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Jack Sock wins mixed doubles title with No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters in his pro pickleball debut

Playing all three events at the PPA North Carolina Open, Sock also reached the quarterfinals in singles.

ByBaseline Staff

Published May 08, 2023

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Jack Sock's professional pickleball debut ended with a gold medal. The four-time doubles Grand Slam champion, and former ATP Top 10 singles player, partnered with 16-year-old world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters to win the mixed doubles title at the PPA North Carolina Open.

"I was so stoked for this weekend for a long time," Sock said afterwards. "I had this weekend marked on the calendar for a while. I got incredible partners for the weekend to play with, and I'm very fortunate and blessed to have a successful weekend in my hometown that I live in now.

"PPA was all that I was hoping for, and I'll definitely be around the scene more at some point in the future."

Seeded No. 6, the team of Sock and Waters rallied from behind in a semifinal victory over No. 10 seeds Julian Arnold and Vivienne David, and for the championship. After losing the opening game against Riley Newman and Allyce Jones, Sock and Waters secured an 3-11, 11-2, 11-3 victory.

"I think I was overthinking it a little bit," Sock said. "I feel like I was able to flip the script on my side of things, and use my power, my reach and athleticism.

"I couldn't play with anybody better to help set points up, also clean up when I'm not doing well, and also take over at times. She's got insane power, insane skill out there, so I think we really vibed well in the second and third."

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Waters won a triple crown at the event, as she also captured the women's singles and doubles titles. But, she said, partnering Sock in a game televised on ESPN2 was her biggest thrill.

"When I was coming to North Carolina to practice with Jack, we were just kind of figuring things out," Waters said. "I think we were hoping to do really well this weekend, but we weren't going to put it in our minds that we had to win ... just to go out there and have fun.

"I think we had so much fun that we ended up winning the gold. ... To win that gold with Jack was really cool."