In the Kitchen With Anna Leigh Waters: Where the Kitchen Game Slows Down
By The Pickleball Weekly Editorial Team • May 6, 2026 • 5 min read
A different kind of space for the game’s top player
IN PICKLEBALL, “the kitchen” is where the game speeds up; a place of intense focus and lightning-fast reflexes. It is a tight, unforgiving space where points are decided in seconds and mistakes are exposed immediately. But for world’s #1 female player Anna Leigh Waters, that same word has taken on a completely different meaning, one that has nothing to do with foot faults or fast hands. It’s also a place for family recipes, viral pesto, and candid conversations.
Since its debut in late 2025, Waters’ YouTube and TikTok series, IN THE KITCHEN with Anna Leigh Waters, has pulled back the curtain on the life of the sport’s most dominant athlete. Presented and sponsored by DoorDash, the cooking and conversation series trades the high-stakes atmosphere of the PPA Tour for the casual warmth of a home kitchen, proving that the winningest player in history is just as comfortable with a spatula as she is with a paddle.
Here, the top-ranked pickleball player hosts guests to cook, share recipes, and talk about pickleball and life. It functions as a lifestyle cooking show featuring athletes, celebrities, and family members like her mother, Leigh Waters, and pro player Ben Johns, the GOAT. That shift is what makes it work.
Roots and Comfort Food
The series kicked off with a foundational episode featuring her mother, coach, and doubles partner, Leigh Waters. Appropriately, the duo tackled a family favorite: macaroni and cheese. While the cheese sauce came together, the two shared untold stories from the early days of Anna Leigh’s career, offering fans a rare look at the mother-daughter dynamic that has fueled a pickleball dynasty.
“The only dairy that I really eat during tournaments generally is cottage cheese cuz it’s pretty high in protein.” — Ben Johns
The choice of guest was obvious, but it was also necessary. That relationship is the foundation of everything that followed, both on and off the court. As the dish came together, so did their stories, moving naturally between early tournaments, daily routines, and the dynamic of being both family and partners in a professional sport.
Cooking with the Pros
Each subsequent episode follows a similar rhythm in the show’s format, but it never feels repetitive. The cooking provides a framework, something to move the conversation forward, but it is not the focus. The focus is what happens between steps around the kitchen and the stirs on the stove, when the guard drops and the conversation shifts into something more personal.
With #2-ranked Anna Bright, that shift showed up through familiarity. The two moved through the process of baking cookies while talking about life on the road, shared experiences, and the kind of chemistry that does not need to be explained because it is already understood. It felt less like an interview and more like a continuation of conversations that have already happened off camera.
When Ben Johns entered that same space, the #1 world- ranked men’s player in mixed doubles and men’s doubles, the tone adjusted without losing the format. The conversation leaned into preparation, mindset, and the discipline required to maintain consistency at the highest level. It was still relaxing as Ben joked around throughout the episode, but it carried a different weight because of who he is within the sport.
In one of the most recent episodes, Eugenie “Genie” Bouchard, the tennis star turned pickleball pro, made homemade tacos with Anna Leigh. The timing was tactical, as the two discussed their upcoming high-profile matchup against legends Andre Agassi and James Blake while cooking together over the stove.
Beyond the Baseline Guests
Waters isn’t limiting her guest list to the pickleball court, and that is part of what keeps it from becoming predictable. Bringing in lifestyle and entertainment guests from outside the sport changes the dynamic while keeping the same foundation in place.
Actor Da’Vinchi, known for his breakout roles in Starz’s BMF as Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, and on Grown-ish, brought a different kind of presence into the kitchen as the two made a healthy version of lasagna.
Danielle Brown, creator of HealthyGirl Kitchen, teamed up with Waters to blend training-day smoothies, debunking food myths and discussing how a pro athlete fuels for long tournament days.
Food Network champion and author Chef Priyanka walked Anna Leigh through her viral jalapeño pesto dish, bringing professional culinary expertise to the series.The episode added a higher level of technical cooking without changing the tone of the show.
A Cross-Platform Success
While the full-length, 15- to 16-minute episodes live on Anna Leigh’s dedicated YouTube playlist and can be watched at any time, the series has found a strong secondary home on TikTok. Using her social media accounts to share teasers and behind-the-scenes baking fails, Waters has bridged the gap between her professional highlights and her personal life.
Each episode is a reminder of Waters’ grounded perspective. Whether she’s answering fan questions during a solo “Pancake AMA” or learning a new dish from a celebrity chef, the message remains consistent with her personal motto found inside her custom Nike shoes: “Just Be You.”
“If we don’t have chemistry from this, I don’t know what we’ll have chemistry from. we’re bonding over food, which is my love language. One of them.” — Anna Leigh Waters
Why the Series Works
It works because it feels real and genuine. You almost feel like a fly on the wall in Anna Leigh’s kitchen, listening in on the conversations while taking notes on their recipes.
And that’s the key. What you see is the difference between content that is produced and content that feels natural. This series leans into the latter. The conversations are not overly structured, and the moments that stand out are often the ones that are not planned.
There are pauses, reactions, small corrections in the kitchen, and moments where the conversation shifts direction unexpectedly. Those are the details that make the series feel authentic, because they mirror what the experience would be like without a camera present. That is not easy to create.
What the Series Means
As pickleball continues to expand, the way the sport is covered and consumed is changing with it. Fans are not only watching matches. They are following players, personalities, and stories that extend beyond the court.
IN THE KITCHEN with Anna Leigh Waters fits into that shift. It provides something that highlights alone cannot, creating a deeper connection between player and audience without stepping away from the authenticity that defines her presence.
That is where its value sits.
EPISODE GUIDE
Episode 1
Leigh Waters Serves Family Dinners & Untold Stories
Anna Leigh kicks off her series with her mother and doubles partner, Leigh Waters. While cooking a family favorite, mac n’ cheese, they share stories about the early days of pickleball and how their lives have changed as the sport grew over.
Episode 2
Cookie Dough Conversations with Anna Bright
Teaming up with close friend and fellow pro Anna Bright, Anna Leigh bakes chocolate chip cookies. The two discuss the realities of life on the road and the personal chemistry required to succeed as a team on the professional tour.
Episode 3
Da’Vinchi Tries to Keep Up Making Healthy Lasagna
In a crossover with the entertainment world, actor Da’Vinchi joins the kitchen to prepare a healthy version of lasagna. The conversation focuses on his unexpected athletic abilities and the mutual inspiration found between athletes and performers.
Episode 4
The GOAT’s Secret… Ben John’s Spinach Dip
Mixed doubles partner Ben Johns stops by to share his favorite simple spinach dip recipe. The episode goes beyond the food to explore Ben’s internal drive, their tournament preparation strategies, and the value of their off-court friendship.
Episode 5
ASK ME ANYTHING… Crazy Questions with Pancakes
For this solo installment, Anna Leigh answers fan- submitted questions while flipping pancakes. She opens up about her daily training routines, her competitive mindset, and personal details about life on tour that she rarely shares elsewhere.
Episode 6
HealthyGirl Kitchen: Smoothies, Cheat Days, & More
Joined by Danielle Brown from HealthyGirl Kitchen, Anna Leigh demonstrates how to make her go-to training smoothies. The duo discusses the balance of professional nutrition, including how to handle cheat days and the small dietary habits that sustain energy during long tournaments.
Episode 7
I’m Taught My New Favorite Dish by Chef Priyanka
Anna Leigh takes a lesson from Food Network champion Chef Priyanka to learn a viral jalapeño pesto dish. The episode highlights Chef Priyanka’s creative flavor profiles as she provides a step-by-step tutorial on mastering this bold recipe.
Episode 8
Genie Bouchard Makes Tacos & Talks Our BIG Matchup
Former tennis-star-turned-pickleball-pro Genie Bouchard joins the show to make tacos just before a major matchup against Andre Agassi and James Blake. They discuss Genie’s transition into pickleball and the mental shifts required when moving between elite-level racket sports.
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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