It has been rumored for more than a year that Ben Johns and Collin Johns might end their long-time successful men’s doubles partnership. However, they continued to play with each other throughout 2024, including both PPA tournaments and MLP play. While the Johns were not as dominant in 2024 as they were in 2023, their 2024 record was a smashing success by any standard other than their own historical record. They won 80% of their men’s doubles matches in 2024, which again would be an amazing number in any circumstance other than as a comparison to where they were previously, when they had years winning 90% of their matches.

 

However, even though Ben and Collin were the #1 men’s doubles team throughout 2024, cracks did begin to show. Their 2024 record in MLP was good, but not dominant. Their team (Carolina) failed to make the playoffs. In PPA play they went through a five month drought of not winning a men’s doubles gold. While they had a number of high finishes, and a record almost anyone would envy, considering their historical dominance, 2024 was a disappointment.

 

 

The pro game was also changing in 2024. Early on in 2024, at the Phoenix event, Zane Navratil and Erik Lange demonstrated the power game was to rule pro pickleball from now on. Navratil and Lange won a bronze medal at the Desert Ridge Open, employing a steady diet of power, power, and more power. While it took some time to catch on, the power game came to dominate in 2024. Use of drops has diminished, power drives became the norm, and speedups galore were used by everyone. Where the third shot drop had been the most important shot in pro pickleball, the focus now became the speedup/counter. Players began shifting to two-hand backhands, especially in the dink game, so that there was no safe spot on the court — attacks could come from anywhere, any time.

 

The Johns brothers had some difficulty adjusting to the new style. Their bread and butter was getting to the dink game, and patiently waiting out their opponents. As speedups previously had a lower chance of success, the Johns would dink better than anyone, waiting for a ball that Ben could attack in the air. But, the 2024 paddles and ball changed the equation. Drives and speedups became more successful. Collin in particular has a weak drive and speedup, thus opponents could gain points through the smash and crash and often had the advantage in the speedup game. The Johns’ strategy of setting up long dink rallies could still succeed, but nowhere near at the same rate as in 2023 and prior years.

 

Collin has tried to change his game to adjust to the 2024 style. He drives far more than he used to; he speeds up far more than he used to. However, those shots are not his forte, and thus other players, other partnerships began to catch up, if not pass the Johns. I long had resisted the call for Ben to change partners, pointing out Collin’s expertise at the reset. But, as it became clear during 2024 that Collin could not adjust enough and other players were adjusting better to the new style, I finally wrote a column in July 2024, arguing that it was time for Ben to change partners. I discussed the way the game had changed and why the switch was needed. It took five more months, but Ben has finally agreed with me that it is time to move on.

 

 

Now that the decision has been made, who should Ben partner with? Who are the candidates and why? What will Collin do? All of these are interesting questions and how they are answered will ripple though pro pickleball.

 

First, the candidates to play with Ben. It has already been reported that Gabe Tardio is Ben’s first choice. Indeed, that was who I listed as choice #1 back in July. Tardio first needs to re-sign with PPA. Playing 2025 with Ben is certainly an enticement, so I expect to see Tardio back on the PPA tour in 2025. But will it be with Ben? Tardio had agreed to play 2025 with JW Johnson, his good friend who had ended his long-time partnership with Dylan Frazier, so that JW and Gabe could team up. Will Tardio dump JW to go with Ben? If he does, who will JW grab? These choices will have a snowball effect, potentially changing a lot of 2025 partnerships.

 

As a next choice, I now think Christian Alshon would be right there with Tardio as the best pairing for Ben. Alshon elevated his game again in 2024. He was arguably the second best player in 2024, although injuries held him back some. Assuming full health, he would be an excellent right side compliment to Ben Johns.

 

Hayden Patriquin would be a reasonable choice. But, he seems locked in to a good partnership with Federico Staksrud. Would he change if Ben came calling? I actually think he would say no and would stick with Fede.

 

Those are the top candidates. Ben can certainly do well with a number of people. Dekel Bar is his good friend, and a solid veteran who has played well in 2024. I could see Ben and Dekel playing some together in 2024.

 

 

For Collin Johns, the first question is will he play full time in 2025? I could see Collin switching to another career in pickleball. But, as he has two more years on his PPA contract, I expect him to play in 2025. I expect he will start out getting good but not great players as his partner. For example, if Tardio were to play with Ben, I do not think JW Johnson would play with Collin. I think to some extent Collin has been exposed in 2024 as a player who is more like a top 30 player than a top 10 player. He is good friends with Bar, so them playing together would not surprise me. But I do not see a lot of likely success there. I think it is more likely that Collin bounces around, partnering one event with someone like Andrei Daescu, then the next event with Jaume Martinez Vich, then next with Hunter Johnson. Collin should be in some demand, as he is a steady right side player, so anyone who wants to play left side (as so many do) will be happy with a steady defensive player as their partner. However, I think Collin’s days of being a consistent medal winner are over.

 

Ben and Collin Johns were the dominant men’s doubles team for a long time. Their success is not likely to be repeated by anyone in the near future. There are too many great players now, so the chance of anyone winning three straight tournaments or 10+ in a year are very low. Their consistent level of long term success is enviable and should be appreciated by every pro pickleball fan. But, the game moves on and it will be interesting to see what happens next. I know I can’t wait to watch and see.

 

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