Last Updated on January 12, 2026 by Drew Pierce
What’s happening, pickleball fans? Ace here, coming to you in the second full week of January with some absolutely massive news from the past several days. If you’ve been paying attention to the pro scene, you know that this week brought us what might be the biggest equipment sponsorship deal in pickleball history, some serious contract enforcement drama that has the entire community talking, a major announcement from Major League Pickleball about their season finale, and the annual rule changes that just went into effect. Let’s break it all down.
Anna Leigh Waters Signs With Franklin: A Landmark Deal
This is the story that dominated my social media feed all week, and for good reason. Anna Leigh Waters officially signed a long-term deal with Franklin Pickleball, ending weeks of speculation about where the world’s #1 player would land after her seven-year run with Paddletek.
Let’s put this in perspective: Anna Leigh signed with Paddletek when she was 11 years old in 2018. She’s now 18 and has become the most dominant force in professional pickleball—585 days without losing a singles match, the most marketable athlete in the sport, and a player who transcends pickleball into mainstream sports consciousness.
While financial details weren’t disclosed, the PicklePod crew and others are speculating this could be pickleball’s first $10 million deal. Even if that’s high, it’s clearly a massive contract spanning signature paddles, balls, and accessories. Notably, the deal doesn’t appear to include apparel or shoes, which means Anna Leigh likely has separate agreements for those categories (smart business on her part).
She’ll debut her new Franklin equipment next week at the PPA Masters in Palm Springs, using “new iterations” of Franklin’s C45 paddle line. What’s particularly interesting is that Franklin and Anna Leigh are also developing a brand-new world-class pro pickleball to complement Franklin’s existing X-40 line, which is already the #1 ball in the sport.
Franklin’s pro roster is getting seriously stacked—they now have Anna Leigh Waters, Hayden Patriquin, Parris Todd, Megan Fudge, and Will Howells. That’s a who’s-who of elite talent, and it signals Franklin’s serious commitment to dominating the professional equipment space.
For context on just how big this is: this isn’t just a paddle sponsorship. Anna Leigh will be co-designing signature products and working on international growth initiatives with Franklin. This is a partnership that positions her as more than just an athlete—she’s becoming a brand ambassador and product developer. That’s the kind of deal that changes the economics of pro pickleball for everyone.
The Contract Enforcement Saga: $50,000 Fine and Terminations
Now let’s talk about the story that’s gotten significantly less celebration and a lot more controversy. Parris Todd has been fined $50,000 and suspended for two events—missing the PPA Masters in January and the first Major League Pickleball event in May—for participating in events in Japan sponsored by the Pickleball Japan Federation without proper approval.
Even more dramatically, three other players—James Ignatowich, Ryan Fu, and Vivian Glozman—had their UPA contracts terminated entirely for participating in the same events.
Here’s what happened: in early December, these four pros participated in clinics and exhibitions at Tokyo’s Ariake Tennis Park. The event included a tournament with 1,200+ registered participants and was sponsored by RPM (the paddle company Ignatowich co-founded). The UPA’s position is that this violated exclusivity clauses in their contracts because the players were using their PPA and MLP status to promote what the league considers a competitor event.
Parris Todd’s case is slightly different—she actually requested permission in advance for what she understood to be a single camp, and received limited written approval. But the scope of the event evolved beyond what was initially described, and she didn’t go back to the UPA for additional approval when things changed. In her statement, Todd said she “did not have all the details at the time” and that she immediately ceased involvement once she realized the discrepancy.
The $50,000 fine is the highest amount the UPA has ever levied for a single infraction, and it’s sending shockwaves through the pro community. Ignatowich, Fu, and Glozman have filed an appeal claiming they received approval from the league-appointed Players Council and that their contracts didn’t prohibit the activity since they didn’t compete in another league, promote a rival tour, or receive compensation.
Here’s my take: this is what happens when a sport professionalizes. The “Wild West” days of players hopping between tours and doing whatever clinics they want are over. The UPA/PPA/MLP merger created exclusivity agreements that players are being held to, and the league is making examples to protect their business interests—particularly in markets like Japan where they’re actively negotiating to bring official events.
Is it heavy-handed? Maybe. But it’s also the reality of professional sports contracts. The league owns significant rights to player appearances and likeness, and they’re protecting those assets aggressively. Whether that’s good for the sport long-term is a debate for another column.
MLP Heading to Disney World: A Milestone for the Sport
On a much more exciting note, Major League Pickleball announced their 2026 season will conclude at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World from July 30-August 2.
This is genuinely huge. ESPN Wide World of Sports is one of the premier multi-sport complexes in the United States, hosting everything from basketball and baseball to soccer and cheerleading championships. For MLP to book their regular season finale there is a major statement about pickleball’s arrival as a legitimate professional sport.
The condensed May-August schedule is smart strategic planning. Following a 2025 season that saw 52% year-over-year attendance increase and more than double the sponsorship revenue, MLP is betting that a concentrated summer schedule will maintain higher fan engagement than spreading events across the entire year.
The season kicks off in Dallas (May 22-25), visits key markets throughout the summer including the first-ever stop at St. Pete Athletic in St. Petersburg (June 18-21), then culminates with the Disney finale before a three-week expanded playoff structure. Those playoffs will run across Dallas (August 6-9), San Diego (August 13-16), and New York City at CityPickle in Central Park (August 28-30).
Junior MLP and Minor League Pickleball will also be integrated into several tour stops, creating a complete amateur-to-pro pipeline at these events. It’s exactly the kind of ecosystem building that helps grow the sport at every level.
Your 2026 Rule Changes: What Actually Matters
As happens every January 1st, USA Pickleball implemented new rule changes for 2026. Most are minor clarifications, but a few are worth knowing:
Rally scoring game-winning points: The big one. You can now win on either serve or receive in rally scoring. No more “freeze” where the leading team struggles to close out because they have to be serving. This makes rally scoring games much more logical.
“Clear” and “clearly” added to volley serve requirements: The serve must have a “clear upward arc,” the paddle head must “clearly” not be above the wrist, and the ball must “clearly” be below the waist. If it’s close, it’s a fault. This eliminates gray area for players trying to push the limits.
Adaptive standing division formalized: Players with significant mobility or balance impairments can now use a two-bounce rule, with the second bounce allowed anywhere on the court. In hybrid doubles, only the eligible player gets this accommodation.
Referee authority expanded: Referees can now issue warnings or technical fouls before a match begins, including during warm-ups. This gives officials more tools to manage behavior early.
Prompt line calls required: You can’t wait to see if your partner can return the ball before calling it out. The call must be immediate or the ball is considered in.
For most recreational players, you won’t notice much difference. But for competitive tournament play, these changes close loopholes and reduce arguments. It’s all part of the sport’s ongoing professionalization.
Looking Ahead
We’re less than two weeks into 2026 and professional pickleball has already given us a blockbuster equipment deal, major contract enforcement drama, a Disney partnership announcement, and new rules to learn. The PPA Masters kicks off next week in Palm Springs, and I’ll be watching closely to see how Anna Leigh performs with her new Franklin setup and how Parris Todd’s absence affects the competitive landscape.
This sport continues to grow up before our eyes—sometimes awkwardly, sometimes spectacularly, but always in fascinating ways. Stay tuned.
— Ace