The Johns Brothers: Carrying the Torch for Pickleball
Ben and Collin Johns aim to take the emerging sport to new heights together through their unbreakable bond and unrelenting drive
Pickleball may not yet be a household name, but thanks to the supreme talents and trailblazing efforts of brothers Ben and Collin Johns, it soon could be. As the undisputed kings of professional pickleball, the Johns brothers have played an integral role in propelling the fledgling sport into mainstream consciousness. 1:45, Ben Paves the Way When Ben Johns first discovered pickleball as a high school senior in 2016, few could have predicted he would reach such meteoric heights. Though he found early success on the pro tour, capturing the US Open singles title in 2017, pickleball was still a casual pastime for Johns rather than a serious career ambition. That changed around 2018-2019 as major tournaments began adopting the “pro” label and competing professional tours emerged to lend legitimacy to the aspiration of playing pickleball for a living. With his unrelenting dedication through diligent training and cerebral analytical approach, Johns rapidly rose to prominence as the incontestable #1 player in the world. As the poster child for professional pickleball, Johns shoulders immense pressure to popularize the sport in the public eye. Yet he embraces this “privilege” as an indication of his esteemed status and continues pushing himself even harder to maintain his dominance. Though comfortably at the peak of his powers, complacency is not in Johns’ vocabulary. 2:35, Big Brother Follows Suit Down the Rabbit Hole Big brother Collin Johns initially balked at pickleball as a “stupid” novelty sport compared to his first love tennis. But after years abroad and observing his sibling’s astronomical success, Collin’s intrigue was piqued. Returning stateside, Collin caught the pickleball bug himself. Though the learning curve was steep, with Ben “beating the snot out of him” in their training sessions, Collin applied the same obsessive discipline from his tennis background to rapidly develop into an elite player in his own right. Now that Collin has gained competency on the court, the siblings relish the chance to finally be teammates and partners after a lifetime of mostly competing against each other across various sports. The brotherly bond they share creates an unspoken symmetry and makes playing together an unparalleled experience. 3:17, Two Roads Converge in Pickleball Yet Fork Beyond Though bonded by pickleball presently, the Johns brothers otherwise have quite divergent interests and aspirations. While the cerebral Ben becomes fanatically absorbed in new pursuits, his passion for pickleball remains steadfast amidst other entrepreneurial and personal ambitions he wants to pursue concurrently. Meanwhile, Collin exhibits more single-minded devotion towards high-level athletic competition, evidenced by his tunnel vision tennis career before embracing pickleball. Though he enjoys performance commentary and behind-the-scenes work, Collin’s first love is being on the court. As such, he prioritizes keeping his pickleball game sharp to contend for titles. Pickleball brought the Johns brothers together serendipitously at this stage in their lives, but they harbor no illusions that it will permanently be the sole focus of their relationship. However, it undoubtedly will hold a special place for them moving forward given the magical moments they have shared conquering the sport side-by-side. 4:49, The sporting Johns family instilled a culture of competitiveness from a young age Hailing from an athletically inclined family brimming with siblings, Ben and Collin Johns cut their teeth on various sports and games growing up, fostering a spirit of competitiveness. This environment enabled Ben to hone the mental fortitude to cope with defeat and strive tirelessly for incremental progress. Thus, when he stumbled upon pickleball, his gritty determination and analytical mindset transfered seamlessly. He grasped the nuances of the sport rapidly and continued building on his physical and strategic capabilities. Consequently, though the Johns brothers discovered pickleball independently, they each possessed the ideal toolkit to thrive once immersed in it competitively – thanks in large part to their sports-oriented upbringing cultivating the right blend of athletic gifts and intangibles. 5:38, From Sidelines to Center Court Unlike Ben who organically found his pickleball calling, Collin’s route was more coordinated by outside intervention. After his overseas tennis odyssey, Collin lacked direction upon returning home. Nowadays, Collin continues moonlighting as a pickleball commentator and behind-the-scenes guru, leveraging his jack-of-all-trades background. Yet his main focus remains excelling professionally alongside his brother now that they have been reunited through pickleball. After meandering temporarily, Collin found his north star by following in Ben’s footsteps on the court. 6:22, Blurred Lines: What Constitutes “Pro” Pickleball? In most sports, the delineation between amateur and professional is clear – but not so much in the Wild West of pickleball. Johns explains that for years the “pro” designation was nebulous because anyone could register for pro tournaments due to the sport’s grassroots status and dearth of governance. Nonetheless, Ben considered himself a bonafide professional as early as winning the 2017 US Open based on competing toe-to-toe with pickleball’s elite. Over the next few years, organizing bodies emerged to lend legitimacy and structure to pro pickleball. Finally in 2020 with two rival tours arising and increased standardization, Johns and his peers felt fully recognized as professionals akin to other major sports. No matter how “pro” status is defined, Ben Johns sits far above the rest of the field in skills and accomplishments as the undisputed king of the sport since transitioning his full attention to it – a status he has no plans on relinquishing anytime soon. 7:22, Brotherhood: The Intangible X-Factor Asked why he persists pushing himself in pickleball, Ben Johns does not hesitate – the chance to play alongside his brother. After years battling one another across backyard playing fields, the Johns brothers now fortuitously get to join forces on the premier platform for the sport they have helped elevate. Beyond just pursuing titles and prize money, the joy of collaborating with his best friend and sibling who understands Ben implicitly makes waking up for 5 AM training sessions and gritting through grueling competitive gauntlets infinitely more rewarding. Living and training together in Austin, the brothers brainstorm tactics, provide brutally honest feedback, and support each other’s progress daily while enjoying plenty of laughs. Likewise, Collin treasures having his brother alongside him on the court rather than across the net. The duo feed off each other’s energies seamlessly thanks to their nearly lifelong chemistry melding instinctive and strategic dimensions into an almost unfair partnership for the rest of the pro tour. After countless childhood memories together, the opportunity to don matching outfits and chase championships as teammates represents a dream come true. 8:58, Breaking Down Ben Johns With Brotherly Candor As Ben Johns’ coach, training partner, roommate, and above all brother, few can match Collin Johns’ insight into the most dominant force in professional pickleball. Collin describes Ben as possessing an obsessive commitment exemplified by his meticulous preparing and rigorous discipline akin to a machine. After years striving together in sport, Collin is intimately familiar with Ben’s unrelenting work ethic and has witnessed firsthand the incremental gains it has produced, enabling Ben to stand clearly atop the sport. Thanks to their lifelong connection, the brothers complement one another perfectly on and off the court – Ben providing the cerebral analytical approach, Collin supplying the instinctive energetic spark. Though any siblings will naturally quarrel on occasion, Collin emphasizes that he and Ben thrive cohabiting and generally get along splendidly, keeping minor disagreements short-lived. United by the shared dream of elevating pickleball through excellence, the Johns brothers present a united front ready to conquer any challenges. 9:58, Carrying the Sport on His Shoulders As the unrivaled #1 face of professional pickleball, Ben Johns has become accustom to immense pressures and scrutiny that accompany the designation, with any misstep likely to become gossip fodder for the rabid pickleball community. During trying times, Ben has soldiered on admirably according to his sister Hannah, competing amidst external turmoil.
Summary:
Brothers Ben and Collin Johns represent the current pinnacle of professional pickleball, helping spur the rapid growth of the fledgling sport. Ben, currently ranked #1 in the world, stumbled upon pickleball while looking for a new activity in high school. Though finding early success, he did not consider pursuing it as a career until pickleball established organized professional tours and benchmarks in recent years.
Meanwhile, brother Collin achieved high-level tennis success himself before initially dismissing pickleball as a silly fad. But after moving back to the United States following an overseas hiatus, observing Ben emerge as pickleball’s undisputed king piqued Collin’s interest.
Soon Collin caught the competitive bug himself, training ardently to convert his tennis abilities to the similar but nuanced pickleball. Now nearly as decorated as his brother, Collin relishes finally being Ben’s teammate on the professional tour rather than his adversary. Though pickleball occupies their present, the Johns brothers recognize their paths may diverge again when they look beyond the sport.
Growing up competing from young ages across various domains, the Johns brothers developed several vital shared traits that paved their eventual rise to pickleball prominence – tireless work ethics, cerebral analytical approach, and embracing the grind of incremental progress towards greatness. Despite some outside skepticism early on towards pickleball’s validity as a professional pursuit, Ben silencing all critics by becoming the undisputed best in the world, with Collin now also residing at the top.
Though the standards for being deemed a “professional” pickleball player have risen with organized tours and standardized rules, Ben maintained top-flight status almost since first trying serious competition. No matter how the criteria shifts, he continues distancing himself from the pack thanks to never being complacent and always adding new weapons to his arsenal. For the Johns brothers, pursuing pickleball greatness remains a collaborative family mission.
More than just the tangible benefits of titles and earnings, Ben persisting through intense pressures of being #1 is worthwhile because it allows playing alongside Collin after years being rivals. The rare opportunity to be teammates and roommates, constantly exchanging ideas and pushing each other, creates an unparalleled bond for the brothers on and off court. With their almost lifelong chemistry and symbiotic skillsets, the Johns brothers present a doubles pairing likely to continue dominating for years to come based on their joint passion elevating premier pickleball.
Ben himself acknowledges that occupying the pinnacle elicits envy and invites criticism. But the Kansas native accepts this as part of the territory for being so exceptional at his craft, using his lofty perch as further motivation to keep improving and promoting.
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