Jocelyn “Jay” Devilliers, often referred as the Flying Frenchman, has shot to the top of the sport in all three divisions. He has proven himself to be one of the most fiery and exciting players to watch and is one of the most popular professional pickleball players on tour. Fans visiting tournaments on-site do not have to spot Devilliers in action to know that he is on-court, thanks to his trademark “come on!” and steady positive communication with his partners. Devilliers consistently earns himself a spot in tournament finals and regularly places on the podium in all three events. He claimed his first Mixed Doubles title in 2021 alongside Jessie Irvine at the PPA Championship in Las Vegas.
During his childhood in France, Devilliers competed in a variety of sports including soccer, tennis, handball, swimming, squash, badminton, table tennis and skiing. He excelled in tennis and soccer particularly. Ultimately, Devilliers chose tennis and left his home country for Barcelona, Spain where he trained intensively from 2009-2012 to achieve his dream of becoming a professional tennis player. While there, he completed his high school diploma and met his future wife and fellow tennis player Aleksendra.
Sadly, after a severe injury, Devilliers’ ability to compete at the professional level became uncertain, and he made the decision to accept a college tennis scholarship in the United States. In 2013, Devilliers joined the men’s tennis team at Wichita State University. After graduating, Devilliers was introduced to pickleball and started competing as a hobby in 2019. He quickly realized that pickleball had a great many similarities to tennis, allowed him to take advantage of his natural abilities, and didn’t take as much of a physical toll on his body as tennis. He began competing full-time and hasn’t looked back since, citing pickleball as his new passion. Devilliers travels year round to maximize his
PPA Tour: Daytona Beach Open
Bracket Completed
Match #20
Dec 18
Callie Smith, Jay Devilliers
G1
12
-10
G2
11
-0
Zane Ford, Maria Vyshkina
G1
12
10
G2
11
0
Match #40
Dec 18
Callie Smith, Jay Devilliers
G1
11
-4
G2
11
-5
Donald Young, Lauren Stratman
G1
11
4
G2
11
5
Match #50
Dec 18
Etta Tuionetoa, CJ Klinger
G1
10
-12
G2
8
-11
Jay Devilliers, Callie Smith
G1
10
12
G2
8
11
Match #55
Dec 19
Tyra Hurricane Black, Christian Alshon
G1
11
-13
G2
2
-11
Jay Devilliers, Callie Smith
G1
11
13
G2
2
11
Match #58
Dec 20
Callie Smith, Jay Devilliers
G1
5
-11
G2
6
-11
Andrei Daescu, Kaitlyn Christian
G1
5
11
G2
6
11
Match #59
Dec 21
Jessie Irvine, Gabriel Tardio
G1
8
-11
G2
6
-11
Jay Devilliers, Callie Smith
G1
8
11
G2
6
11
Gold:
Jorja Johnson / JW Johnson
Silver:
Kaitlyn Christian / Andrei Daescu
Bronze:
Callie Smith / Jay Devilliers
Bracket Completed
Match #26
Dec 19
Tom Protzek, Jay Devilliers
G1
11
-8
G2
11
-3
Luca Mack, Juan Varon
G1
11
8
G2
11
3
Match #34
Dec 19
Tom Protzek, Jay Devilliers
G1
11
-5
G2
11
-6
John Lucian Goins, Zane Ford
G1
11
5
G2
11
6
Match #38
Dec 19
Augustus Ge, JW Johnson
G1
11
-8
G2
11
-7
Tom Protzek, Jay Devilliers
G1
11
8
G2
11
7
Gold:
Augustus Ge / JW Johnson
Silver:
Riley Newman / Noe Khlif
Bronze:
Eric Oncins / Dylan Frazier