MLP Cup 2025: Pickleball's Most Electric Weekend Is HereYour full gui

Your full guide to the teams, stars, schedules, and drama heading into the season finale in Dallas.

Dallas is about to become the capital of pickleball.

From November 1–3, all 23 Major League Pickleball teams will descend on Brookhaven Country Club for the inaugural **MLP Cup 2025**, a Halloween weekend showdown of world-class talent, stacked rosters, wild storylines, and championship-level bragging rights.

The energy is already building — this isn’t just another stop on the tour. This is the **final event of the season** and the first standalone MLP Cup ever, with $50,000 and history on the line. And with names like **Anna Leigh Waters**, **Ben Johns**, **JW Johnson**, **Parris Todd**, and **Genie Bouchard** in the mix, it’s going to be unmissable.

Whether you’re tuning in or headed to Dallas, here’s everything you need to know about the MLP Cup: the matchups, the schedules, the rosters, and the storylines that will shape the weekend.

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🗓 MLP Cup 2025 Schedule: When to Watch

**Friday, Nov 1 – Day 1**

* Premier Level pool play begins at 9:30 AM CT

* Marquee matchups all day across 3 courts

* Fans encouraged to attend in costume (yes, really)

**Saturday, Nov 2 – Day 2**

* Premier & Challenger teams continue pool play

* New Jersey 5s vs. LA Mad Drops headlines the day

* Last chance to qualify for Sunday’s playoffs

**Sunday, Nov 3 – Day 3**

* Final pool matches early morning

* Semifinals and Finals for both Premier and Challenger

* Premier Level Final: 3:00 PM CT on Championship Court

All matches will be streamed live on PickleballTV, with select matches aired on Fox 4 Dallas.

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🏆 Format Breakdown

MLP returns to its original roots with **pool play + playoffs**.

* Teams face off in four-person matches: women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and two mixed doubles rounds

* If tied 2–2, it goes to a **DreamBreaker** tiebreak — a singles showdown

* Only the **top teams** from each pool advance to the semifinals

* Premier has four pools (one with five teams), Challenger has two

Bottom line: no second chances. Every rally counts.

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Teams & Storylines to Watch

New Jersey 5s

**Led by Anna Leigh Waters**, this team came within inches of a championship earlier this year. They’re stacked with rising talent, and Waters is the most feared player in the league. Their Saturday clash with the LA Mad Drops could be a preview of the final.

LA Mad Drops

Now powered by **Ben Johns** (yes, *that* Ben Johns), LA went all-in this season. They’ve found chemistry fast and bring one of the smartest, most composed lineups in the league. If Johns and Catherine Parenteau are in sync, this team is nearly unstoppable.

Columbus Sliders

The Cinderella story from earlier this year. With **Parris Todd and Andrei Daescu**, this squad shocked everyone to win the 2025 championship. The question is: can they do it again under pressure?

Dallas Flash

Home court advantage and a sibling super duo in **JW and Jorja Johnson**. If any team is going to ride the crowd to a title, it’s this one. Watch for a Texas showdown against the Ranchers — this pool might be the most fun to watch.

St. Louis Shock

A model of consistency, St. Louis has been elite all season. With **Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin**, they play with intensity and pace. But as the only five-team pool, they’ll need to survive four matches before even reaching the semis. Will fatigue be a factor?

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👀 Players to Watch

* **Anna Leigh Waters** – Dominant, fiery, and still only 18. She’s chasing yet another crown in Dallas.

* **Ben Johns** – The GOAT. Now on a new team, looking to make his mark with LA.

* **Parris Todd** – Has the all-around game and hunger to repeat as champ.

* **JW Johnson** – Calm killer. Could thrive under the hometown spotlight.

* **Genie Bouchard & Jack Sock** – Former tennis stars bringing the glam (and grit) for the Phoenix Flames.

* **Tyra Black & Dylan Frazier** – Two rising stars who could flip the tournament.

* **Junior All-Stars** – A team of literal teenagers with nothing to lose. They could steal hearts — or a match.

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🤯 Matchups You Can’t Miss

* **NJ 5s vs. LA Mad Drops** – Waters vs. Johns. East Coast vs. West Coast. Saturday night primetime.

* **Columbus Sliders vs. Brooklyn Pickleball Team** – Opening day fireworks. Can the champs defend?

* **Dallas Flash vs. Texas Ranchers** – Lone Star rivalry, hometown drama, possibly the loudest match of the weekend.

* **Orlando Squeeze vs. St. Louis Shock** – Could decide the pool. St. Louis has more depth, but Orlando has firepower.

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Why It Matters

* It’s the final event of the season.

* Rosters may shift after this. For some teams, this is the *last dance*.

* A win here sets the tone for 2026.

* For fans, it’s a rare chance to see **every MLP team** in one place, with everything on the line.

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🎬 Sunday Drama Incoming

The format guarantees one thing: **wild finishes**.

With four Premier teams and four Challenger teams moving into the playoffs, Sunday will bring high-stakes semifinals, DreamBreakers, potential upsets, and maybe the birth of new rivalries. Could we get a New Jersey vs. LA rematch in the final? Could Dallas ride home energy to the top? Will the juniors pull off a win and go viral?

It’s all on the table.

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Final Serve

Whether you’re there in person or watching from home, the **MLP Cup 2025** is a can’t-miss celebration of everything we love about pickleball: fierce rallies, breakout talent, team chemistry, and wild momentum swings.

It’s a showcase. It’s a showdown. And it’s the perfect ending to one of the most competitive MLP seasons yet.

Let’s play.

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📚 Sources:

* Major League Pickleball official website & news

* Pickleball.com tournament previews

* The Dink Pickleball

* The Kitchen podcast

* Fox 4 Dallas & PickleballTV schedule

* Team roster press releases (MLP 2025 season)