10 Top Female Pickleball Players

Female pickleball professionals are making history on the court and encouraging young girls to get involved in pickleball events, which is always a good thing! Keep your eye out for these names next time you tune in to a pickleball match.

Irina Tereschenko is a name you don’t hear as often as others in the conversation of the best female pickleball players, but it’s certainly not because she lacks skill or talent. Irina was the winner of the USAPA National Championship in 2016, with Lucy Kovalova by her side. She also secured a win at the 2018 USAPA National Championship and the 2019 US Open Pickleball Championships.

Originally from Moscow, Russia, Irina Tereschenko is an extremely technical professional pickleball player who could easily be considered one of the best players ever. Irina doesn’t have as much personality on the court as some other players, but that’s not a bad thing. She lets her raw talent speak for itself, and her performance is never disappointing.  

Simone Jardim has only been playing pickleball since 2015, but she spent four years ranked as the number-one female player in the world from 2016 to 2020. Jardim has Brazilian-American roots and a very impressive history in paddle sports. She remains one of the most well-known professional pickleball players, even by people who don’t play or compete!

When Simone isn’t competing, she’s busy working on improving Peak Performance Academy, which she started from the ground up. 

Michelle Esquivel is as much a teacher as she is a professional pickleball player. She medaled at her first tournament in 2019 and hasn’t stopped since! She played in the first-ever televised pickleball tournament, competing against Simone Jardim. 

Michelle teaches with Engage Pickleball Camps, LevelUp, Pickleball Getaways, Boost Camps, and with her own traveling company, Ultimate Pickleball Academy. If that’s not enough to show how much she loves the sport, she’s also a Utah Black Diamonds Major League Pickleball Team member. 

Vivienne David is frequently named one of the most exciting young pickleball players in the game. The native Canadian began playing tennis at just eight years old but didn’t try pickleball until 2018. 

She’s a Las Vegas Owls Major Pickleball Team member and has won multiple tournaments, including the World Pickleball Championship Singles Event in 2019. 

Lucy Kovalova is the definition of a world-class pickleball player. When she steps on a pickleball court, everyone watching knows magic is about to happen! Kovalova has won gold medals in mixed doubles, singles, and women’s doubles. She teams up with Matt Wright for mixed doubles matches. She also holds the Women’s Triple Crown at the USA Pickleball National Championships. 

Lucy is well-known for her intense game face and hard exterior on the court, but she’s much more relaxed off the court. Currently, she’s working as a tennis and pickleball coach at a country club in Wichita when she’s not competing. 

Lea Jansen is undeniably one of the most exciting female Professional Pickleball Association Tour players. She began playing pickleball in 2019 and has won multiple gold medals since. 

You’ve probably noticed that some of the most successful pickleball players were tennis players first, and Jansen is no exception! She used to work as the assistant tennis coach at Grand Valley State University but recently moved to Austin, Texas, to train with other pickleball stars.

Catherine Parenteau is another former tennis player turned pickleball superstar. In fact, she’s been playing tennis since she was just four years old! She started playing pickleball in 2015 after being introduced to the sport by Simone Jardim. Parenteau secured the US Open Women’s Doubles Title in 2021 with her partner Callie Smith and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

When Catherine isn’t traveling to compete in pickleball tournaments, she teaches pickleball at Collier’s Reserve in Naples and schedules pickleball clinics around the USA.

Lauren Stratman has only been playing pickleball since 2019, but she knows how to hold her own against fellow professional athletes on the court. Stratman used to teach at the Municipal Tennis Center and Santa Barbara Tennis Club, but today, she travels around the country to teach at Chicken N Pickle locations, as well as some destination camps.

Lauren is unique in the fact that she hasn’t accepted a paddle sponsorship yet, but she’s always trying new brands! She’s a Las Vegas Night Owls Major League Pickleball Team member and continues to compete on the PPA Tour.  

Jennifer Dawson paved the way for successful women in pickleball. She was the first woman to triple-crown at a US Open Professional tournament and has won more than 20 singles and double’s championships. 

Jennifer shares her love for racquet sports by teaching others how to play pickleball and tennis for more than 30 years and counting. 

If there’s ever been a pickleball prodigy, it’s Anna Leigh Waters. She joined the professional pickleball world at just 12 years old! Her young age hasn’t held her back, though. She frequently teams up with her mother, Leigh Waters, to compete in women’s doubles matches.

Anna is known for her aggressive playing style with a solid defense. She’s seen great success in singles and mixed doubles events too. Anna Leigh Waters has all her mother’s talents and then some, so she’s expected to have a very long, successful career. 

If one thing is clear, the pickleball world moves fast. One great performance at the US Open Pickleball Championships is all it takes to become one of the biggest names in the sport. In 2023, we’ll be keeping close tabs on a few players.

Salome Devidze is a tennis player who recently moved to pickleball. She has already been ranked number 2 in Women’s Singles and is expected to keep winning medals in 2023. 

Callie Smith helped Catherine Parenteau secure the US Open Women’s Doubles win in 2021. She is part of the PPA Tour, so there will be no shortage of tournaments for her in 2023. Callie has incredible skill and has already garnered a loyal fan base of pickleball fans. 

Paris Todd is still considered a newcomer to pickleball, but we’re confident she’ll be a top-ranked pickleball player in no time. Todd has a long history of winning during tennis tournaments, and the skills have transferred seamlessly to the pickleball court. 

She has already triple crowned at the US Open, won gold medals on the APP Tour, and has sponsorship from Selkirk. 

• The top-rated female pickleball players are a diverse group of women of different ages, backgrounds, and experience levels. 
• Pickleball moves more quickly than other sports in terms of going pro. Many of the best female players have risen through the pickleball ranks quickly after a successful tennis background.
• Some of the top-rated female pickleball players team up with top male players for mixed doubles matches, which are always entertaining to watch.