Johnson defeats Martinez Vich to win singles crown at Nationals

FARMERS BRANCH, TX - No. 4 seed JW Johnson claimed the men's singles trophy at the 2023 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships on Sunday with a come-from-behind victory over seventh-seeded Jaume Martinez Vich.

After dropping the opening game, Johnson eventually earned a 6-11, 11-7, 11-5 triumph on Championship Court in front of a sold-out crowd at Brookhaven Country Club.

Some uncharacteristic missed returns from Johnson allowed the Spaniard to move ahead and eventually take the first game, but the 21-year-old knew that if he stuck to his game plan and played to his strengths, he would ultimately find success.

And that’s exactly what he did in games two and three to come out on top.

"I kept on going for my drives for the most part and mixing up the shots a little bit with a couple more drops and tried to get into the kitchen more,” he explained.

With these tactics, he was able to rally and capture his second singles title of 2023.

Johnson relished the opportunity to compete in such a unique environment, too.

"It's really fun and the crowd was into it the whole time, and Jaume was pretty animated the whole time, too, so that was really fun as well," he added. "It was just fun to play against him. He's a really good friend. Winning at Nationals was awesome."