The Veolia Arizona Open delivered a chaotic and memorable second stop of the 2026-27 PPA Tour season, defined by massive upsets, a dramatic six-point comeback in the men's doubles final, and a dominant double-gold performance from Anna Leigh Waters. With a unique draw influenced by new world rankings and the absence of several top players, the tournament showcased the rising talent of the PPA Challenger Series and solidified the legacies of several veteran champions.
Key Takeaways from the Arizona Open
The tournament was marked by several standout performances and unexpected storylines that shifted the landscape of the professional tour:
- The Men's Doubles Marathon: Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu secured their fourth title together by surviving an incredible six championship points against Nico Acevedo and Yuta Funemizu. Despite the 15-13 third-game loss, the duo of Acevedo and Funemizu proved their legitimacy by dismantling the No. 1 seeds, Ben Johns and Federico Staksrud, in their opening match.
- Waters and Johns Reclaim Mixed Doubles: After a recent drought at the Mesa venue, Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns dominated the mixed doubles final, defeating Rachel Rohrabacher and Christian Alshon 11-3, 11-6. This victory marked the 80th PPA mixed doubles title for Johns and extended his streak of winning at least one gold medal in 58 consecutive PPA tournaments.
- Waters Continues Singles Dominance: Anna Leigh Waters successfully defended her women's singles title against Kate Fahey, winning 11-9, 11-4. This victory keeps her unbeaten singles streak alive, a run that has now spanned over two years and three months.
- Chris Haworth’s Mesa Mastery: Chris Haworth successfully defended his Mesa Cup title by defeating Federico Staksrud in a three-game thriller. In a bizarre turn of events, Haworth was struck by bird droppings while trailing 6-3 in the third game, only to rally and score the final eight points of the match to secure his ninth career PPA singles championship.
- Rohrabacher and Todd’s Women’s Doubles Win: In an open field, top seeds Rachel Rohrabacher and Parris Todd captured gold in women's doubles. After nearly squandering a massive lead in the second game against Meghan Dizon and Hurricane Tyra Black, the pair reset to win the deciding game 11-6, marking their second title as a team.
