Ben Johns has been one of the defining faces of pro pickleball since turning professional in 2016. Now in his 10th year on tour, he continues to dominate the sport alongside elite partners Anna Leigh Waters and Gabe Tardio.

With years of success and multiple titles already under his belt, many would expect complacency to set in. Instead, Johns remains as driven as ever. During a recent appearance on the Pickleballers Podcast, he opened up about the mindset and motivation that continue to fuel his career.

“You have to be like, ‘I have something very cool and desirable, and something that I want to maintain’ because you have to have motivation and drive to keep it that way,” insisted Johns. 

For Johns, maintaining perspective throughout his career has been key to staying motivated.

“Pickleball is a wonderful sport and it’s a privilege to be in it, but it’s also a numbers thing. It’s hard to have a very large ego when you’re playing a sport that’s relatively small compared to other professional sports,” he explained. “It’s a lot easier to be at the top in a sport that has less numbers. That’s not to say it isn’t hard, but there should be less ego attributed to it.”

Especially in the early years, before Waters emerged as one of the sport’s biggest stars, pro pickleball largely rested on Johns' shoulders.

But did he ever feel the pressure that came with carrying the game’s spotlight?

“Yeah, but it’s also not that big in a lot of ways,” admitted Johns. “Maybe that’s a perspective thing, but I just always compare it to a basketball star or any major sports star—the amount of criticism and pressure they have is immense. For me, I don’t see it as a lot. The pressure you put on yourself is definitely more than what other people put on you.”

That perspective is exactly what helps Johns keep his ego in check.

While he’s proud of how much pro pickleball has grown over the past decade, he understands the sport still hasn’t reached the level of major leagues like the NBA, NFL, or MLB.

Even as one of pickleball’s biggest names, he recognizes that he’s still operating as a big fish in a relatively small pond.

“My parents taught us to think analytically, and it mostly just comes down to numbers. And, of course, they emphasized being humble is the right way to be,” he mentioned. “So I try not to have an ego. Having a big ego doesn’t help you in anything.”

That also help him handle defeat.

While losses are rare, he understands that getting upset by an opponent is simply an inevitable part of competing in sports.

“People are going to make a big deal when I lose because it is an anomaly,” he said. “Numbers-wise, it’s going to happen eventually.”

Even with Johns and Tardio finishing the year undefeated — and Johns and Waters already collecting an impressive 63 gold medals together — it’s hard to imagine him slowing down or falling off anytime soon. 

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