Pickleball Princess
By The Pickleball Weekly Editorial Team • Mar 18, 2026 • 7 min read
Nine-year-old Emmalina is already making her mark on the junior game
On many pickleball courts across the country, players are discovering that the future of the sport is arriving earlier than anyone expected. Junior players are entering tournaments younger, training more seriously, and developing competitive instincts well before their teenage years. Among that new generation is Emmalina Requena, a nine-year-old competitor whose dedication, enthusiasm, and growing list of results have already begun turning heads in the junior pickleball world.
Known online as the “Pickleball Princess,” Emmalina is not simply playing the game for fun. She is training, competing, and steadily building a competitive résumé that places her among the promising young players in the sport.
Discovering Pickleball
Like many young players today, Emmalina discovered pickleball through the expanding youth scene surrounding the sport. What began as a fun activity quickly evolved into something more serious once her natural competitiveness and love for the game became clear.
She began competing in junior tournaments in 2023, entering events where young players are encouraged to develop skills through structured competition. Over the next two years, Emmalina gained experience by playing across multiple divisions and age groups, a common path for juniors who want to challenge themselves against stronger competition.
By 2025, she had completed her first full year of tournament play, gaining valuable match experience while learning the rhythm of competitive events.
Training at Chicago Pickleball Academy
A major part of Emmalina’s development comes from her training environment. She works on her game at the Chicago Pickleball Academy, where young athletes focus on building strong fundamentals and consistent habits on the court.
Training sessions emphasize core skills such as:
- Proper ready position
- Footwork and court movement
- Controlled groundstrokes
- Consistency in dinking and volleys
- Competitive match play
At eight years old, Emmalina’s training still focuses heavily on fundamentals. Coaches stress balance, positioning, and disciplined shot selection, which are essential building blocks for young players. Those fundamentals are beginning to show in tournament results.
A Breakthrough in 2026
In March 2026, Emmalina reached one of the biggest milestones of her young career when she competed in a Junior PPA event.
Despite being only eight years old, she competed in higher age divisions and delivered an impressive performance.
Her results included:
- Gold Medal in 12U Doubles, partnering with Elyssa
- Silver Medal in 14U Doubles, finishing as a finalist while competing against older players
Winning a gold medal while playing up in age divisions is a significant accomplishment for a young competitor. The performance demonstrated both composure and the ability to handle pressure in tournament settings.
Her progress has also been reflected in the National Junior Pickleball rankings, where she is currently ranked #5 nationally in NJP doubles with 410 points.
Competing on the National Stage
As her tournament experience grows, Emmalina is beginning to compete in events that attract top junior players from across the country.
One of those events came in late 2025, when she participated in the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket qualifier in Las Vegas. These Golden Ticket tournaments serve as qualifying events for the USA Pickleball National Championships, one of the most prestigious amateur competitions in the sport.
Even for adult players, competing in Golden Ticket events represents a major step into high-level tournament play. For a young athlete, the experience offers exposure to the intensity and scale of national competition.
Sponsored by Team Paddletek
Another sign of Emmalina’s rising profile is her sponsorship with Team Paddletek, one of the most recognizable paddle brands in pickleball. She currently plays with the Paddletek Bantam ALW-C, a paddle designed in collaboration with professional star Anna Leigh Waters. The paddle is known for its combination of power, spin capability, and control, with core thickness options of 12.7mm or 14.3mm.
For young players who are developing their power and control simultaneously, the paddle’s balance of responsiveness and forgiveness can be especially useful.
Emmalina also carries her equipment in a Paddletek Tour Backpack, which allows her to transport multiple paddles and gear to training sessions and tournaments.
A Special Paddle Fit for a Princess
In addition to her tournament paddle, Emmalina has also been associated with a custom paddle created by The Pretty Pickleball Company. The paddle, known as “The Fairest Paddle,” features a princess-inspired aesthetic while maintaining professional-level construction. It uses a Toray T700 carbon fiber face, a material often found in high-performance paddles designed for advanced spin and durability.
The combination of playful design and serious performance reflects Emmalina’s personality. She is a young athlete who brings enthusiasm and creativity to the sport while still competing at a high level.
Meeting Her Hero
For young players, inspiration often comes from watching the professionals who dominate the sport.
For Emmalina, that inspiration comes from Anna Leigh Waters, widely considered one of the most dominant players in pickleball today.
At a PPA tournament, Emmalina had the chance to meet Waters in person. For a young athlete who already plays with the ALW-C paddle model, the experience was a memorable moment that reinforced her motivation to keep improving.
Moments like these are powerful for junior players. Meeting pro athletes can transform a distant dream into something that feels achievable.
Sharing the Journey
Away from the court, Emmalina documents her pickleball life through social media. On Instagram, she shares training sessions, tournament highlights, and behind-the- scenes moments from her development as a player. Her account, @emmalina_pickleball_princess, gives fans a look at practice drills, tournament travel, medal wins, milestones, equipment, and encounters with pro players.
For many junior athletes, social media has become part of the modern sports journey. It allows them to celebrate achievements, connect with other young players, and share their passion for the game with a growing audience.
The Growth of Junior Pickleball
Emmalina’s story also reflects a larger trend in the sport. Youth participation in pickleball is expanding rapidly as academies, leagues, and junior tournaments appear across the country. Programs like the Chicago Pickleball Academy are helping create structured development paths for young players who want to pursue the sport seriously.
Junior divisions in tournaments now include: Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, and Under 18. As these divisions grow, young players gain opportunities to compete against peers who share the same enthusiasm and commitment.
A Young Player with Big Potential
At just eight years old, Emmalina’s journey in pickleball is still in its earliest stages. What stands out most about her story is not simply the medals or rankings, but the foundation she is building through training, competition, and mentorship.
She is learning the discipline required to improve, the resilience needed to compete, and the joy that comes from playing a sport she clearly loves.
Whether she continues climbing the junior rankings or simply continues enjoying the game, one thing is certain. The Pickleball Princess is already showing that the future of pickleball belongs to a new generation of young athletes stepping confidently onto the court.
The Pickleball Editorial Team produces in-depth reporting and cover features that examine the sport’s growth, innovation, competition, and culture. With contributors who understand both the strategy of the game and the forces shaping its future, the team is committed to telling the full story of modern pickleball.
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