A look at the players who made the biggest moves in the DUPR rankings

The end of the year and start of a new season is often when breakout performances happen and December and January were no exception. From teenagers cracking the Top 50 to established pros making major jumps in new disciplines, these players didn’t just improve their game, they moved the needle in the DUPR pickleball rankings.

Here are the top DUPR risers to watch:

Singles Top Risers

Camden Chaffin

At just 14 years old, Camden Chaffin is already making waves on the pro stage. At the PPA Indoor National Championships in January, he notched impressive wins over top players Donald Young and Federico Staksrud before falling to Chris Haworth in a tight three-game quarterfinal match.

The run marked a major breakthrough for the young standout, as he cracked the Top 50 in the DUPR Men’s Singles Rankings, currently sitting at No. 34 with a 6.273 rating. Camden represents the next generation of elite pickleball talent on the rise.

Kiora Kunimoto

Speaking of next-generation talent making waves, Kiora Kunimoto is doing just that at only 17 years old. The teenager has broken into the Top 25 of the DUPR Women’s Singles Rankings, making a massive jump from a 5.469 to a 5.720 rating, good for No. 13 overall. Not bad for a teen! 

Kiora continued her strong run with a 4th-place finish in singles at the PPA National Indoor Championships in January, earning impressive wins over Hannah Blatt, Chao Yi Wang, and Brooke Buckner. Another clear sign that the future of pickleball is already here.

Keilly Ulery

Keilly Ulery has officially broken into the Top 50 of the DUPR Women’s Singles Rankings, jumping an impressive 29 spots to No. 42. Her rise has been well earned. Competing primarily on the PPA Challenger circuit, Ulery has been a consistent presence on the podium and recently captured her first singles gold medal at the PPA Tucson Challenger in January. With that breakthrough win, she’s clearly ready for the next step, and we’re excited to see more of her on the PPA Tour.

Doubles Top Risers

Christopher Haworth

In pickleball, singles and doubles are two very different games. Christopher Haworth is arguably the top men’s singles player on tour right now, and it’s been exciting to watch his rapid improvement on the doubles side as well. Haworth jumped an impressive 31 spots to No. 52 in the DUPR Men’s Doubles Rankings. sitting just outside the Top 50. His doubles game has come a long way, and a breakthrough into the Top 50 feels imminent in the next couple of months.

Riley Bohnert

Riley Bohnert has been a regular competitor on the APP Tour and has now broken into the Top 50 of the DUPR Women’s Doubles Rankings, jumping 23 spots to No. 44. Training out of South Florida, which is home to many of the sport’s elite, it’s no surprise to see a noticeable rise in her game. At just 21 years old, Bohnert still has plenty of runway ahead, and you can expect to see much more from her as she continues to develop and compete at a high level.

Nicola Schoeman

At just 18 years old, Nicola Schoeman has taken over the No. 1 spot in the DUPR Junior Girls’ Doubles Rankings. Based in Australia, she competes frequently across her home country and throughout Asia. 

Nicola has been a standout on the PPA Asia Tour, highlighted by a huge women’s doubles victory over Anna Bright and Roos van Reek at the PPA Malaysia tournament. An outstanding athlete and an even better person off the court, we hope to see more of Schoeman and ideally see her competing in America someday soon.

December and January showed us exactly why DUPR is such a powerful lens into player progression. Whether it’s teens breaking through on the pro stage or established players expanding their games into new disciplines, these risers are shaping what the next season of pickleball will look like.

Keep an eye on these names; you’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the months ahead.