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January 6-12, 2025
The Masters

STORYLINES FOR THE ZIMMER BIOMET MASTERS POWERED BY INVITED

Author: Dave Fleming | January 2, 2025

OVERALL TOP 5: 

  • GRAND SLAM: Starting the year with a SLAM – one of only 4 tourneys worth 2,000 points.
  • FINALE: Brothers Ben and Collin Johns will play together one last time. 
  • RIVALS: Waters and Parenteau vs. Bright and Rohrabacher is the best rivalry in pickleball. 
  • NEW YEAR, NEW PARTNERS: Which of the many new pairs will click? 
  • 3 OF A KIND: How many players will claim a title in all 3 disciplines in 2025? Just Waters, Ben Johns, and Frazier in ’24.

VENUE/TOURNEY/TV:

  • WHITE OUT tradition – all players will be decked in white. 
  • Event #2 of the 2025 Carvana PPA Tour season – features a progressive draw.
  • Each day of coverage begins at 10am Pacific, with round of 64 starting Tuesday. 
  • Year 3 at Invited’s Mission Hills Country Club.
  • Over 1,250 players participating.  
  • 4-6pm Pacific on FS1 for QF Friday and 4-6pm Pacific on Tennis Channel for Semifinal Saturday.

MEN’S SINGLES:

  • Defending medalists: Dylan Frazier, Federico Staksrud, Jack Sock
  • Federico Staksrud (1) ended a dominant ’24 with a win at Daytona in December. 
  • Ben Johns is not playing singles in this event. 
  • Collin Shick’s (17) final PPA event before heading back to med school. 
  • WATCH OUT FOR: Hunter Johnson (3) – won the PPA Finals and was on a rampage at the end of ’24.  

WOMEN’S SINGLES:

  • Defending medalists: Anna Leigh Waters, Catherine Parenteau, Brooke Buckner
  • Can anyone beat ALW (1)? Just one loss to Devidze (not playing this one) in 2024.
  • Can Brooke Buckner (2) cement her status as the #2 player in the world?
  • WATCH OUT FOR: Kaitlyn Christian (5) – got her first win at Daytona and is full of confidence.

MIXED DOUBLES:

  • Defending medalists: Waters/Johns, Bright/Ignatowich, David/Wilson 
  • ALW and Ben Johns lost but once in ’24 (Bright/Daescu in Austin) – who will challenge them?
  • Tennis stars pair up on the 20X44 as Sock and Bouchard (20) are a first-time partnership
  • Shock waves – St. Louis MLP teammates Bright and Patriquin are the 3 seed. 
  • WATCH OUT FOR: Tina Pisnik and Dekel Bar (6) – can one of the most consistent teams from 2024 get off to a good start in the new year?

WOMEN’S DOUBLES:

  • Defending medalists: Waters/Parenteau, Bright/Rohrabacher, Wright/Dizon
  • Will the rivalry be renewed with the top two seeds staging a ’24 rematch?
  • What will the Pisnik/Fahey (8) partnership look like?
  • WATCH OUT FOR: MLP Champion Dallas Flash partners Jorja Johnson and Hurricane Tyra Black (3) – can they disrupt the rivalry?  

MEN’S DOUBLES:

  • Defending medalists: Johns/Johns, Newman/Wilson, Staksrud/Tellez
  • Ben & Collin Johns (1) are motivated to end their partnership in gold. 
  • Patriquin and Staksrud (2) won the PPA Finals and were the hottest team at the end of ’24. 
  • Pat Smith and Jay Devilliers (12) – are they healthy enough to find the success of past years?
  • WATCH OUT FOR: Daescu and Alshon (6) – height, reach, firepower – watch out for this first-time partnership.

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