Earlier this month, Ben and Collin Johns, the most dominant duo in professional pickleball, announced that they would part ways for the 2025 season.

Today, however, it was revealed that their final appearance together will be the first tournament of 2025: The Zimmer Biomet Masters Powered by Invited. The event will mark the termination of a remarkable partnership that has redefined the sport and will end with the Johns brothers still holding the #1 spot in men’s doubles.

The Masters is a PPA Tour Slam, one of the four biggest events of the year and worth 2000 ranking points, so a strong performance there would be a great way for the Johns brothers to bring their partnership to a close.

Some of the other teams registered for the event that are likely to pose a threat are:

• Christian Alshon/Andrei Daescu

• JW Johnson/Gabe Tardio

• Federico Staksrud/Hayden Patriquin

• Pablo Tellez/Dylan Frazier

• Matt Wright/Quang Duong

The two brothers moved to Austin, TX together back in 2022 to live and train centrally. Collin Johns, who is well-known for his strategic mind and unorthodox training methods, put together a regimen for the two of them there that included hours of drilling and targeted play every day. Collin also collected an incredibly comprehensive folder of shared notes for himself and Ben over the years on how to beat the top players and partnerships.

There is no word yet on whether the two will continue to share the tricks and tools of the trade now that they find themselves across the net from each other rather than side-by-side.

Over their four-year collaboration, the Johns brothers have led the PPA Tour with an impressive 33 gold medals in men's doubles. The next most dominant partnership, JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier, hold 10 career titles as a team. The synergy between Johns and Johns on the court has been unparalleled, with a 74% podium finish rate and a 56% gold medal rate across 58 tournaments.

Their dominance is further highlighted by their individual achievements. Ben Johns boasts a total of 143 PPA titles, including 40 singles titles, 44 doubles titles, and 59 mixed doubles titles. Collin Johns has secured 34 PPA titles, all with his brother Ben, making him the second most decorated male player on tour.

Despite their success, 2024 presented new challenges. The brothers experienced a five-month period without a men's doubles gold, and their Major League Pickleball team, Carolina Pickleball Club, failed to make the playoffs. These factors contributed to their decision to explore new partnerships in the upcoming season.

As they prepare for their final tournament together at The Masters, both players have expressed optimism about the future. Ben Johns mentioned, "Change-ups in life and in sports can be a refreshing thing. We feel like this decision will help us find new purpose, create variety, and reengage us in the sport we love so much."

The pickleball community eagerly anticipates their performance at The Masters, where the Johns brothers will aim to add one last title to their legacy before embarking on new journeys with different partners. Neither brother has announced a decision on a new men’s doubles partner as of now.

Visit The Masters on the PPA Tour website to see registration information, event details, broadcast schedule, and ticketing. Draws will be released later this week.

For more insight into the Johns brothers’ decision to part ways, check out the following video: