Mad Drops Take Down Sliders, Go Undefeated to Win MLP Dallas

Mad Drops Take Down Sliders, Go Undefeated to Win MLP Dallas

DALLAS, TX — Your LA Mad Drops are the 2026 MLP Dallas champions. The squad defeated the Columbus Sliders 3-1 on Super Monday to win the first event of the 2026 Major League Pickleball season, going undefeated across four days of competition at Pickler Universe and claiming the event title belt.

With the victory, the Mad Drops earned 25 standings points and are the only team to leave Texas without a loss — sitting alone atop the 2026 MLP standings heading into Event 2.

Super Monday: Mad Drops 3, Columbus Sliders 1

The Sliders struck first. Danni-Elle Townsend and Alix Truong edged Catherine Parenteau and Jade Kawamoto 13-11 in women's doubles, giving Columbus an early 1-0 lead. But LA never flinched. The Mad Drops answered by winning the men's doubles and then swept both mixed doubles matches to seal the victory. Ben Johns and Jade Kawamoto put the finishing touch on it with an emphatic 11-6 win over Truong and Andrei Daescu in the final game.

Statement made.

The Comeback That Set It All Up

Sunday's title celebration almost didn't happen. In their final group play match against the St. Louis Shock, the Mad Drops found themselves staring down an 0-2 deficit — on the verge of dropping their first match of the weekend. But this roster doesn't fold under pressure. LA rallied to win both mixed doubles games, then took the DreamBreaker 21-15 to complete a gutsy comeback and punch their ticket to the championship round.

Less than 24 hours later, they were holding the event title belt.

Six Players. One Mission.

The 2026 Mad Drops roster showed exactly why this group was built to win:

  • Ben Johns — Captain. World No. 1. The greatest to ever play the game. Led the team with dominant performances all weekend.
  • Catherine Parenteau — Top 5 in the world. 53 gold medals. Two triple crowns. A championship-caliber competitor in every format.
  • Jade Kawamoto — Top-8 world ranking, former D-I tennis standout, and a left-handed weapon who closed out the title alongside Johns.
  • Max Freeman — Vanderbilt tennis product and one of MLP's fastest-rising talents. His left-handed game added a dynamic edge all event long.
  • Gabriel Joseph — SoCal's own with a career-high world ranking of No. 4. Represented LA in every sense of the word.
  • Genie Bouchard — Former Wimbledon finalist turned top-10 pickleball singles player. Star power meets fierce competition.

Where Things Stand

Here's a look at the full MLP Dallas final standings:

  1. Los Angeles Mad Drops — 25 pts
  2. Columbus Sliders — 18 pts
  3. St. Louis Shock — 15 pts
  4. New Jersey 5s — 12 pts
  5. Dallas Flash — 10 pts
  6. Texas Ranchers — 8 pts
  7. Orlando Squeeze — 6 pts
  8. Utah Black Diamonds — 4 pts
  9. Bay Area Breakers — 1 pt
  10. Phoenix Flames — 1 pt
  11. Carolina Hogs — 0 pts

What's Next

The Mad Drops head into the next stretch of the season sitting at the top of the table. Up next: MLP St. Louis, June 4–7. The mission is simple — keep the momentum rolling and stay undefeated.

Get tickets for MLP St. Louis →

Read the full recap on Pickleball.com: Mad Drops Take Down Sliders, Finish First at MLP Dallas

#MadDrops #MLP2026 #MLPDallas #UndefeatedInTexas #PickleballIsHere

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