STORYLINES FOR THE HYUNDAI MASTERS POWERED BY INVITED (January 9-14, 2024)

OVERALL TOP 5:

• GRAND SLAM: Starting the year with a SLAM – one of only 4 tourneys worth 2,000 points. 
• BALL DROP: Vulcan VPRO FLIGHT is the new official pickleball of the Carvana PPA Tour.
• NO STRINGS: Genie Bouchard, Jack Sock, and Donald Young start a full campaign of pro pickleball.  
• 20/20 VISION: Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns begin the year with 20 PPA triple crowns each   
• Happy NEW year: So many new partnerships and new paddle sponsors (e.g. McGuffin and Joola)  

VENUE/TOURNEY:

• WHITE OUT tradition – all players will be decked in white. 
• Event #1 of the year – features a progressive draw
• Year 2 at Invited’s Mission Hills Country Club.
• Over 1,000 players participating.  

MEN’S SINGLES:

• Defending medalists: Ben Johns, Federico Staksrud, Dylan Frazier. 
• Federico Staksrud was hot at the beginning of ’23 – can he make Champ Sunday in event #1 of ’24?
• Collin Shick is taking a one-year hiatus from medical school to focus on pickleball – what impact can he make?
• WATCH OUT FOR: Connor Garnett, brimming with confidence after beating Ben Johns at the Finals in San Clemente. 

WOMEN’S SINGLES:

• Defending medalists: Anna Leigh Waters, Lea Jansen, Catherine Parenteau
• Can someone from the field rise up and break up the Sunday reservations that ALW & CP have had?
• Parris Todd is back in the singles draw – look out. 
• WATCH OUT FOR: Judit Castillo – outstanding rookie campaign in singles, can she build on it?

MIXED DOUBLES:

• Defending medalists: Waters/Johns, Irvine/Newman, David/Wilson 
• MLP teammates Riley Newman and Jackie Kawamoto (5) look to medal. 
• Leigh Waters, yes Leigh, pairs up with Christian Alshon (26) to fill in for the injured Jessie Irvine. This is NOT Waters’ comeback (a one off) and Irvine hopes to be cleared for the AZ events in Feb. 
• WATCH OUT FOR: Jack Sock and Catherine Parenteau (8) – can they pull some upsets as they grow into their partnership?

WOMEN’S DOUBLES:

• Defending medalists: Bright/Waters, Kovalova/Smith, (bronze rained out)
• Anna Leigh Waters did not lose a women’s doubles match in ’23. Locked in with Parenteau (1) for ’24. 
• Can the “veterans” Kovalova and Smith (2) maintain their status as a top tier team in ’24?
• WATCH OUT FOR: Orlando Squeeze partners Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher (3) – so much talent and offense – can they have success outside of MLP?

MEN’S DOUBLES:

• Defending medalists: Johns/Johns, Newman/Wright, (bronze rained out)
• Ben & Collin Johns (1) set the standard in ’23 – will their domination continue in ’24?
• Dylan Frazier and JW Johnson (2) earned their #2 ranking with consistent excellence – can they monopolize podiums again in ’24?
• Pat Smith and Jay Devilliers (8) reunite – can they find the magic of prior years as partners?
• WATCH OUT FOR: Riley Newman and Thomas Wilson (4) had a successful run to 2^nd place at the Finals – can they take the final step?