The 2026 Major League Pickleball season reaches its climax this weekend at Wollman Rink in Central Park, where the top-seeded New Jersey Fives will face off against the second-seeded St. Louis Shock for the championship title. Both teams secured their spots after earning first-round byes and dominating their respective quarterfinal and semifinal matchups.
Key Matchup Dynamics and Predictions
The series will be decided by a best-of-three match format, with the New Jersey Fives holding the home-court advantage for the first two matches due to their higher seeding. This advantage allows the Fives to dictate lineups, including the critical Dreambreaker rotation. The two teams have split their four meetings this year, setting the stage for a highly competitive final.
Here is a breakdown of the anticipated matchups and what to watch for in each discipline:
- Women's Doubles: Jorja Johnson and Anna Leigh Waters (Fives) face Kate Fahey and Anna Bright (Shock). While the Fives hold the edge, the Shock previously found success by isolating Jorja Johnson to keep the ball away from Waters. The outcome depends on whether the Shock can replicate that tactical execution.
- Men's Doubles: Federico Staksrud and Will Howells (Fives) take on Gabe Tardio and Hayden Patriquin (Shock). The Shock men are favored, but the match may turn on Gabe Tardio’s consistency; if he struggles early, the Fives could turn this into a long, grindy dink battle.
- Mixed Doubles #1: Anna Leigh Waters and Noe Khlif (Fives) square off against Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin (Shock). This is considered a toss-up, as the Shock are expected to target Khlif with 70-80% of their shots to test his ability to handle the pressure of playing alongside the world’s top-ranked female player.
- Mixed Doubles #2: Jorja Johnson and Federico Staksrud (Fives) meet Kate Fahey and Gabe Tardio (Shock). Both pairs are exceptionally strong, making this another toss-up. The deciding factor will be which male player can more effectively impose his will and take control of the court.
- Dreambreaker: Should the series go to a tie-breaker, the singles rotation features high-stakes matchups like Hunter Johnson against Federico Staksrud and Anna Bright against Jorja Johnson. The individual performance of Bright and Johnson is expected to be the ultimate difference-maker if the series reaches this stage.
The finals schedule begins Saturday, August 29, at 12:30 p.m. ET on pickleballtv. Match #2 follows on Sunday, August 30, at noon ET on CBS, with the remainder of the coverage on pickleballtv. If a third match is required, it will air Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET on pickleballtv and the Tennis Channel. Despite the high-stakes nature of the event, reporter Erik Tice predicts the St. Louis Shock will ultimately secure the title with a 2-1 series victory.
