There was always someone particularly special sitting courtside in Atlanta who helped  Hunter Johnson claim his first-ever PPA title.

It was his girlfriend Parris Todd.

She provided constant encouragement and words of wisdom whenever Johnson competed at Life Time Peachtree Corners. 

“It’s always nice having an outside opinion when you’re playing in the match because it’s so hard to see those little things that your opponent is doing. It can be hard to see those small shifts and strategies,” explained Todd. “But when you’re sitting on the side watching, you see a different approach and get different insights, so you can share it.”

Having Parris and his twin brother, Yates Johnson, nearby throughout the tournament played an integral part in his success, especially on Championship Sunday when he went head-to-head with - and ultimately defeated - No. 3 seed Connor Garnett for the Grand Slam gold medal. 

So, what does Todd actually tell Johnson during breaks in the action?

“It honestly depends on the opponent and who he’s playing against,” she mentioned. “Sometimes, I’m more encouraging, and other times I’m offering more strategic advice. I’ll tell him to change his strategy if something isn't working that I can see.” 

Make no mistake about it, Johnson returns the favor when Todd is going about her business against the best pickleball athletes on the planet.

He's courtside every step of the way for support and guidance.

Johnson's presence came in especially handy in her Round of 16 matchup against Kate Fahey, which went to a third and deciding game.

“When I played Kate, something wasn’t working, but Hunter was able to see something courtside that I couldn’t. Then, I changed up my strategy and it led me to the win,” shared Todd. “It’s great to have that help on the bench strategically and for mental support.”

Johnson and Todd were mixed doubles partners in Georgia, but they don't always join forces throughout the season.

The couple believes making a change every now and again is a good thing.

Nevertheless, there's no denying the advantages of playing alongside someone you have a deep connection with.

“It’s tough playing with your significant other, but there are a lot of pros to it, too. You’re so comfortable with that person that you can really tell them anything. As opposed to playing with someone that you’re not comfortable with, and you can’t speak your mind as much,” explained Todd. “It helps us get better as players, too, because after matches we can have really open conversations about what happened and we can be honest with each other. If you’re playing with someone you don’t really know, you can’t have those same kinds of conversations.”

It hasn't always been smooth sailing in this department, though, which is entirely normal.

Issues will inevitably arise from time to time.  

“There’s sometimes I want to rip his head off,” said Todd with a laugh. “We like mixing it up and playing with different partners. Earlier in the year, he played with a few other people and I played with a few other people, and then after a few tournaments we missed playing with each other.” 

In fact, that same strategy is used by another couple on tour - Lauren Stratman and Julian Arnold.

They also found a good balance between competing together and switching things up.

“It’s healthy to mix it up and not play every tournament together,” concluded Todd. “But, it’s also so fun playing together.”

How do you support your partner on the pickleball court? Let us know on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).