Upsets, Withdrawals, and a Wild Finish in Florida

Hey Everyone!

The Holidays are already upon us. Well, at least for Jenny and me! We decided to decorate for Christmas early since we're going to Peru for vacation and then home to Wisconsin!

I had a couple of weeks home to recover from my wrist injury, and Wired has been helping tremendously with that. Thanks to everybody who's sent kind wishes. We're on the mend!

I stayed very busy the last couple of weeks with a ton of Transition Zone work! We filmed over 175 videos for the launch. And great news: We actually bumped up the launch date to December 1st, so this next week is the LAST week to take advantage of the Founders' Offer before prices go up! 👉 Get a HUGE Discount by Joining Transition Zone now (click here) I was also busy teaching in person at Pickleland and the Austin Pickle Ranch here in Austin!

Thanks to Chris from Pickleball Pros for helping to arrange all of that! We're already booking up 2026 with clinics!

Lakeland Recap: Upsets, Withdrawals, and a Wild Finish in Florida

After a record-breaking Worlds, the PPA Tour headed back to Florida for the Veolia Lakeland Open. While it wasn’t technically a slam, there was plenty to talk about. If you’d rather watch all the chaos unfold, hit play on the video above 🎥 If you’re more of a reader, grab a snack. This one’s packed.

 

Big Announcements Before the First Serve

We actually had a few headlines before anyone hit a ball.

🥇 The International Tour Wars may finally be cooling off. The Global Pickleball Federation and the United World Pickleball Federation are joining forces. If this works, it’s a massive step toward getting pickleball in the Olympics.

🏆 Worlds broke records: 60,000 fans and 4,400 players. Unreal.

🗓️ The 2026 PPA schedule is already out, so if you’re planning to play or watch, use my discount code below to save some cash.

💸 Save Money on PPA Tour Tickets! https://linktr.ee/ZaneNavratilPickleball

Singles Wednesday: Withdrawals, Upsets, and a Whole Lot of Chaos

Ben Johns, Jaume Martinez Vich, Max Freeman, Christian Alshon, and Blaine Hovenier all withdrew from singles. Are they hurt? Maybe. But when half those guys magically recover for mixed doubles the next day… it’s a bad look. Here’s why it matters: 61 players entered the men’s qualifier. That’s 61 people who paid, traveled, and wanted a chance — and a lot of them never got one. If you’re not healthy enough for singles, you shouldn’t be cleared for doubles. Period.

Friday and Saturday: Setting Up the Finals

Friday’s men’s doubles went mostly by the book. Ben and Gabe had a little scare against Eric and Dylan, but came out on top. The only upset? Ryan Fu and Tama Shimabukaro over Donald Young and Travis Rettenmaier. Women’s side saw Kate and Tina take out Catherine and Etta, while the Kawamotos beat Rachel and Jorja in a wild three-setter. Saturday was packed. Anna Leigh rolled past Brooke Buckner, and Zoey Wang took out Lea Jansen after a 12–10, 11–2 performance and some questionable replay coverage (PPA, let us see the challenges!). On the men’s side, Roscoe Bellamy beat Noe Kliff, and Hunter Johnson handled Luca Mack to set up their showdown for #1. In mixed, Ben/ALW and the Johnsons advanced, setting up yet another chapter in the world’s most predictable but still fun rivalry. And in men’s doubles, Christian and Andrei erased that 0–8 hole against JW and CJ — the best match of the week and maybe the whole month. I’m breaking that one down in my new match analysis series, so subscribe if you want the full tactical deep dive.

Sunday: Controversy, Comebacks, and Crowns

Ben and Anna Leigh beat JW and Jorja again — their 25th meeting, if you can believe it. The Johnsons pushed them to five, but Ben and ALW took it 11–6 in the decider. That’s nine straight titles. Unreal consistency. Then came the men’s singles final: Hunter Johnson vs. Roscoe Bellamy. Hunter was chasing #1 and seeking revenge after losing to Roscoe in Vegas. You’ve probably seen the call by now. Roscoe ripped a backhand that bounced back into play.

Did it hit the post? The net cord? 🤷 Huge congrats to Roscoe on his first PPA title. And yes, he’s swinging the ProXR Jolt, which you can grab for $108 with my Pickleball Central code. Not bad for a title-winning paddle. Anna Leigh and Anna Bright handled business, sweeping the Kawamotos with no drama. They’re finally looking like the unstoppable duo we expected all year. Ben and Gabe capped things off with a clinical win over Christian and Andrei — straight games, no nonsense, pure control. And Anna Leigh? She closed out Zoey Wang in straight games to extend her streak to 20 tournaments, 94 matches, and 539 days. That’s a full year of undefeated singles. So to anyone still saying Serena was more dominant — show me the year Serena went undefeated, and I’ll personally join the Cincinnati streaker next season.

Final Thoughts

Lakeland wasn’t a major, but it sure felt like one. We had controversy, comebacks, and champions who keep rewriting what’s possible. The full match analysis of that 0–8 comeback is coming Thanksgiving week — make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it. 👉 WATCH THE VIDEO HERE