Newport Beach Tennis Center · 11 Clubhouse Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
SR™ power rankings, bracket breakdowns, betting edges, and player profiles so spicy they might get us banned from the venue.
Read the Preview →Johns isn't even in the singles draw this week — which blows the bracket wide open. With Father Time sitting this one out, it's a free-for-all. Haworth leads our SR™ at 1,860, but Hunter Johnson (1,857) is right there. Staksrud has the power game to beat anyone on a given day. And Daescu's been quietly climbing. Without Johns lurking as the final boss, we might actually get some chaos in the later rounds. Someone nobody expected could be holding hardware Sunday night.
ALW at 2,107 in mixed doubles is the single highest format-specific rating in our entire database. Let that sink in. In women's singles she's a statistical anomaly — the gap between her and #2 is wider than the gap between #2 and #15. The only real question is whether she's bored. When ALW is locked in, it's not competitive. When she's coasting... it's still usually not competitive. The Bright partnership in women's doubles remains the gold standard. The only drama is who finishes second.
We need to talk about JW Johnson, and it's not going to be comfortable. His SR™ trajectory over the last two tournaments looks like a crypto chart in a bear market. He used to be the guy everyone feared drawing in R16. Now? Teams circle his name as a winnable match. The talent is still there — you don't forget how to play pickleball — but the mental game looks shot. Newport Beach is a make-or-break week. A deep run resets the narrative. An early exit and we're having a very different conversation about his 2026.
Remember when everyone laughed at the tennis guys coming over? Nobody's laughing at Jack Sock anymore. The man is ascending the Sheet Rating™ ladder like he's got somewhere to be, and the pickleball lifers are starting to sweat. His tennis instincts — the hands, the court coverage, the compete level — translate better than anyone predicted. If Sock makes a QF run in singles at Newport Beach, the "tennis guys can't hang" narrative is officially dead and buried.
1,801 in singles — second only to Hunter Johnson among the next gen. Staksrud paired with Daescu as the #4 doubles seed is legitimately dangerous. But Federico's biggest opponent has always been Federico. The talent is undeniable. The paddle budget from broken equipment is also undeniable. Can he keep it together for a full tournament? If the ocean breeze keeps him cool, Staksrud/Daescu could crash the podium. If he flames out... well, Newport Beach Tennis Center better have spare benches.
Honest question: when's the last time Parris Todd looked like she wanted to be on a pickleball court? The talent that made her a top-5 player is still in there somewhere, but the body language lately screams "checked out." Newport Beach could be the tournament where she reminds everyone why she was must-watch TV, or it could confirm what a lot of people are already whispering — that her heart isn't in it anymore. We're rooting for the comeback. The sport is better when Parris is locked in.
Mixed doubles is always where the drama lives, and Newport Beach is no exception. ALW/Johns at 2,107/2,011 are the obvious favorites — their combined Sheet Rating™ is basically cheating. But the partnership reshuffling across the rest of the draw means we could see some wild upset potential. New pairings need court time to gel. Old pairings that split up have something to prove. Mixed is the event where Sheet Rating™ models have the hardest time because chemistry matters as much as skill. Buckle up.
March in Newport Beach means mid-60s, coastal breeze, and morning marine layer that doesn't burn off until 10 AM. The ball moves differently in humid ocean air — dinks die faster, drives carry less. Players coming from dry inland training facilities are going to feel the difference immediately. The Newport Beach Tennis Center is intimate — 11 Clubhouse Drive, right in the heart of it — with that California energy the indoor arenas can't replicate. Weather advantage: players who've been training on the coast.
All pro matches streamed live. Tue–Thu free on YouTube, Fri–Sun on PickleballTV.
Watch on PickleballTV →| Day | Round | Time (ET) | Where to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Mar 2 | Pro Qualifying | All Day | YouTube — PPA Streamed Courts |
| Tue Mar 3 | Round of 64 (Main Draw) | All Day | YouTube — PPA Streamed Courts |
| Wed Mar 4 | Round of 32 | All Day | YouTube — PPA Streamed Courts |
| Thu Mar 5 | Round of 16 | TBD | PickleballTV |
| Fri Mar 6 | Quarterfinals | TBD | PickleballTV |
| Sat Mar 7 | Semifinals | TBD | PickleballTV |
| Sun Mar 8 | 🏆 Championships | TBD | PickleballTV |
Tue–Thu expected free on PPA Streamed Courts YouTube. Fri–Sun on PickleballTV. Times TBD.
1,000 Points · Newport Beach Tennis Center, Newport Beach, CA · Day 1: R128/R64 underway
1,000 Points · Next stop on the 2026 PPA Tour
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