Players to Watch – Kris Anderson

One of the sport’s top pickleball players, Kris Anderson began her career five years ago when a planned tennis match was cancelled due to inclement weather. A friend suggested a game of pickleball indoors, and that’s all it took for Kris to get hooked.

With partner, Scott Moore, Kris took home the Senior Open Mixed Doubles gold at the 2018 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships while also winning a silver medal in Senior Open Women’s Doubles with Lisa Naumu. At the ’18 Tournament of Champions, Kris, along with Kevin Booth captured gold in Senior Open Mixed Doubles while also earning a silver medal with partner Bonnie Williams in Senior Open Women’s Doubles.

Never one to slow down, Kris got off to a great start this year, winning Senior Open Mixed Doubles gold at the US Open and adding a silver medal at the prestigious tournament in Senior Open Women’s Doubles with Naumu. Then, at the TOC, she teamed with Booth for gold in Senior Open Mixed Doubles and once again playing with Naumu brought home another silver medal in Women’s Doubles.

A native of Scarsdale, New York, Anderson graduated from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania where she played four years on the tennis team. Her transition to pickleball was helped along by USAPA Ambassador Ron Chang. “Ron was such an incredible influence on me starting out and getting me on the courts, playing on a regular basis and I really owe a lot of the credit to him. There are so many great USAPA Ambassadors throughout the country introducing the sport to people and helping them stay involved which is what is really fueling this great interest in pickleball,” said Anderson, who also credits her sponsors Onix and San Soleil which features SPF 50 clothing, made of cooling fabric. “You have no idea what a big difference that makes when playing in warmer locales like the Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships at Indian Wells.”