King of th
Ben Johns , 25 , is the greatest player in the history of the sport . He sat down with Pickleball Magazine to discuss what ’ s next .
by MATTHEW SCHWARTZ
The greatest pickleball player ever is always thinking ahead . On the court , Ben Johns is thinking about his opponent ’ s next shot . It ’ s one reason he became the top-ranked player when the Professional Pickleball Association ( PPA ) unveiled its first official rankings five years ago .
Johns has won nearly 150 tournaments in Men ’ s Singles , Men ’ s Doubles and Mixed Doubles since turning pro in 2018 . In 2019 , he won an astonishing 108 consecutive singles matches and 22 straight mixed doubles tournaments . He became the first player ever to win the triple crown ( gold in Men ’ s Singles , Men ’ s Doubles and Mixed Doubles ) at the prestigious Tournament of Champions .
Off the court , Johns thinks about his next business venture and life beyond pickleball . He has a sense of self that is atypical for most 25-year-olds . Johns has diverse plans that include retiring from professional play sooner rather than later .
“ The range is from three to eight years ,” Johns says when asked when he will retire . “ I ’ d say five is realistic .” Then adds , “ It could be two , who knows ?”
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