EXCLUSIVENo. 1 Ranked Pickleball Player Anna Leigh Waters Reveals Dream Celebrity Partner
In an exclusive interview with OK!, pro pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters challenged an A-list celebrity to a game.
July 18 2025, Published 6:38 p.m. ET
Pickleball prodigy Anna Leigh Waters is "dinking" about playing with a particular celeb superhero.
The 18-year-old — currently ranked the number-one female pickleball player in the world — wants to challenge a Marvel star on the court. In an exclusive interview with OK!, Waters revealed her dream match-up and why she's in favor of the celebrity pickleball boom.
Anna Leigh Waters is the number-one ranked female pickleball player in the world.
"I've always wanted to play with Chris Hemsworth 'cause I'm a big Marvel fan. When I was younger, Chris Hemsworth was the it-guy in Marvel movies," the teen gushed.
Aside from Hemsworth, she's interested in taking on Robert Downey Jr. or the Kardashians.
"That would just be cool, because [the Kardashians are] so huge and they influenced so many people," Waters exclaimed, noting she'd be "down" to teach Kylie Jenner how to play at the pickleball court in her backyard.
Anna Leigh Waters wants to play pickleball with Chris Hemsworth.
Waters may have 148 gold medals, but she's the first to admit pickleball is for everyone — celebrities included.
"Honestly, they're a reason why it's grown so much, because they're posting, and they have so many followers. If they're posting pickleball, it's great for the sport," she said. "Nobody's expecting these celebrities to be really good at pickleball, but they're just kind of promoting the fact that it's a really fun game, which is true. Pickleball influences so many people's lives, and only the smallest percentage of that is a professional pickleball player."
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Anna Leigh Waters Squashes Pickleball Rumors
Anna Leigh Waters offered to teach Kylie Jenner how to play pickleball.
Waters — who often competes in tournaments with her mom, Leigh — notices celebrities decreasing public perceptions of pickleball only being for the older generation.
"It's funny because when I was 10 years old, that's when I first started playing pickleball. I had the same perception because my grandfather played, and I was like, 'Oh, it's an old-person sport. I don't want to play this,'" she recalled. "Then, I actually got on the court and played, and I was like, 'This is the most fun sport I've ever played.'"
Anna Leigh encouraged people to "get out on the court and try" before saying anything negative.
"I can definitely see why people have [misconceptions], but at the same time, pickleball has grown so much over the last couple of years, and there are so many young people playing it," she continued. "And I think the celebrities just talking about playing the sport is getting more people out on the court."
Anna Leigh Waters Makes Pickleball's ESPYs Debut
Anna Leigh Waters stunned at the 2025 ESPYs.
The star was the first-ever pickleball player to attend the ESPYs on Wednesday, July 16. She changed out of her tennis skirt and into a plunging black gown from Victoria Beckham while walking the red carpet among sports elite.
"I grew up watching it and seeing all the athletes get dressed up, which was always cool because you never get to see them like that when they're playing their sport," Anna Leigh said of the event, which featured Simone Biles, Lamar Jackson, Ilona Maher and more this year. "It was always a dream to be at the ESPYs, and I kind of didn't think it would happen. But now that it did, I'm kind of just like, 'Oh my gosh, this is real.'"
