VEOLIA ATLANTA PICKLEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS STORYLINES (APRIL 27-MAY 3, 2026)

OVERALL TOP 5: 

• SLAM THE DOOR: Last event of the 25/26 season is worth 2,000 points, double an Open.
• NATIONAL EYEBALLS: National CBS audience on Saturday at 12:30 Eastern. 
• THEY’RE BAAAAAACK (ALL OF THEM): Waters, Bright, Patriquin, Alshon, Kawamotos, Tuionetoa – all in. 
• RACING STRIPES: Last chance to qualify for the Finals…who will get in?
• GOLDIN RETURN: Welcome back Grayson Goldin from a stroke suffered earlier this year. 

VENUE/TOURNEY/TV:

• Final event of the 25/26 season at beautiful Life Time Peachtree Corners.
• Over 1,700 players participating. 
• A progressive draw on the pro side, one round per bracket per day.
• Coverage on PickleballTV begins at 10am Eastern Tuesday through Friday & Sunday. 9am start Saturday.  
• Semifinal Saturday mixed doubles coverage at 12:30 Eastern with the CBS exclusive national 2 hour window. 

MEN’S SINGLES:

• Defending medalists: Ben Johns, Connor Garnett, Hunter Johnson
• Chris Haworth is #1 in the world, can he win as the favorite? Staksrud coming off his win in Sacramento, is the 2 seed. 
• Ben Johns is not playing singles in this event so he will not defend his title. 
• Potential R32 thriller: Jack Sock (7) vs. JW Johnson (26)
• RACE STORYLINE: Can John Lucian Goins (8) hold onto 8th position and qualify? He’s 800 points ahead of Gabe Joseph (9) who sits in 9th. These two could meet in the round of 16. 

WOMEN’S SINGLES:

• Defending medalists: Anna Leigh Waters, Kate Fahey, Parris Todd
• Waters is the top seed, Fahey the two.  
• Anna Leigh Waters’ unbeaten streak has reached 698 days at the start of the main draws in ATL. 
• Potential battle in R32: Brooke Buckner (4) vs. Samantha Parker (29)
• RACE STORYLINE: Genie Bouchard (10) is 400 points behind Judit Castillo (9) and 11th in the race. Can she put together a huge week and jump into the top 8? 

MIXED DOUBLES:

• Defending medalists: Waters/Johns, Tuionetoa/Alshon, Jorja/JW Johnson
• Waters and Johns top the seeds, the Johnsons are the 2, and Bright/Patriquin are the 3 in the Johnsons’ half. 
• Eric Oncins, after winning mixed with Tyra Black in Sacramento, is the 7 seed with Tina Pisnik (they made the Newport Beach final together).  
• Black is with Will Howells as the 10 seed. 
• Potential R32: Fahey/Staksrud (9) vs. Bar/Jackie Kawamoto (22)
• RACE STORYLINE (W): Parris Todd is in 8th and final position, 450 points ahead of Rohrabacher and 750 ahead of Alix Truong 
• RACE STORYLINE (M): After the big win in Sacramento, Eric Oncins now sits in 8th position, 350 points ahead of Noe Khlif. 

WOMEN’S DOUBLES:

• Defending medalists: Bright/Waters, Parenteau/Rohrabacher, Black/Todd
• Waters and Bright return as the 1 seed, Johnson/Black are the 2. 
• In ‘25, this was the tournament where the reunited Waters/Bright partnership began. 
• Potential R16: Aussies Danni-Elle Townsend/Sahra Dennehy (16) vs. Rohrabacher/Parenteau (3).
• Potential Quarterfinal: Waters/Bright (1) vs. Kawamotos (5)
• RACE STORYLINE: Alix Truong sits 600 points above Mari Humberg in 16th and final position (8 teams are made in gender doubles) – will Humberg be able to play after scratching in Sacramento with an injury? These two could play in the R16: Truong with Zoey Wang (8) and Humberg with Liz Truluck (12)

MEN’S DOUBLES:

• Defending medalists: JW Johnson/CJ Klinger, Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio, Andrei Daescu/Christian Alshon
• Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio are undefeated in calendar year 2026 and the 1 seed, Alshon/Patriquin the 2. 
• Potential R16: Khlif/Wright (6) vs. Newman/Bhatia (9) – Bhatia had to scratch from Sacramento due to travel issues. 
• RACE STORYLINE: Newman sits in 16th position ahead of 17-19 (Augie Ge, Pablo Tellez, and Connor Garnett who would all need to have a huge week to get in the top 16). 
• RACE STORYLINE 2: Well below the qualifying line include these players: Dekel Bar, Jack Sock, Max Freeman.  

POINTS DISTRIBUTION IN ATLANTA:

• Gold: 2000
• Silver: 1600
• Bronze: 1200
• 4th: 800
• Quarters: 400
• R16: 200
• R32: 100R64: 50