{"Status":true,"Message":"","Response":{"post":{"postuid":"7e710b20-cb0e-48cb-85b7-e9b185a231f8","tenantuid":"45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903","projectuid":"4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919","title":"Who Is the Number One Pickleball Player?","slug":"article/who-is-the-number-one-pickleball-player","html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere is no single, universally agreed-upon \u0022number one\u0022 pickleball player, since rankings depend on which system and tour you\u0027re looking at \u2014 PPA Tour rankings, MLP team performance, DUPR ratings, and other tour rankings can each tell a different story, and the top spot changes frequently as players compete throughout the season.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022why_theres_no_single_definitive_answer\u0022\u003EWhy There\u0027s No Single Definitive Answer\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMultiple rating and ranking systems:\u003C/b\u003E DUPR provides a skill rating based on match results, while the PPA Tour, MLP, and other professional tours each maintain their own separate ranking or standings systems based on results within their own competition.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDifferent formats:\u003C/b\u003E A player who dominates singles may not hold the same ranking in doubles or mixed doubles, and the PPA Tour and MLP track rankings and standings separately by format and competition type.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERankings change constantly:\u003C/b\u003E PPA Tour rankings and MLP standings update regularly based on tournament and match results throughout the season, meaning the top-ranked player or team can change multiple times per year.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022recommended\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003ENote\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause rankings shift throughout each season, the most reliable way to find the current top-ranked player is to check the official current rankings published by the PPA Tour, MLP, or DUPR directly, rather than relying on a name from an older article or outdated source.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022historically_dominant_players\u0022\u003EHistorically Dominant Players\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPickleball\u0027s competitive history has featured a number of players widely regarded as among the most dominant in the sport, with names like Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters frequently mentioned in discussions of the sport\u0027s top all-time competitors due to their extended periods of high-level success across the PPA Tour, MLP, and other major events. That said, the competitive field continues to grow and evolve as more high-level athletes enter the sport, so any specific claim about current rankings should be verified against up-to-date sources.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022frequently_asked_questions\u0022\u003EFrequently Asked Questions\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022where_can_i_check_current_pickleball_player_rankings\u0022\u003EWhere can I check current pickleball player rankings?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe PPA Tour and MLP both publish current rankings and standings based on that season\u0027s results, and DUPR\u0027s website maintains current skill ratings for registered players. These are the most reliable sources for up-to-date ranking information.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022is_dupr_the_same_as_ppa_tour_or_mlp_rankings\u0022\u003EIs DUPR the same as PPA Tour or MLP rankings?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENo \u2014 DUPR is a skill rating system used broadly across recreational, competitive, and professional play, while the PPA Tour and MLP maintain their own separate rankings and standings based specifically on results within their own competitions. A player can have a high DUPR rating without necessarily being the top-ranked player on the PPA Tour, and vice versa.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022related_articles\u0022\u003ERelated Articles\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/what-is-the-ppa-tour-in-pickleball\u0022\u003EWhat Is the PPA Tour in Pickleball?\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/what-is-major-league-pickleball-mlp\u0022\u003EWhat Is Major League Pickleball (MLP)?\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/who-is-ben-johns-in-pickleball\u0022\u003EWho Is Ben Johns in Pickleball?\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/who-is-anna-leigh-waters-in-pickleball\u0022\u003EWho Is Anna Leigh Waters in Pickleball?\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuestions about competitive pickleball? Email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:support@pickleball.com\u0022\u003Esupport@pickleball.com\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","publish_status":0,"post_type":"Article","authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","author":{"authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","name":"Christy Cook","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/","photo_url":"https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903/4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919/4fd2cf59-047a-4a00-8a6d-2d9c6c9f91fe.jpg?v=1114665229","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/"},"featured_image_updating":false,"meta_description":"Discover why there\u0027s no single top pickleball player due to varying rankings, evolving competition, and different rating systems like PPA, MLP, and DUPR.","keywords":"ranking systems;PPA Tour;MLP standings;DUPR ratings;singles ranking;doubles ranking;top-ranked players;Ben Johns;Anna Leigh Waters;tournament results","display_toc":true,"has_workingcopy":false,"allow_indexing":true,"total_views":9,"date_stale":"2027-01-15T00:00:00","date_published":"2026-06-30T12:10:02.5","date_updated":"2026-06-30T12:10:41.997","date_created":"2026-06-30T10:42:49.623"}}}