MESA, AZ – No. 1 Ben Johns and No. 2 Federico Staksrud went head-to-head on Championship Sunday to compete for gold. 

This was Johns’ return back to the men's singles final in 2024, and needless to say Johns came back with a point to prove — why he is the number one in the world. 

The final score was 11-8, 11-4. 

There was a particular moment of emotion during game two when Johns was up 7-0 and hit an overhead shot, then turned to the bench and roared to the crowd. This outburst of emotion is a little unusual for this pro. 

“You almost never see that from me,” admitted Johns. 

“But it has to feel right and it came out naturally. I think it was just a really exciting point for singles. I got a lot of adrenaline and I had to let some of it out,” continued Johns.

Johns and Staksrud had a beautiful battle on the pickleball court with hands battles and cross court shots that looked nearly impossible to return, and Johns returned them with ease. 

“It’s definitely one of the best singles matches I’ve ever played. So I think I’ll remember this one,” said Johns.