‘At That Time, Pickleball Looked Very Different’: Ben Johns Shares How His Passion Took Shape

World No. 1 pickleball player Ben Johns opened up about his journey from a casual player to a professional career in the sport and recalled how the game looked “very different” when he first picked up a paddle in 2016.In a conversation with Michelle Lee, Johns reflected on how his love for pickleball was all about joy and competing before it expanded into a global phenomenon.“I started playing quite a long time ago, now in 2016, so nine years. At that time, pickleball looked very different. It was not yet really a professional sport. There were some professional tournaments, but there was no professional tour or anything like that. When I picked it up, it was all just about fun. I was just having fun playing every day. I’d travel for tournaments, not because I was trying to make money. If you made money, that was just a bonus. If you came out even on travel expenses, that was a great weekend for you. Everyone played because they loved the game, they loved competing, and it was just one big party. That’s kind of what got me into pickleball and that’s what kept me playing. It was just incredibly fun and the people were amazing,” he was quoted as saying by pickleball.comAs Johns continued playing, his casual tournaments evolved into something more substantial.“I would say it took probably three years of playing, travelling, and competing all for fun before I actually started to consider it even really a serious sport or a professional sport because the tournaments were getting bigger, prize money was getting bigger, and sponsors were getting bigger. There were more and more people playing and recognising it. I remember when I first started playing, if I told somebody I played pickleball, they were like ‘What’s that?’ like 90% of the time, and that turned into, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that,’ and then eventually that turned into more and more tournaments being just worth going to,” he explained.He also shared when the realisation struck that pickleball could become his full-time career.“I was in school at the time, and I would say somewhere between my sophomore and junior year, I kind of started to realise this is actually very real, and I can probably play this professionally when I’m done with school if I want to. By the time I graduated, I was like, ‘I’m definitely doing this, and I’m not going to use what I studied in school,’ so it was a gradual transition,” he concluded.About Indian Pickleball Association:The Indian Pickleball Association is the official governing body for pickleball in India and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organising the sport across the country. The association continues to inspire players of all ages and skill levels to embrace the game through events like the IPA Nationals. IPA is affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF).About Pickleball World Ranking:PWR is a national ranking system that spans all age groups, skill divisions, and formats -including singles, doubles, and mixed categories. It serves as the official National Sports Federation Ranking for India. With multiple sanctioned events taking place every week across the country, PWR defines the top Indian players at every level and forms the foundation for team selection at the school, district, state, and national stages.Stay connected with all the latest news on Pickleball, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, tips, and inspiration you won’t find anywhere else. Your ultimate destination for all things pickleball – where the community comes together for news, views, and the sport that’s sweeping the globe. Follow us at @pickleballnow on Instagram and be part of the community!