Two of the much-acclaimed ‘Big 4’ pairings of PPA Tour were knocked out in the Round of 16 of Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships. The results offered a compelling reminder that the gap between the elite and the chasing pack may be narrowing.
For much of 2026, conversations around the discipline have centered on four dominant teams – Ben Johns-Gabe Tardio, Hayden Patriquin-Christian Alshon, JW Johnson-CJ Klinger, and Andrei Daescu-Federico Staksrud – who have made deeper runs into the tournaments. But matches on Thursday in Atlanta disrupted that familiar script.
Also Read: ‘I Disappear for Five Hours’: Pickleball Pro’s Pokemon Obsession Revealed
The biggest upset came on Humana Championship Court, where Tama Shimabukuro and Yuta Funemizu produced a spirited comeback to defeat second seeded pairing of Hayden Patriquin and Christian Alshon 4-11, 11-5, 11-8. Having suffered a straight-games loss (5-11, 3-11) to the same opponents at last month’s Greater Zion Cup, the turnaround reflected both tactical adjustments and growing belief.
At just 15, Shimabukuro continued a breakout day, having previously eliminated the second seeded Federico Staksrud in men’s singles. Yet, even amid personal success, the teenager was quick to highlight his partner’s influence.
“Yuta was just giving me energy all day,” he told Pickleballtv’s Kamryn Blackwood and Matt Manasse. “On this team, he’s the Energizer Bunny, and I’m just making balls. This guy does some crazy stuff. His counters are insane, and it’s just been a great day.”
The partnership, now seven tournaments old, appears to be finding its rhythm at the right time. Funemizu, a former soft tennis world champion, pointed to growing familiarity as a key factor.
“We’ve been practicing a lot, and we have great chemistry,” he said. “We have played many tournaments this year, so we have to stay focused for the weekend.”
Their reward is a quarterfinal clash against Armaan Bhatia and Riley Newman, another test that will gauge how far their momentum can carry them.
In another surprise, Connor Garnett and Roscoe Bellamy ousted defending Atlanta champions and third seeded JW Johnson and CJ Klinger 4-11, 12-10, 11-4. The newly formed duo showed resilience after trailing 1-5 in the second game, clawing their way back to force a decider before dominating the final stretch.
The result not only ended the title defense of Johnson and Klinger but also threw open the bottom half of the draw, creating opportunities for teams that have largely operated in the shadows of the ‘Big 4.’
Also Read: Pickleball’s New Sibling Story: 15-Year-Old Danny Phillips Turns Pro
Garnett and Bellamy will next face Jack Sock and Blaine Hovenier on Friday, in what promises to be another closely contested encounter.
Thursday’s results, while surprising on paper, carried an undercurrent of inevitability. As more teams spend time building chemistry and sharpening their games, the once predictable hierarchy in men’s doubles is beginning to shift—bringing with it a sense of unpredictability that could define the rest of the season.
