In this episode, Ben opens up about what itâs really like to be the greatest pickleball player alive. He takes us back to his childhood, the moment he fell in love with the game, and how Kyle Yates took him under his wing as he climbed to World No. 1.
Ben also shares never-before-heard stories about his on-court dynamic with his brother Collin Johns, the criticism that he can sometimes look too relaxed, and whether he believes the ânext Ben Johnsâ even exists.
The GOAT. The era. The legacy. Episode 1 starts now.
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2:05 Austin vs Boca lifestyle
3:41 Childhood in Maryland and homeschooling
5:00 Table tennis and Siblings
7:15 Collin's tennis career
10:16 How Ben discovered pickleball
12:14 First tournament at the US Open 2016
13:38 Kyle Yates mentorship in 2017
18:55 When Ben realized pickleball was his future
20:45 Ben's college years
24:17 Engineering pickleball paddles
26:11 Lifetime deal with JOOLA
28:07 Why JOOLAâs leap into pickleball was genius
29:03 When Kyle Yates created a monster
30:25 The 2018â2019 domination run
32:11 Building chemistry with Simone and facing Tyson
33:15 Mindset, pressure, and staying humble
35:28 Why learning faster keeps Ben ahead
38:11 Drilling with Collin and mastering patterns
39:13 Developing the two-handed backhand counter
40:41 The Matt Wright partnership years
41:04 Handling pressure, fans, and criticism
43:01 When losing becomes data, not defeat
44:19 Battling focus, boredom, and longevity
46:02 PPA control vs MLP chaos
48:04 Why playing with Ben isnât easy
50:26 The Collin chapter and the difficult split
53:46 How paddle tech changed the sport
56:50 Power vs spin and what fans really want
59:37 2019 vs 2025 pickleball
1:01:29 What Ben wishes he hadâand what really wins matches
1:03:03 The art of decision-making and playing percentages
1:06:59 The moments that humbled Ben Johns
1:10:06 Legacy, perspective, and doing things right
1:11:33 The search for the next Ben Johns
1:12:36 What Ben learned from Asia
1:14:23 Could Ben and Anna Leigh win menâs doubles?
1:15:59 Whoâs more dominant â Ben or Anna Leigh?
1:16:15 How two Anna Leighs would fare in menâs doubles
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