Best pickleball player of all time

The passionate debate over the best pickleball player of all time almost always leads to one undisputed, legendary name: Ben Johns. As the sport has exploded in mainstream popularity around the world, professional pickleball has seen many incredibly talented athletes rise to the top of the rankings, but absolutely none have dominated the courts quite like Johns. With an unprecedented combination of elite athleticism, brilliant tactical intelligence, and a relentless, cold-blooded competitiveness, he has set historical records that may honestly never be broken by future generations. His unique ability to effortlessly control the pace of the game, execute flawless two-handed backhands with pinpoint precision, and remain incredibly calm under immense tournament pressure has firmly solidified his status as the ultimate legend of the sport. In my opinion, watching Ben Johns play is like watching a chess grandmaster who also happens to be a world-class athlete; he is always three steps ahead of his opponents.

Ben Johns’ list of career achievements on the prestigious PPA Tour is nothing short of staggering and mind-boggling. He currently holds the all-time record for the most titles in professional pickleball history, boasting well over one hundred twenty-three PPA Tour gold medals to his name. Furthermore, he has achieved the incredibly rare and highly coveted Triple Crown, which requires winning men’s singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles at the exact same professional event, more than twenty times, a feat that leaves other pros in awe. Perhaps his most unbelievable accomplishment is his historic one hundred eight-match winning streak in men’s singles, a level of dominance rarely seen in any professional sport. By maintaining the absolute number one ranking in all three divisions simultaneously for years on end, he has proven his incredible versatility and unmatched skill level across every single format of the game.

Beyond his massive tournament victories and shiny gold medals, the best pickleball player of all time has also been highly instrumental in shaping the sport’s culture, equipment, and global growth. Partnering frequently with his brother Collin Johns in men’s doubles and the phenomenal, unstoppable Anna Leigh Waters in mixed doubles, Ben has delivered some of the most entertaining, high-level, and dramatic matches ever broadcasted on television. His massive influence extends far off the court as well, through his highly successful instructional platforms like Pickleball 360, his signature paddle designs with the powerhouse brand JOOLA, and his role as a global ambassador for the game. For anyone closely following the rapid evolution of professional pickleball, Ben Johns represents the absolute pinnacle of excellence, the ultimate standard of consistency, and the gold standard that all future generations of aspiring professional players will inevitably be measured against.