Cape Coral Predictions | The Dink Sheet

The 2026 PPA season opener is wide open. Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters are both sitting out singles, blowing the doors off two draws that usually have clear favorites. Chris Haworth is out with illness. New progressive draw format. Everything is different this year.

Here are our picks.

Men's Singles

Hunter Johnson

SR™ 1883

Women's Singles

Kate Fahey

SR™ 1867

Men's Doubles

Johns / Tardio

SR™ 4034 combined

Women's Doubles

ALW / Bright

Top-rated pair

Mixed Doubles

Johns / ALW

#1 man + #1 woman

🔥 Bold Takes

Our Spiciest Predictions

1. Christian Alshon is the breakout star of this tournament. SR™ 1802 in singles, 1894 in doubles, 1873 in mixed — all trending up. He's a top-5 threat in every event he enters. Remember this name by Sunday.

2. Lea Jansen pushes Kate Fahey to three games in Women's Singles. Jansen's SR™ is trending up (1765) and she's a different player in 2026. Fahey is the favorite at 1867, but this won't be a cakewalk.

3. Johns/Tardio drop a set before the final. First tournament of 2026 together. The talent is undeniable (combined Sheet Rating™ 4034), but early-round chemistry hiccups are real. Someone catches them cold.

4. A qualifier reaches the Round of 16 in Men's Singles. New progressive draw format gives qualifiers more court time and momentum. Gabriel Joseph (1739), Noe Khlif (1729), John Lucian Goins (1729) — one of them gets hot.

♂ Men's Pro Singles

Hunter Johnson Is the Model's Pick

Johns skipping singles has become routine, but it still reshapes the entire draw. No clear #1 seed means the top half is a war.

🥇 Winner

Hunter Johnson

SR™ 1883 · Highest-rated in the draw ▶

Our Sheet Rating™ model has Hunter Johnson at 1883 in singles — the highest-rated men's singles player in the draw with Johns out. His aggressive baseline game and clutch performances earn him the top spot.

🥈 Finalist

Federico Staksrud

SR™ 1823 · Best pure singles player ▶

SR™ 1823 — the best pure singles player on tour when Johns isn't in the draw. His reach, power, and point construction are elite.

🥉 Semifinalist

JW Johnson

Elite hand speed · Can beat anyone ▶

Elite hand speed and court coverage. Can beat anyone on his day, but consistency in best-of-3 is the question mark.

🐴 Dark Horse

Connor Garnett

Athletic, aggressive, hungry ▶

Quietly building a solid singles resume. Athletic, aggressive, and hungry to prove he belongs at the top level.

♀ Women's Pro Singles

Kate Fahey Is the Model's Pick

Anna Leigh Waters sitting out singles is a bigger deal than Johns doing the same. She's been the most dominant force in women's pickleball. Without her, the draw is genuinely unpredictable.

🥇 Winner

Kate Fahey

SR™ 1867 · Highest-rated · 73% podium rate ▶

SR™ 1867 in singles — the highest-rated women's singles player with ALW out. Her 73% podium rate and consistency make her the model's clear favorite.

🥈 Finalist

Anna Bright

SR™ 1609 · Athletic, aggressive ▶

SR™ 1609 — athletic, aggressive, and has the mental game to close out big matches. A real threat to Fahey in the final.

🥉 Semifinalist

Lea Jansen

SR™ 1765 · Two-handed backhand weapon ▶

SR™ 1765 — her two-handed backhand is one of the best shots in women's pickleball. A serious semifinal threat.

🐴 Dark Horse

Genie Bouchard

Former WTA star · Elite athleticism ▶

Former WTA star with elite athleticism and competitive fire. Her tennis pedigree shows up in big moments — don't sleep on her in this draw.

♂♂ Men's Pro Doubles

Johns / Tardio: Can the New Duo Deliver?

Ben Johns left Collin for Gabe Tardio — the most talked-about partnership change of the offseason. First real test starts here. The talent is elite, but chemistry takes time.

🥇 Winners

Ben Johns / Gabe Tardio

60 career golds + 46% gold rate ▶

Johns brings 60 career golds, Tardio has a 46% doubles gold rate. If they click, nobody's beating them. The question is how fast the chemistry builds.

🥈 Finalists

Riley Newman / Will MacKinnon

Best net game in the sport ▶

Perennial contenders. Newman's net game is arguably the best in the sport. If Johns and Tardio need time to gel, Newman/MacKinnon are right there to capitalize.

🐴 Dark Horse

Dekel Bar / Andrei Daescu

Bar on a tear · Veteran consistency ▶

Bar's been on a tear — his aggression at the net is hard to contain. Daescu brings veteran consistency. A sneaky dangerous team.

♀♀ Women's Pro Doubles

New Partnerships, New Possibilities

MLP trades have reshuffled the deck. PPA doubles don't follow MLP lines, so watch for unexpected pairings as players test chemistry before Mesa Cup.

🥇 Winners

Anna Leigh Waters / Anna Bright

Scariest WD team in pickleball ▶

The scariest women's doubles team in pickleball. ALW's consistency plus Bright's aggression is borderline unfair. Good luck to whoever draws them.

🥈 Finalists

Jorja Johnson / Parris Todd

Young, athletic, hungry ▶

Both top-10 caliber with something to prove. Young, athletic, and hungry for a statement result at the season opener.

🐴 Dark Horse

Parris Todd / Jessie Irvine

Top-10 caliber · Something to prove ▶

Both top-10 caliber, both have something to prove at the season opener. Could surprise.

♂♀ Mixed Pro Doubles

The Superteams Collide

Mixed doubles is always the most chaotic draw. Partnership chemistry matters more than individual talent here.

🥇 Winners

Ben Johns / Anna Leigh Waters

The #1 man + #1 woman · Nearly unbeatable ▶

The #1 man and #1 woman. When they pair up in mixed, they're nearly unbeatable. Both focused on doubles this week — scary.

🥈 Finalists

JW Johnson / Jorja Johnson

Sibling chemistry · Always a threat ▶

Sibling chemistry you can't replicate. They know each other's games inside and out. Always a threat to go all the way.

🐴 Dark Horse

Riley Newman / Anna Bright

Firepower meets finesse ▶

Newman's net game combined with Bright's athleticism — firepower meets finesse. A real threat if they pair in mixed.

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Predictions by The Dink Sheet · Updated Feb 10, 2026

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PPA Cape Coral Championship — Bracket Predictions