Key Takeaways from Championship Sunday:
- Hunter Johnson solidified his elite status with masterful performances.
- Parris Todd delivered a breakthrough showing, announcing her arrival as a top contender.
- Several matches featured historic comeback wins, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
- Underlying statistics, from serving aces to unforced errors, truly defined the champions' paths.
Across every division, elite veterans strengthened their legacies while new champions announced themselves on the biggest stage, with matches defined as much by composure and comebacks as by jaw-dropping rallies.
The tone was set early in the Mixed Doubles final, where Tyra Black and Christian Alshon dethroned top seeds Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin in straight games, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6. It marked the first Mixed Doubles gold medal for both winners and was especially meaningful for Alshon, who finally broke through after eight consecutive silver medals in the discipline. Alshon’s consistency was remarkable, landing 63 of his team’s 66 third shots, while Black delivered a flawless performance on serves and returns with zero errors. The final also featured a grinding 34-shot rally, a preview of the physical endurance that would define the day.
Drama peaked again in the Men’s Doubles final, where Andrei Daescu and Gabe Tardio survived a five-game thriller against Christian Alshon and Hayden Patriquin, winning 1-11, 14-12, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10. Daescu claimed his ninth Men’s Doubles title, while Tardio added a staggering 16th, but not before clawing back from an 8-3 deficit in Game Five. The final was historic statistically: all four players recorded 10 or more Clean Winners, a feat not seen in a final since last August in Las Vegas. Patriquin’s 24 Clean Winners were the most in a Men’s Doubles final since Ben Johns posted 25 at the Masters two years ago. A 38-shot rally capped a match that proved even a lopsided opening game doesn’t dictate destiny — something that happened only twice across Gender or Mixed Doubles finals last year.
On the singles courts, Hunter Johnson once again underlined his elite status with an authoritative 11-6, 11-0 win over Christopher Haworth in the Men’s Singles final. The victory secured Johnson’s seventh career title, placing him third all-time, behind only Ben Johns and Federico Staksrud, and breaking a tie with JW Johnson and Tyson McGuffin. Haworth entered the match chasing history, a chance to become the first man since Ben Johns to win three consecutive Men’s Singles titles, but Johnson’s discipline proved decisive. He committed far fewer Baseline Drive Errors (16-4), sealing the match on a 20-shot rally at championship point.
In the Women’s Doubles final, top seeds Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters asserted their dominance with an 11-1, 6-11, 11-3, 11-5 victory over Tyra Black and Parris Todd. The win marked their 16th title together, with Bright earning her 25th Women’s Doubles title and Waters extending her record to 58. Their attacking edge was clear, outpacing their opponents 19-9 in Clean Winners, including all five Clean Winners in Game One coming from Waters alone. Despite the loss, Black continued her exceptional consistency, committing no errors on serves, returns, or thirds, while the final produced the longest rally of the day at 62 shots.
The day concluded with a statement win in the Women’s Singles final, as Parris Todd defeated Lea Jansen 11-5, 11-5 to capture her fourth career title and first since Bristol last August. For Jansen, it was her first final appearance since the Cape Coral Open last March, but Todd’s control from the baseline told the story, again minimizing mistakes with 13 Baseline Drive Errors to Jansen’s 3. The final rally stretched to 19 shots, symbolizing Todd’s patience and maturity in closing out a championship moment.
By the end of Championship Sunday, one theme was undeniable: titles were won not just with power, but with precision, discipline, and mental grit. From historic comebacks and marathon rallies to milestone victories across every bracket, the Pickleball Central National Indoor Championships delivered a finale that will be remembered as a benchmark for the sport’s continued rise.
