLP team does Anna Bright play for?
She plays for the St. Louis Shock, who took her with the first pick of the 2026 MLP draft for $1.23 million and reached the 2026 MLP Finals.
Sources: the PPA Tour, Cal Athletics, Pickleball.com, The Dink and Pickleball Magazine, all linked above and checked October 19, 2026. Rankings and partnerships change often, so check the PPA’s rankings for the current picture.
