Ben Johns
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| File:Ben Johns at the Minto Open.png Johns at the 2021 Minto Open | |
| Country (sports) | United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Laytonsville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Turned pro | 2017 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Benjamin E Johns is an American professional pickleball player. He is ranked No. 1 in the world for both doubles play and singles play by the Pro Pickleball Association (PPA)[1] and Nos. 6 and 4 for doubles and singles respectively by the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP).[2] He has been in a sponsorship deal with Franklin Sports since 2019 and was the first pickleball player to ever sign a sponsorship deal.[3]
Personal life
Johns was raised in Gaithersville, Maryland.[4] He was homeschooled as a child and currently studies at the University of Maryland. He is one of 7 children,[5] including his elder brother Collin Johns, a high-ranked professional pickleball player.
Pickleball career
Johns played tennis and table tennis since he was a child, showing some proficiency in both sports. He first played pickleball in 2016 and quickly began to play in tournaments alongside his brother Collin Johns. In 2017, Johns acquired his first gold medal at the US Open. Shortly thereafter, he won three gold medals at the the Canadian Nationals, bringing him to the forefront of the sport.[4] Johns has won more than 23 gold medals in his professional career, 4 of which were triple crowns.[6] Johns was the first professional player to win a triple crown at one of the three major events.[4]
In 2019, Ben Johns signed a sponsorship deal with Franklin Sports, becoming the first pickleball player to ever sign a sponsorship deal. The company began producing the Ben Johns Signature Paddle, an intermediate level paddle that Ben Johns has used at all professional tournaments since.[3]
In 2021, Ben Johns, along with his brother Collin Johns and fellow professional pickleball player Dekel Bar, released a subscription pickleball instruction service titled Pickleball 360.[6] The service has a monthly and yearly subscription that grants access to instructional videos from the aforementioned professional players.
References
- ^ https://www.ppatour.com/player-rankings/
- ^ https://apptour.org/app-rankings/
- ^ a b https://racketsportsworld.com/ben-johns-pickleball-sponsor-deal/
- ^ a b c https://usapickleball.org/member-news/ben-johns/
- ^ https://benjohnspcr.wordpress.com/introduction/
- ^ a b https://skillview.tv/pickleball_team/About_Ben_Johns.html