PPA Rising Stars 2026: The Top 10 Players to Watch This Season

The 2026 Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years in professional pickleball history—and much of that excitement revolves around a wave of rising stars poised to break through at the highest level of competition. From teenage phenoms showing remarkable poise against seasoned veterans to former app tour dominators transitioning to the big stage, this season promises compelling narratives about the next generation of pickleball excellence.

1. Chris Haworth: The New Men's Singles Force

Chris Haworth has become the most compelling storyline of the 2026 season thus far. The former unseeded player who joined the PPA Tour in August 2025 is now positioning himself as a legitimate threat to claim the #1 ranking in men's singles.​

At the Carvana PPA Masters (January 12–18, 2026), Haworth demonstrated his dominance by winning the men's singles gold medal without dropping a single game. He defeated established stars including Eric Oncins (11-2, 11-3), Noe Khlif (11-6, 11-9), Christian Alshon (through a tight semifinal), and Jack Sock in the final. These performances have positioned him for what some analysts predict will be the #1 seed at the PPA Finals in May 2026.​

What makes Haworth's rise particularly notable is his mindset and trajectory. Rather than content with incremental improvement, Haworth has set an audacious goal: to maintain the #1 ranking throughout the 2026 season. His advantage over existing top players lies in a peculiar timing benefit—while competitors must replace points earned in early 2025, Haworth is adding to his point total each event since his August 2025 debut. With eight tournaments between the Masters and the Finals, his path to #1 is mathematically clear and increasingly inevitable.​

2. Eric Oncins: The Rising Star with Rising Point Totals

Eric Oncins emerged as one of 2025's most improved players, and 2026 predictions suggest he's on the verge of a significant breakthrough. Analysts forecast Oncins will more than triple his 2025 PPA medal count, targeting at least 10 medals in 2026—a prediction that seems increasingly achievable given his trajectory.​

In 2025, Oncins earned three medals: two bronzes with Dylan Frazier and one with Anna Bright, plus two golds on the PPA Asia Tour with Tyson McGuffin. The Texas Ranchers traded for him early in the 2025 MLP season, and his steady improvement throughout that campaign demonstrated his capability to perform at the highest levels when matched with quality partners.​

At the 2026 Masters, Oncins made deep runs in multiple events, reaching the quarterfinals of men's doubles (seeded #5) before losing to the dominant Johns/Tardio partnership. His pairing with Dylan Frazier is expected to be among the first new partnerships to challenge the established "Big Four" men's doubles teams—a breakthrough that could materially increase his medal accumulation throughout the season.​

3. Kiora Kunimoto: A Teenage Unicorn in the Making

At just 17 years old, Kiora Kunimoto is already competing at a level that portends multiple signature victories in her near future. While she hasn't yet claimed a major gold medal, her ability to challenge top-seeded players places her in rare company.​

At the Carvana Masters, Kunimoto pushed No. 4 seed Brooke Buckner to an 11-9 game three before falling short. Previously, she had given Kate Fahey (the #2 ranked women's player) a competitive match in Las Vegas. These aren't close-but-not-quite losses—they're performances that suggest Kunimoto possesses the tactical acumen and court sense that typically takes years to develop.​

Seeded #24 in women's doubles at the Masters alongside Zoeya Khan, Kunimoto is accumulating the tournament experience necessary for her inevitable breakthrough. The consensus among analysts is that her first signature win is imminent, likely coming within the next few tournaments as she continues to gain confidence against the elite field.​

4. Will Howells: APP Dominance Meets PPA Challenge

Will Howells' signing with the PPA Tour for the 2026 season represents the most significant new acquisition for the league—and marks his formal graduation from the APP Tour, where he achieved unprecedented success.

In 2025, Howells won 14 golds on the APP Tour: eight in men's doubles, five in mixed doubles, and one men's singles title (making him the first player to claim a triple crown on the APP Tour in three years). His 52-22 winning record at MLP 2025 further validated his elite-level competition credentials, particularly when playing with partners like Zane Navratil (13-7 men's doubles record).

At the Carvana Masters, Howells made his formal PPA debut playing men's doubles with Noe Khlif (his New Jersey 5s MLP teammate) and mixed doubles with Rachel Rohrabacher, both Florida-based players who will benefit from regular practice time with him. Howells acknowledged the challenge of moving to the PPA Tour without ranking points—some potential partners expressed hesitation about pairing with an unranked player—but his regular practice against Florida's elite (including Federico Staksrud, Dylan Frazier, and Hayden Patriquin) has given him confidence.

Howells' goal for 2026 is characteristically direct: "My goals when I step on the court are to win every tournament that I play, plain and simple." While that ambition may exceed what the PPA Tour's competitive depth allows, his prediction as a top-10 doubles player by the end of 2027 appears well-founded. However, a recent ankle injury at the Minnesota event (sustained January 20, 2026) may affect his early-season trajectory.

5. Tama Shimabukuro & Andre Mercado: The Young Doubles Partnership

Fourteen-year-old Tama Shimabukuro and 15-year-old Andre Mercado represent something new in professional pickleball: pre-teen athletes playing with the patience and tactical acumen normally associated with veterans.

At the Carvana Masters, their performance against PPA veterans Anderson Scarpa and Greg Dow was particularly revealing. Although they lost 11-6 in game one, they responded with an 11-0 shutout in game two before falling 11-8 in game three. What impressed analysts wasn't the result but their approach: "playing steady pickleball, rarely making an unforced error," with "excellent patience, which bodes well for their chance to progress."​

Previously, at the Vegas Cup (October 2025), Shimabukuro and Mercado defeated Chris Haworth and Armaan Bhatia—a result that foreshadowed Haworth's later ascent and demonstrated that age is not a barrier to competitive success at the PPA level.​

Analysts predict at least four players under 18 will receive significant MLP playing time in 2026, with Shimabukuro and Mercado as leading candidates. Their pairing and the broader "teenage invasion" represents a structural shift in pickleball's player pipeline—one where youth-developed pickleball skills are outperforming traditional tennis-conversion pathways.​

6. Elsie Hendershot: The 12-Year-Old Prodigy

Elsie Hendershot, at just 12 years old, is already exhibiting advanced pickleball skills that have drawn comparisons to young Anna Leigh Waters (though analysts carefully avoid placing undue pressure on any young player with such comparisons).​

Competing at the Carvana Masters in women's doubles (seeded #34 with Ella Cosma), Hendershot demonstrates that professional pickleball at the highest level is becoming accessible to increasingly younger athletes. Her primary developmental area is power generation—a challenge that will naturally resolve as she physically matures.​

What distinguishes Hendershot among her peer group is her selection by established players as a doubles partner before her results merit it. This "buying stock early" phenomenon reflects confidence from veterans that her skill trajectory will produce meaningful results. By 2027 or 2028, Hendershot could feasibly be competing for medals rather than experience.

7. Seone Mendez: The Australian Rising Force

Seone Mendez, an Australian former professional tennis player, captured her first APP Tour gold medal at the 2025 APP Tour Championships in December 2025, defeating multi-time champion Katerina Stewart 15-10, 16-14. This breakthrough came after a PPA Challenger Series silver and gold, plus competitive losses to elite players.

At the Veolia Lakeland Open, Mendez played Anna Leigh Waters (the #1 ranked women's player) and lost 5-11, 6-11—a scoreline that understates her competitive level against the world's best. She also pushed Lea Jansen in the quarterfinals at the Daytona Beach Open, further validating her trajectory.​​

The consensus projection is that Mendez will sign with the UPA (Professional Pickleball Association) in early 2026 and achieve a top-10 ranking in women's singles by year-end. Her path from APP Tour dominance to PPA Tour medal contention mirrors Will Howells' trajectory, though with the added dimension of international competition and tennis-to-pickleball conversion at an elite level.​

8. Blaine Hovenier: The Underrated Mixed Doubles Threat

Blaine Hovenier has quietly become one of the most skilled players without a PPA main draw medal—a distinction that feels unsustainable given his demonstrated abilities. Known as "the hype guy" on the So Cal Hard 8s, Hovenier is a steady right-sider with exceptional reach and court sense.​

His MLP performances provide evidence of elite-level capability: he and partner Jalina Ingram notched significant upset wins, including victories over Alshon/Christian and Johnson/Kawamoto pairings. The primary variable for Hovenier's breakthrough is partnership—if he finds the right mixed doubles pairing or pairs with a dominant left-side partner in men's doubles, his first medal appears imminent.​

At the 2026 Masters, Hovenier competed alongside established partner Zane Navratil but lost to the Johns/Tardio partnership in the quarterfinals. However, early-season results often understate what will unfold across a full season. Hovenier is a high-probability candidate for a 2026 PPA medal.​

9. Jack Sock: Patience Finally Pays Off

Jack Sock, a former tennis professional, has struggled to translate his athletic abilities into consistent pickleball success—until the latter half of 2025. The specific breakthrough: improved patience at the net and mastery of the dinking game.​

At the Carvana Masters, Sock won the men's singles silver medal and made significant improvements in both men's and mixed doubles. His doubles runs included competitive quarterfinal appearances in both disciplines, a meaningful step forward from prior seasons where his impatience led to unforced errors.​

Sock's wins in 2025 over Roscoe Bellamy (twice), Noe Khlif, John Lucian Goins, and Yates Johnson demonstrate he can compete with elite singles competition. The prediction that he will win his first PPA singles title in 2026 appears justified—particularly given that he's now practicing in Phoenix with higher-caliber partners.​

10. Cailyn Campbell: The Emerging Youth Doubles Talent

Cailyn Campbell, at 15 years old, represents the next wave of youth doubles talent. Seeded #27 at the Carvana Masters with Giovanna Morelli, Campbell is already being selected as a doubles partner by established players—a sign that her development is on an accelerated trajectory.​

The fact that established pros are "buying stock early" before her tournament results fully materialize suggests confidence in her ceiling and trajectory. By 2026 or 2027, Campbell could transition from experience accumulation to medal contention.

The Broader Context: 2026 Is a Youth-Driven Season

What unites these ten rising stars is a fundamental shift in how pickleball develops elite talent. The PPA Tour's willingness to sign teenagers, the success of the Youth MLP Team concept (which featured Shimabukuro, Kunimoto, Hendershot, and Elsie Yeh at the 2025 MLP Cup), and the emergence of PPA Asia and PPA Challenger Series as effective developmental pathways have compressed the timeline from emerging talent to elite competition.

Additionally, the "APP Tour → PPA Tour" pipeline (exemplified by Howells and Mendez) demonstrates that established success on alternative tours now translates more readily to PPA credentials. The Carvana Masters results validated these predictions across multiple categories: Haworth's gold in men's singles, Mendez's competitive performance at the Challenger level, and the multiple under-18 competitors holding their own against seasoned professionals.

Key Storylines to Follow

• Chris Haworth's march to #1 ranking: Watch whether his dominance continues through mid-2026 or whether the top men's singles field (Ben Johns, Hunter Johnson, Christian Alshon) organize a competitive response.

• Will Howells' ankle recovery: A significant variable for his debut season. His trajectory depends on returning to full health before critical ranking-points tournaments.

• The teenage invasion sustainability: Will Kunimoto, Shimabukuro, Mercado, and Hendershot show that youth players can compete immediately, or will they hit a learning curve as opponents develop countermeasures?

• Seone Mendez's UPA decision: If she signs with the UPA, expect rapid climbing in the rankings. If she continues on the APP Tour, she may plateau as a top-tier non-PPA competitor.

• The Big Four's durability in men's doubles: Will Oncins/Frazier, Howells/Khlif, or another partnership finally break through, or will Johns/Tardio, Klinger/JW Johnson, Alshon/Patriquin, and Staksrud/Daescu continue their dominance?

• The 2026 PPA Tour season is positioned to be defined by the emergence of these ten rising stars—players who embody the accelerating development of pickleball talent and the sport's expanding global reach. For followers of professional pickleball, tracking their progress through the season will provide both immediate entertainment and insight into the future competitive landscape.