Ben Johns ranks at the top of men’s pickleball in all three divisions. At a young age, he has brought talent and intensity to the game that is so far unsurpassed. As the sport of pickleball grows and attracts an even larger following, the sports world wants to know more about this master of the pickleball court.
In a sport that was once mainly associated with retirement communities, Ben Johns has brought fresh life and energy to the pickleball court. Here’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about pickleball’s brightest shining star.
Ben Johns Before Pickleball
Ben Johns, born in 1999 and raised in Maryland, is not only the top men’s pickleball player in the USA but also in the entire world. Coming from a large family, Ben Johns is the middle child of a family of seven children, who started out young with an interest in tennis. As a homeschool student, Johns played tennis and table tennis starting at a young age.
Today, Ben Johns is a student at the University of Maryland, studying materials engineering, and while he’s academically inclined, it’s his talent and skill in pickleball that he’s known the world over for.
Growing up, Benjamin Johns was a natural tennis player, helping his older brother Collin Johns train to be a pro tennis player. Since then, the shared love of racket sports between the two has remained strong, with Ben often playing beside his elder brother Collin as his pickleball doubles partner. Both men are ranked high in the sport, making us think that pickleball was naturally born into this family.
Ben Johns Picks Up the Pickleball Paddle
With a family full of tennis players, how was it that Ben Johns found his way to pickleball? It all happened in 2016, when Johns was only 17, while he was vacationing in Florida. Although Ben was a fan of racket sports and had mastered many that he had played, he originally wasn’t much of a fan of pickleball. From his time spent in Florida, he saw pickleball as a game that was played mainly by a more mature age set.
Then one day, he decided to give it a try and considering his status at the top tier among pickleball players, it’s safe to say he took quite a liking to it. It wasn’t long before he competed in his first tournament, taking 5th place in the US Open Pickleball Championships Men’s Pro Singles. That was about all it took for Ben Johns to get a bad case of pickleball fever, and on he soared competing in more tournaments and adding a long list of medals to his record.
Early Tournament Wins for Ben Johns
After his first competition, Ben Johns began playing in tournaments more regularly. In less than a year of tournament play, Johns had won his first gold medal at the Riverbend RV Resort Pickleball Tournament. Soon after, he also won gold in the US Open Pickleball Championship in Men’s Pro Singles.
Next, on the international scene, Ben Johns competed in the Canadian Nationals where he won a total of three gold medals. It was this championship competition that really propelled him to one of the biggest names in the sport of pickleball.
Ben Johns Winning Streak
In just a few short years, Ben Johns has gone on to win more than fifty gold medals and currently holds more than forty PPA titles, all while still being in his early twenties. He currently holds more triple crowns than any other male player in pickleball. A triple crown victory in pickleball is when a player wins gold in all three divisions, in this case including men’s singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
In the few years that Ben Johns has been playing pickleball, his list of wins has only grown. In 2018, he won a gold medal at the Tournament of Champions in Men’s Single Pro. He also took home a silver in mixed doubles for that same year. Then the following year in 2019, he claimed a triple crown win, also at the Tournament of Champions. That triple crown win made him the first professional player to win the triple crown in the men’s division of that competition.
This is only the tip of a long list of wins for Ben Johns. Other wins and medals to his name include a gold medal at the Beer City Open for his performance in Men’s Singles and Doubles Pro, along with gold medals at the SoCal Summer Classic where he took the top win in both Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
To add to the list, Johns also won gold in the 19+ age division of Men’s Singles in the USAPA National Championships, while also taking home both a bronze and silver in Men’s Doubles Prop and Men’s Single Pro. With his partner Kylke Yates, Ben Johns won the Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships in Men’s Doubles, and also won gold with Yates in the US Open.
We could go on about all the medals that Ben Johns won so far in his career, but it’s a list that would take forever to read. All in all, Ben Johns has had an incredible winning streak, winning 170 pickleball games in a row. His undefeated streak was broken in the summer of 2021 when he lost a men’s singles match to JW Johnson at the Tournament of Champions.
Ben John Scores an Incredible Sponsorship Deal
In the world of high-interest sports, pickleball is relatively new on the scene, having really only gained serious steam in the past five years. Ben Johns, with his impeccable records across all categories of pickleball including mixed doubles pro, men’s singles, and men’s doubles, was naturally the first pickleball player to land a high-end endorsement deal.
In 2019, Ben Johns was offered a sponsorship deal with Franklin Sports. Ben Johns, along with Franklin Sports, designed and produced the Ben Johns Signature Paddle. Since its development, this is the pickleball paddle that Johns has used at all of his tournaments, and it’s the pickleball paddle that he has held in his hand as he’s won gold after gold.
The Future Ahead for Ben Johns
Ben Johns is at the top of his game in pickleball, but he’s also ambitious and driven, meaning he has his hands in several other ventures as well.
Ben Johns has his own company called Pickleball Gateways, which he built with another professional pickleball player – Dekel Bar. Pickleball Gateways is an innovative concept that marries all-inclusive vacations with on-site pickleball instruction.
What could be better than a pickleball vacation designed by a professional player? How about if these vacations also take you away to exotic destinations? We’re not talking about your standard weekend to a sunny, tropical spot, but real exotic locations like the Mayan Riviera, and Ecuador, among others. Ben Johns and Dekel Bar also worked together on another business venture when they partnered with Ben’s Brother Collin Johns to launch an instructional video subscription service.
Of Course, Ben Johns is still pursuing his education at the University of Maryland and enjoys playing other sports including tennis, table tennis, golf, and weightlifting. When not keeping himself busy with some type of sporting activity, Ben Johns also enjoys pastimes like traveling, reading, and simply enjoying the fascinating life that he has built for himself.
FAQs
How old is pickleball player Ben Johns?
Ben Johns, the top-ranked male pickleball player in the USA and the world, was born on March 18, 1999. He’ll turn 23 in the spring of 2022, making him one of the youngest and by far most successful, pickleball players on the pro circuit.
How tall is Ben Johns of pickleball?
Ben Johns stands at 6 ft 1in tall, which makes him slightly above average in his cohort of professional male pickleball players.
The Legacy of Benjamin Johns Pickleball
What started out as a bit of boredom and curiosity has transformed Ben Johns into a legacy name in the world and USA pickleball. With a fierce passion and love for the game, Ben Johns continues to play at the top of his field in the sport and is one of the top pickleball players in the world. With so many wins and medals to his name already, we’re sure that his career in pickleball is only just beginning.
Must be nice to retire at 23!