Upsets in Newport Send Four Teams to Central Park for the MLP Semis

What a weekend it turned out to be in Newport Beach. When the Major League Pickleball quarterfinals wrapped up on Sunday, two of the four teams punching tickets to the semifinals did it the hard way — by knocking off higher seeds and, in one case, the reigning champion. If you like a little chaos with your pickleball, this bracket delivered.

The chalk held at the top. The No. 1 New Jersey 5s, anchored by Anna Leigh Waters, handled the Palm Beach Royals 2–0, and the No. 2 St. Louis Shock — riding the red-hot women’s duo of Anna Bright and Kate Fahey — swept the Texas Ranchers 2–0 to lock up their spot a day early. Business as usual for the favorites.

Then came the fireworks. The No. 6 Dallas Flash, who rolled into the playoffs on a long unbeaten run behind the standout play of JW Johnson and Brooke Buckner, took down the No. 3 LA Mad Drops — yes, the Ben Johns and Catherine Parenteau squad — 2–1. On the other side of the draw, the No. 5 Brooklyn Pickleball Team ended the title defense of the Columbus Sliders, also by a 2–1 margin, sending the reigning champs home earlier than anyone expected. Seedings, it turns out, are just suggestions once the Dreambreaker comes out.

So here’s where things stand: New Jersey, St. Louis, Brooklyn, and Dallas are the last four standing, and they’re all headed to one of the best stages in the sport. The MLP semifinals and finals run August 28–30 at City Pickle at Wollman Rink, right in the middle of Central Park — the second straight year the league has closed its season in New York. Picture championship pickleball with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop; it’s a genuinely fun watch even if you’re new to the team format.

A quick reminder on why upsets happen here. MLP’s best-two-of-three-matches series, mixed-gender lineups, and sudden-death Dreambreaker reward depth and nerve as much as star power — which is exactly how a No. 6 seed can bounce a lineup featuring the best player in the sport’s history. For recreational players, it’s a masterclass in how doubles chemistry and clutch play can beat raw talent on any given day.

Looking ahead, the pro calendar only heats up from here. The Veolia Pickleball National Championships — a 2,000-point major — land in Cary, North Carolina, August 31 through September 6, meaning the new World Pickleball Rankings are about to get a serious shakeup right on the heels of the MLP finale. It’s a loaded stretch, and the points on the line are enormous.

For now, though, get ready for New York. Four teams, one weekend, a Central Park crown. We’ll have a full semifinal preview in the next roundup — and if the quarterfinals were any indication, don’t assume anything.

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