How to dress like a pickleball pro... Ben Johns edition

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Ben Johns in a blue JOOLA polo shirt, white shorts, white hat, and white arm sleeves at the Mesa Arizona Cup. — Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters at the Mesa Arizona Cup earlier this year. PPA Tour

How to dress like a pickleball pro... Ben Johns edition

Victoria Radnothy

Mar 11, 2024 01:45 PM ET

Ben Johns in white shirt, pink shorts, pink tie dye arm sleeves, serving a pickleball — Ben Johns at the 2023 Texas Open. PPA Tour

DALLAS, TX – My mixed doubles partner is complaining that his gameplay is in a little bit of a rut. His third shot drops just aren’t dropping like they used to. He feels a little bit like World No. 1 Ben Johns when people were recently claiming that his reign of singles dominance had eneded.

Well, Johns made a triumphant return in the singles department, and I think it’s time for my partner to stage his comeback, too.

Step one is looking like the part.

Johns doesn't come to the pickleball court to walk the runway, but he's a champion, so his outfits need to impress.

Enter his gear of choice, JOOLA. I’ll be digging through their product line to check out some items for my mixed dubs buddy.

And conveniently enough, half of the options for men are part of the Ben Johns collection, so I don’t even have to search too hard.

First stop, shirts. I could go for a Henley short sleeve, a polo, or a long sleeve, all Johns approved and available in white or burgundy. But, we’re going into the spring and summer months, and Johns seems partial to polos, so I’m adding the polo to my cart.

Next, shorts. The fluid shorts are a great option for black, white, and gray bottoms. But, I might go a little crazy and order the pink for Championship Sunday. In 2023, the unstoppable Johns and Waters tandem wore a lot of pink when they captured their Triple Crowns. If my partner and I want to get there, we've got to wear pink, too.

Ben Johns wearing white arm sleeves, white polo, white hat, andpink shorts at PPA Finals — Ben Johns at the 2023 CIBC Finals. PPA Tour

Johns loves armsleeves, so a pair of UV armsleeves will top off the inspired look.

This is a must because my partner is notorious for forgetting sunscreen. The armsleeves fit snugly, so they won’t slide no matter how aggressive the hands battles get.

Finally, a JOOLA hat. I prefer the classic white with the black logo, but get as wild and crazy as you want. Johns isn't one to shy away from bold colors or mixing and matching colors, so any bright color is fair game when it comes to dressing like him.

Take a look at Joola pickleball paddles to complete the fit.

Now, if I dress like Anna Leigh Waters, my partner and I are guaranteed to win mixed doubles gold!