Pickleball is becoming an immensely popular emerging sport. It is among several “tennis” games practiced on a shorter court with a uniquely shaped “pickle” ball and particularly shaped paddles used as rackets. An annual competition all around the world is believed to involve over five million participants of various experience levels including famous pickleball players. This rising interest has immensely benefited professional pickleball, developing several of the best pickleball players in the world. Here we will discuss the top pickleball players. Also, read the What to wear for Pickleball?
Ratings of Top Pickleball Players:
Look, ratings can be a fantastic method for examining ability level, but they might not be accurate in identifying the top player. Pro pickleball rankings are supported by the APP tour, USA pickleball, and the US Open pickleball championships. Players earn ranking marks according to what level they advance in competitions, such as in professional leagues such as the PPA Tour. Despite this fact, your preferences for the favorite pickleball player may differ. Also, check the How to Regrip your pickleball paddle?
By now, the top pickleball players such as Ben Johns, Tyson McGuffin, and Zane Navratil have raised the profile of pickleball and soon became household names. Similarly, the top female pickleball players such as Lea Jansen, Simon Jardim, and Tereschenko are pickleball players who are gifted and bright. But the list doesn’t stop here! In this article, we will discuss the top 7 male pickleball players and the top 5 female pickleball players.
So, without further ado let’s begin:
Top male pickleball players:
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Ben Johns:
Ben Johns
Benjamin Johns, the top pickleball player around the globe and the youngest player in the pickleball ranking, is just 20 years old. Johns is regarded as one of the famous pickleball champions of the profession as he has won more than 50 competitive events including 11 triple crowns. He was born and raised in Maryland and has experience playing tennis and table tennis. He decided to shift from tennis to pickleball fairly soon as his high school junior year ended.
Johns began playing pickleball around 2016 at the age of seventeen while being on holiday in Florida. Just several months afterward, he finished fifth in the Men’s Pro Singles category at the U.S. Open Pickleball Tournament. Later on, Benjamin participated in the US Championship in Naples, Florida, and won it the next year. Since capturing the 2017 U.S. Open, Johns has remained an unbeatable figure in pickleball, winning the Doubles, Men’s Singles, and Mixed Doubles gold medals at each important match. In 2009, after winning the competition of Champions in Brigham City, Johns was regarded as the first male professional player to succeed in one of the three world-famous pickleball tournaments and claim the triple crown.
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Tayson McGuffin:
Tyson McGuffin, a Selkirk Professional who is rated among the top pickleball players around the world, is currently one of the highly successful and well-known players in competitive pickleball. Tyson McGuffin started playing pickleball at the age of 24 years old. He turned to pickleball in 2015 after being asked to compete by a tennis partner.
McGuffin was a professional tennis player and instructor at the period. Tyson joined the Coeur d’Alene Tournament after playing several recreational pickleball matches and won the Men’s 4.5 Singles category. With dedication and prior tennis expertise, McGuffin swiftly adapted to the profession and became a pro after only six months of engagement. Tyson, a previous tennis player with a 5.5 ranking who switched to pickleball, is currently actively participating on the competitive pickleball tour and in USAPA-sanctioned competitions. At the moment, Tyson is ranked first in men’s professional doubles and second in men’s singles. Also, read Where Did Pickleball Originate?
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Jocelyn Devilliers:
Due to his thrilling kind of play and attractive Frenchness, Devilliers is nicknamed “The Flying Frenchman.” This French champion holds five professional victories to his name over the span of his incredible journey. In 2019, Jocelyn (Jay) Devilliers, 25, began to play pickleball.
Upon enjoying pickleball several times alongside Jack Oxler, Jay switched to the sport, and he later accepted the role
of pickleball director for Chicken N Pickle. He is the 27-year-old versatile athlete who grew up playing tennis, soccer, and several other games. More importantly, he rose to the third-ranked position in the world in December 2020 for singles pickleball. Also, check the How To Clean a Pickleball Paddle.
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Zane Navratil:
Next on our list of top pickleball players is a Professional pickleball player from the United States, Zane Denis Navratil. Zane Navratil, currently 26 years old, began playing pickleball at the age of 18 years old after winning three Wisconsin State Championships during tennis played in high school. He started playing professionally in 2020, although he was difficult to beat even earlier then. Also, check the What is an Erne in pickleball?
Since going pro, he has won 27 games over the span of 6 tournaments. According to the Pro Pickleball Association (PPA)[1] and the Association of Pickleball Professionals, he is ranked No. 3 in solo play and Nos. 9 as well as 2 in doubles and singles, respectively. He has received over 80 medals over the course of his pro career. Zane has been nicknamed “Gucci” by athletes, analysts, and even Navratil himself due to his extraordinary athleticism. Interestingly, he has had an amazing result in the last several competitions, winning around 20 medals in competitive competitions in just 2021.
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Riley Newman:
A professional pickleball player, Riley Newman, among other prestigious tournaments has earned great wins at the Las Vegas Open, US Open, Atlanta Open, Texas Open, and World Pickleball Championship. Riley Newman is a 28-year-old top pickleball player from Whidbey Island, Washington, who competes in both doubles and singles. Mark Cook, a friend, and former referee, first introduced Newman to pickleball in the summer of 2017.
He spent several years competing at the top level of tennis until turning pro at pickleball. The fact that Newman had played tennis to a greater extent his entire life helped him become an expert at pickleball and he quickly became familiar with the pickleball rules and strategy. Moreover, in the standings for the Men’s Mixed Double and Men’s Doubles in 2020, he placed second to Benjamin Johns. During his journey in the pickleball profession, he has achieved five gold medals.
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Frank Anthony Davis:
Professional top pickleball player Frank Anthony Davis advanced swiftly through the rankings in past years. Around 2013, Frank began practicing pickleball, and he soon developed a passion for it. Frank participated in different sports such as skateboarding and football, but he never played a paddle game until his best buddy Bobby introduced him to Pickleball in his early twenties.
Davis rose from 25th to third in the world rankings after winning the Atlantic Region Singles recently. Also, he won multiple doubles competitions alongside Kyle Yates, a top-ten-ranked male pickleball player. Davis participates in professional pickleball contests across the nation using a paddle that displays the HUDEF FAD Signature.
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Kyle Yates:
Kyle Yates, a professional pickleball player, was one of the first players around the world to enter the professional division. Kyle’s uncle Mike Welter taught him how to play pickleball while he was a high school senior. He was an accomplished tennis player, so his transition to pickleball went pretty well.
In 2014, Kyle participated in his first USAPA National competition and won the men’s doubles 19+ gold medal on the same day. What’s more, is that since he won six pro doubles titles at the US Open, two at the USAPA Nationals, and two at the TOC, he was regarded as the world’s best doubles player by the WPF in 2018. Additionally, he has 15 more medals from the USAPA Nationals in addition to the six silvers and five golds from the USAPA Nationals, and six golds from the U.S. Open.
Top female pickleball players:
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Lea Jansen:
Jansen started playing pickleball in the 2019 summer and started touring seriously at the start of
2021. Furthermore, she just became a professional in 2021, but already she’s proving that she can battle game after the game being the top pickleball player. As Jansen started playing pickleball 2 years ago, she is recently ranked third
around the world in the Pro Pickleball Association’s (PPA) Women’s Singles category.
Among the most fascinating young players on the PPA Tour, Jansen is renowned for her determination and aggressive on-court personality. Jansen was a former competitive tennis player who swiftly established herself as among the top players in professional pickleball. Amazingly, Jansen has participated in five competitions and earned 13 matches after turning professional.
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Simon Jardim:
Simone Jardim plays pickleball professionally and is Brazilian-American. In the years between 2016-2020, Jardim was regarded as the top female athlete around the world. She is also one of the Peak Performance Pickleball Academy’s co-founders and co-director. Jardim initially started playing pickleball in 2015, yet she quickly rose to prominence in pickleball.
Also, she has four consecutive victories in the women’s singles event at the US Open (2016-2019). Not only that, but in 2017 & 2018, she won the singles, women’s doubles, plus mixed doubles events at the US Open, making her a two-time triple crown champ. Jardim as a competitor. Earned nearly 90 medals, including more than 70 gold ones. In addition, she has four triple titles dating back to 2020. And in 2021, set the record for the most women’s Professional Pickleball League with 32 wins.
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Irina Tereschenko:
Irina Tereschenko, among the top female pickleball players around the world, is Famous as a professional player in all three tiers. She actively played pickleball and has been instructing racquet sports for more than 20 years. She has competed in pickleball at a high level since 2016. Tereschenko was the top singles and doubles player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders ahead of becoming a professional in pickleball.
Moreover, Irina competed in singles and professional doubles, teaming up with Lucy Kovalova to capture gold at the 2016 USAPA National Championship, the 2018 USAPA National Championship, as well as the 2019 US Open. She has won the USA Pickleball National Championship in Professional Singles and Doubles as well as the Women’s Professional Doubles at the US Open. Also, She participates in academic teaching and coaching, and mentoring research initiatives at the Center for Leadership in Athletics at the University of Washington to make things interesting.
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Catherine Parenteau:
Parenteau is regarded as one of the most all-around pickleball players as the 27-year-old has competed in professional pickleball since 2016. Catherine Parenteau began playing tennis at the age of four in Montreal, Canada. She picked up the sport from Simone Jardim, a two-time triple crown champion and her tennis instructor at Michigan State University. Also, check the Best Pickleball Paddle for Control.
She captured the PPA Triple Crown for the very first time in 2022 and has since topped every tier. Catherine Parenteau placed first in women’s singles and third in women’s doubles and is among the top pickleball players. Not to forget, Catherine, who was formerly among the top 5 tennis players in Canada, presently goes across the country to play in the largest professional pickleball competitions.
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Jennifer Dawson:
Jennifer Dawson is the world’s 1st professional Triple Crown winner, having won singles, doubles, and combined
doubles in the very same US Open Pickleball Tournament. Jennifer grew on to become one of the pickleball’s best players in the world, winning more than 20 US Open, TOC, and National Championships throughout her career. In the Women’s Senior Professional Doubles category at the 2018 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, she won gold. Also, check the Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin.
Whereas, in the Women’s Senior Pro Singles category, she won silver. In 205, She started out with a silver medal in the Women’s Doubles 19+ category. Then, in 2016, was her gold medal victory in the Women’s Doubles 35+ category. Likewise, in 2017, she earned two silver medals in the Women’s Senior Open Doubles and Single categories. She not only teaches pickleball but also tennis. Jennifer presently competes at the greatest rank on the USTA Senior International Tennis Team, taking part in numerous tennis contests each year.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, pickleball is played by persons of different ages for fun or for a sporting competition, and America has many outstanding pickleball players. In this article, we talked about top pickleball players conquering the pickleball world, such as benjamin, Tyson McGuffin, Parenteau, Simone Jardim, Jennifer, and others! Many of the top pickleball players have also played or currently play badminton or tennis. What are your thoughts? Who is the best pickleball player? Do you have any other top pickleball players in your mind? If so, do share with us, We’re interested in hearing what you think! Also, read the Best Pickleball Paddles for Beginners.
Frequently ask questions:
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Who among all male pickleball players has the maximum PPA titles to their name?
Ans: Ben John presently holds the milestone for maximum PPA championship wins. Since he went pro in 2016, he has gained 40 PPA titles, which he officially owns.
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Who among female pickleball players has earned the maximum PPA championships?
Ans: The majority of PPA titles have so far been won by Simon Jardim. Jardim has approximately 36 PPA championships to her name during the span of her profession.
