It’s quite the accomplishment to make the CIBC PPA Tour Finals. Only the top-performing players in each discipline qualify for the season-ending event, a testament to maintaining a high level across the extensive 2024 season that featured 21 pro tournaments across twelve states.

This year’s finals will feature the usual suspects like Anna Leigh Waters, Ben Johns, Anna Bright, and JW Johnson, who all have stayed at or near the top of the leaderboards throughout the season.

But there are also a number of players who made massive leaps through the rankings to make it to San Clemente.

Let’s take a moment to recognize them.

Men’s Singles

Hunter Johnson

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 54
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 4
• How it happened: Johnson’s movement up the rankings is made even more impressive by the fact that he didn’t begin playing a full PPA schedule until April. The former SMU tennis standout has medaled five times since August and captured titles in Atlanta and Milwaukee, the first two of his career on the PPA Tour.
•  

Quang Duong

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 19
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 5
• How it happened: The 18-year-old has enjoyed a breakout 2024 campaign that has seen him capture his first titles in both singles and doubles. In singles, he took home gold in Las Vegas in October after earning a bronze in Sacramento and silver in Houston. Relying on a hyperaggressive game style, he will be a tough out in Southern California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by CARVANA PPA TOUR (@ppatour)

•  

Women’s Singles

Three of the eight women’s singles finalists didn’t even have PPA singles rankings to start off the year.

That’s an impressive statistic in and of itself, but what’s even more impressive is how Kate Fahey, Kaitlyn Christian, and Parris Todd got to this point.

Kate Fahey

• Jan. 1 Ranking: NR
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 5
• How it happened: Similar to the aforementioned Hunter Johnson, Fahey surged to the top of women’s singles with far less than a full season to accumulate points. She didn’t go full-time pickleball until May, but she’s made excellent use of her time on tour. Fahey has medaled in seven of nine tournaments since August (three titles) and has made three straight finals.
•  

Kaitlyn Christian

• Jan. 1 Ranking: NR
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 7
• How it happened: Though Christian has been around pickleball for longer than most (she has pro medals from back in 2018), this has been the first year where she’s competed full time after her professional tennis career. She’s earned six medals (three silver, three bronze) in 2024 and always threatens with crisp volleys and impressive coverage of the kitchen line.
•  

Parris Todd

• Jan. 1 Ranking: NR
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 8
• How it happened: Todd had not competed in a PPA singles draw since 2022 coming into this year, but she quickly re-established herself as a force to be reckoned with by taking silver at the fourth tournament of the year in Minnesota. Known for gritty defense and for coming up with improbable passing shots on the run, she’s secured four additional singles medals to push herself comfortably into the top 10.
•  

Mixed Doubles (Men’s)

Christian Alshon

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 17
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 3
• How it happened: Mixed doubles has been Alshon’s best event of 2024, as he’s earned a total of seven medals with a collection of partners including Etta Wright, Catherine Parenteau, Anna Bright, Jackie Kawamoto, and Jessie Irvine. He’ll run it back with Parenteau this week as he seeks his fifth Championship Sunday appearance in mixed doubles.

 

•  

Gabe Tardio

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 21
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 9
• How it happened: 2024 has seen Tardio establish himself as one of the most electrifying players in pickleball. He’s earned two PPA mixed doubles medals, with both coming alongside Jessie Irvine: a gold in Salt Lake City and a silver in Milwaukee. He’ll team up with his St. Louis Shock teammate Anna Bright this week in what should be a particularly exciting pairing to watch.
•  

Mixed Doubles (Women’s)

Tina Pisnik

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 22
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 6
• How it happened: Pisnik has had consistently strong performances in mixed doubles this year, most notably with a streak of three consecutive podium finishes to open up the month of April. During that time, she earned back-to-back silvers with Dekel Bar and a bronze with Collin Johns. She and Bar are running it back this week and will look to return to podium form.
•  

Rachel Rohrabacher

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 43
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 8
• How it happened: Though Rohrabacher might be more well-known for her astounding success in women’s doubles this year, she’s had excellent results in mixed as well. She and Federico Staksrud have earned two medals together, including a silver at the Indoor USA Championships back in March and a bronze at Worlds in November.
•  

Men’s Doubles

Hayden Patriquin

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 21
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 8
• How it happened: 'Big H’ has shown himself to be one of the most versatile players in pickleball this year, excelling on the both the left and right sides. He has five men’s doubles medals in 2024, a feat that he’s accomplished with a combination of Riley Newman, Federico Staksrud, Christian Alshon, and Pablo Tellez at his side. Two of his three titles this year have come with Staksrud, who he’ll share the court with this week. They will seek to remain undefeated as a partnership after taking gold in Sacramento and Virginia Beach.
•  

Jaume Martinez Vich

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 35
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 15
• How it happened: Martinez Vich, like most former tennis players coming into pickleball, initially made a splash in singles with a run to the final of the 2023 Texas Open. His doubles game has flourished in 2024, though, culminating in four men’s doubles medals and three Championship Sunday appearances. Having had his best results with Tyson McGuffin and Augie Ge, Martinez Vich has developed into a top-tier left side player with a dangerous speedup off the bounce.

 

•  

Women’s Doubles

Mari Humberg

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 78
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 19
• How it happened: Humberg has shot up the rankings thanks to the development of her left side play that has allowed her slice-centric game style to flourish. She has four PPA women’s doubles medals this year, with all of them coming alongside Jorja Johnson. She’ll team up with Jessie Irvine this week, while Johnson will play with Lacy Schneemann.
•  

Rachel Rohrabacher

• Jan. 1 Ranking: No. 30
• Current ‘The Race’ Ranking: No. 4
• How it happened: This is Rohrabacher’s second appearance on this list, and for good reason. She and Anna Bright have earned 14 medals this year and are still the only team to have beaten Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau, a feat they’ve accomplished three times. Rohrabacher, to her credit, also took home bronze with Jorja Johnson in Las Vegas and has shown that she can excel playing both sides. She and Bright will run it back this week.

 

Be on the lookout for these players who have made some of the biggest strides in pickleball this year. Action starts Wednesday on Pickleballtv and the PPA YouTube.