Wright Back to His Winning Ways

The last time we heard Matt Wright’s name, it was mentioned in conjunction with Riley Newman’s. 

Newman announced on social media and beyond, letting everyone know he was parting with Wright, his long-time doubles partner. 

Fair or unfair, Wright is often lumped in as Newman’s partner, but he’s always been a lot more than that.

And during the last month, while the PPA Tour has been on break, the Newman-Wright split was the talk of the pickleball world. Friday, Wright distanced himself from it. He got on the court and did what he’s always done.

Won.

And only a few in the history of pro pickleball have won as Wright has. 

He’s back in another final, alongside long-time partner Lucy Kovalova, blitzing their way through the mixed doubles field and earning his way into Championship Sunday with a matchup against Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters.

“I’m very confident in my game,” Wright said bluntly, matter-of-factly and, by any measure, accurately. And let’s just leave it at that.

Wright won 23 medals playing with Newman. He’s won 23 more with Kovalova, and he’ll get a chance at his first gold with Kovalova since their last gold won in November of 2021. It’s Wright and Kovalova’s first appearance in a championship match together since February of this year.

“We’re not winning as much as we have in the past,” Wright said after earning the semifinal win against Connor Garnett and Etta Wright Friday, 11-7. 11-7. “But Lucy and I are right there at the top. We’ve talked about this at length. I would put our best up there with just about anybody right now. I’m feeling good about things.”

They looked pretty good, too.

The pair lost the first game in the quarterfinals to Zane Navratil and Irina Tereschenko but rallied to win the next two before ripping past Garnett and Etta Wright. 

“Everyone is getting so good,” Matt Wright said. “It’s game-on when you get to the round of 32, and you have to be fluid in your game and strategy. We were dialed in and I thought we were very intentional about our actions. We were mentally strong in the moment.”

Waters and Johns cruised through their half of the draw and will face Wright/Kovalova in the final on Sunday. The pair and No. 1 seed, didn’t drop a game. Garnett and Etta Wright earned bronze with a victory over Meghan Dizon and Federico Staksrud, 11-6, 11-13, 11-6. It was the pair’s first medal together and Garnett’s first mixed medal.

Wright will be back in action Saturday at the Denver Open. He’s paired with Frazier and the two are the No. 2 seed behind Ben and Collin Johns. 

Watch the action from singles day at the https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSP6HlrMmRqogym2aHBPHpw