8 Top 15-Globally Ranked Filipino Pickleball Athletes to keep an eye on

Written By Niko Del Rey

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the fastest growing sport in the world called pickleball. Although pickleball was created in 1965, it is one of the most contagious global sporting phenomenons to happen in the last ten years. The gameplay is a cross between the action of tennis with a more condensed tactical strategy similar to ping pong. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) 2022, pickleball has more than 4.8 million participants worldwide and has grown by 39.3% in the last two years. Of course, tennis being such a popular sport in the Philippines, pickleball has also caught the interest of many Filipinos who have actually gone on to compete globally and have cracked the top 15 in rankings. It’s time to dink our way into a list of 8 Top 15-Ranked Filipino Pickleball Athletes to keep an eye on. (It should be noted that points are given based on performance during tournament play, that are then tallied and accumulated to determine rankings according to Pickleball Global.)

1. Christopher Encarnacion (@chrisencarnacion)

Christopher Encarnacion is a 25 year old from Cebu City who is the #1 ranked Men’s Singles player in the Philippines. On a larger scale, Encarnacion is ranked globally #8 in Men's Singles 19+ and #15 in mixed 19+. Encarnacion recently earned gold in the Advanced Plus 19+ Men’s Singles Division and bronze in the Open Division of the 19+ 2023 World Pickleball Championship.

2. Leander Lazaro (@leanderlazaro)

Leander Lazaro, 30 years old from Manila, is ranked #1 in both the Men’s doubles division AND #1 in the Mixed doubles division in the Philippines. Lazaro’s ranks 11th in mixed doubles and 17th in men’s singles in the global rankings. Lazaro most recently took gold at the Pickleball Viet Open for the 19+ Open Men’s Singles Division and the 19+ Open Men’s Doubles Division with partner Matthew Nola.

3. Winona “Panda” Cabardo (@winonacabardo)

At the young age of 22 from Davao City, Winona Cabardo is the #1 Women’s Singles Division in the Philippines and the #2 for Mixed Doubles Division. Globally, Cabardo is ranked 18th in both the 19+ Women’s Singles Division and the 19+ Mixed Doubles Division. Cabardo has an amazing story, she actually got her start as a tennis player who unfortunately had to stop playing outdoors when she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, Lupus. However that didn’t stop her drive to win as she made the switch to indoor pickleball and dominated. Most recently, Cabardo took bronze in the Advanced Plus level of the 19+ Women’s Singles Division in the 2023 World Pickleball Championship. 

4. Czarina Arevalo (@coach_czar)

Although Czarnia Arevalo qualifies for the 35+ Women’s Division, she is still the #2 ranked Women’s Singles Player in the Philippines for 19+ (which is a more competitive division). For Arevalo’s 35+ age bracket she is ranked #9 globally in the Singles Division and ranked #4 in Asia. Arevalo still competes with those in the 19+ Division regularly and even placed 4th in the 2023 Asia Pickleball Open Women’s Doubles with partner Tess Chen. Arevalo is a five-time SEA Games medalist who has competed at the Fed Cup for eight years. 

5. Anna Clarice Patrimonio (@claricepatrimonio)

Anna Clarice Patrimonio is a 30 year old pickleball player from Cainta who is ranked #3 in both Women’s Singles and the Mixed Doubles Division in the Philippines. Patrimonio took 3rd in the Women’s Singles Division for the 2023 World Pickleball Championship in addition to 2nd place for the Advanced Plus Mixed Doubles Division alongside fellow Filipino, Christopher Encarnacion. Ana Clarice is a medalist at the SEA Games, winning the silver in Malaysia (2017) and Singapore (2015) and a bronze in Indonesia (2011).

6. Sarah Jane Lim (@coachsarahjanelim)

From Makati, Philippines, Sarah Jane Lim is the #1 ranked Women’s Doubles player in the Philippines and #4 in the MIxed Doubles Division. Lim and fellow countrymen Lazaro recently placed 4th in the Mixed Doubles Division at the 2023 World Pickleball Championship this past September. 

7. Medelene Ramos (@medsramos)

Tied in points with Sarah Jane Lim at 5933, Medelene Ramos shares the #1 ranked position for Women’s Doubles in the Philippines in addition to ranking #18 globally in the 19+ Division along with Sarah Jane Lim. Ramos and partner Lim took home gold in the Advanced Plus 19+ Women’s Doubles Division at the 2023 World Pickleball Championship.

8. Patricia Raymundo (@patraymundo)

At 21 years old from Lungsod Quezon, Philippines, Patricia Raymundo is the #1 ranked Mixed Doubles player in the Philippines and the #14th ranked player globally. Raymundo and partner Cabardo took bronze in the Advanced Plus 19+ Women’s Doubles Division behind fellow competitors Sarah Jane Lim and Medelene Ramos. 

---

Written By Niko Del Rey

---