Hunter Johnson: From Tennis Twin to Pickleball Singles King
When Hunter Johnson steps onto a pickleball court, opponents know they’re in for a battle – and likely a barrage of blistering forehands. At 6’0” tall with a lanky build honed on tennis courts, Johnson has adapted his game to rattle the pickleball world. The 31-year-old’s journey from college tennis standout to the No. 1 men’s singles player on the PPA Tour is as unlikely as it is inspirational. Equal parts humorous and hard-working, this down-to-earth Texan has become a fan favorite for his twin-powered charisma, heavy topspin shots, and refusal to quit chasing greatness.
From Taos to Tennis to Pickleball Trailblazer
Born and raised in the small ski town of Taos, New Mexico, Hunter grew up far from any pickleball craze. Instead, he and his identical twin brother Yates fell in love with tennis – a sport in which they would eventually leave an indelible mark. The Johnson twins accepted scholarships to play Division I tennis at SMU in Dallas, Texas, where they became the winningest doubles team in school history. By their senior year, the brothers had climbed to a No. 15 national doubles ranking (and Hunter hit No. 30 in singles) in the NCAA. Hunter’s aggressive style on the tennis court even led to pro tour success: over four years he captured 14 professional doubles titles (13 ITF Futures and 1 ATP Challenger), including upset wins over future ATP stars Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime. One of his favorite memories? Practicing with the one and only Roger Federer on tour – not something many pickleball pros can say!
Despite his tennis prowess (Hunter reached an ATP doubles ranking of No. 198 in 2021), by the end of that year he faced a crossroads. With doubles success coming up against the reality of grinding travel and modest paychecks, Johnson made a bold decision: retire from professional tennis and jump full-time into professional pickleball, along with twin brother Yates. “It was a tough decision to say goodbye to the sport I loved,” he has said, but the opportunity to be one of the first active tennis pros to transition to pickleball was too enticing. It helped that a certain friend convinced the twins to give pickleball a try – and once they did, they were hooked. So in 2022, armed with quick reflexes, a monster serve, and twin-synergy, Hunter Johnson embarked on a new journey in a sport still finding its professional footing.
Climbing the Pickleball Ranks (the Hard Way)
Hunter’s early days on the pickleball circuit were anything but smooth sailing. He cut his teeth on the smaller APP Tour in 2023, where he piled up 10 gold medals across various events, proving he had the skills. But when he made the leap to the big leagues of the PPA Tour in spring 2024, he suddenly found himself a low seed swimming with sharks. In his very first PPA appearance, April 2024, Johnson was seeded a humble #35 and often ran straight into top players in the second round. By his own admission, “I really struggled for a little bit there,” as he repeatedly drew elite names like Federico Staksrud (three times!), Ben Johns, Connor Garnett, and Tyson McGuffin in early rounds – and lost eight times in the Round of 32. It was a crash course in just how high the level was on the PPA Tour. “You can’t just walk in and beat those guys in singles,” one commentator noted of facing the likes of Staksrud or Hunter himself, highlighting how steep the learning curve is for newcomers.
Yet each loss only sharpened Hunter’s resolve. He inched further with each tournament, finally breaking through past the early rounds at the PPA Texas Open. A few months later, at the PPA Atlanta Slam in September 2024, Johnson entered as the #20 seed and stunned everyone – perhaps even himself – by winning his first PPA Tour singles title. In that Cinderella run, he knocked off veteran Tyson McGuffin and rising star Pesa Teoni before clinching gold. “The Atlanta tournament kind of turned it around because I just found this renewed confidence,” he said of that pivotal weekend. He decided to stop overthinking outcomes: “I’m not going to worry about the result. I’m just gonna put my head down and play the way I know how to play”. With the pressure off and the fun back in his game, Hunter played freely – and the wins started flowing.
Fast forward one year, and the Hunter Johnson hype train was full steam ahead. In the 12 months following that maiden title, he racked up six PPA singles titles (along with a few silver and bronze medals) and climbed to the No. 1 singles ranking in the world on the 52-week rolling PPA points list. When he officially overtook Argentina’s Federico Staksrud for the top spot in August 2025, Johnson admits it felt surreal: “To be able to say you’re No. 1 in the world in any sport is pretty crazy. I definitely don’t take it for granted,” he said, still sounding like the wide-eyed newcomer he was not long ago. In typical Hunter fashion, he immediately downplayed the crown and focused on the grind ahead. “I don’t want it to be a blip… I want to solidify that spot and keep winning,” he emphasized resolutely.
Staying on top will be a challenge – and Hunter knows it. Now he’s the one with a target on his back, being chased by both the established guard and a hungry pack of up-and-comers. One week it might be 17-year-old John Lucian Goins bursting into the spotlight with back-to-back titles; the next, a former D1 college tennis recruit like Rafael Lenhard or Grayson Goldin might make a deep run. Even pickleball veterans like Ben Johns (the GOAT of the sport), Christian Alshon, and former tennis pro Jack Sock lurk in every draw. “Every month it seems like people are just getting better and better,” Johnson says of the ever-deepening talent pool in men’s singles. But here’s where his chess-player mindset kicks in: “A strength of mine is being able to find opponents’ weaknesses and figure out how to beat them. The more you play them, the more it’s an advantage for me,” he explains confidently. In other words, bring on the new blood – Hunter Johnson will study their games, adapt, and keep hunting for that next win. After all, the competitive fire that drove him from qualifier to champion in one year isn’t about to dim. As he likes to remind himself, you can never get complacent: “You can never take anything for granted… you’ve got to just keep working hard”.
Revolutionizing the Singles Game
Johnson’s heavy topspin passing shots from the baseline have become a trademark, often catching opponents flat-footed. Hunter’s recent dominance isn’t just about results – he’s also helped usher in a strategic revolution in pickleball singles. Traditionally, singles was a frenetic dash to the net: big serve, deep return, then sprint forward to volley. Johnson blew up that script. Drawing on his tennis background, he pioneered a new strategy of staying back near the baseline after his return, trading rapid-fire groundstrokes until the right opportunity to approach. “I figured staying back gave me a better chance to hit a good return and get them to come in off a bad ball, or give myself a better option to come to the net on my own terms,” he explained, noting how risky the old rush-the-net play had become against today’s power hitters. In essence, Hunter made pickleball singles more like mini-tennis: patient baseline exchanges and wicked passing shots instead of frantic net rushing.
Now, many of his peers have copied this play-to-stay-back approach – but few execute it as devastatingly as Hunter. His passing shots are laser-like, skimming low over the net with topspin and finding corners. He generates more RPMs on his forehand than perhaps anyone on tour, thanks to a unique technique developed over 20 years of tenniszanenavratilpickleball.com. In fact, Johnson uses an unorthodox continental grip on his forehand, allowing him to whip the ball with extreme spin while still driving it deep. It’s a quirky holdover from his tennis days, but it works: those dipping forehands have become his signature weapon. Add in a big serve (his tennis-honed serve motion translates to one of the faster pickleball serves around) and you get a player who can dictate points from the baseline, a relatively new concept in pickleball. “Men’s singles used to be about who could get to the net first,” Johnson says, “but the margin for error on rushing is getting smaller and smaller”. His solution: grind from the back until you earn the net. It’s a patient, chess-like style – and in 2025, we’ve seen a wave of top players emulate it, validating Hunter’s innovation.
Interestingly, Johnson even brought his baseline bravado into doubles occasionally. During Major League Pickleball events this year, his team – the Los Angeles Mad Drops – was jokingly nicknamed the “Mad Drives” because Hunter and partner Quang Duong would relentlessly drive the ball on their third, fifth, seventh shots (and so on), refusing to drop or dink until an easy put-away appeared. It was unorthodox but effective (and no doubt had some purist coaches clutching their heads). Hunter’s take: you play to your strengths. And his strengths are power, spin, and relentless aggression, tempered by enough patience to wait for the right moment. It’s a recipe that has taken him to the very top of singles – and might just reshape how the next generation approaches the game.
Gear and Signature Style
Any great craftsman is only as good as his tools, and Hunter Johnson has carefully honed his pickleball toolkit. Front and center is his paddle of choice: the Paddletek Bantam TKO-CX (12.7mm), a paddle engineered for heavy topspin hitters like him. The Bantam TKO-CX sports a raw carbon fiber face and a thinner 12.7mm polymer core, translating to “virtually unmatched power” for those who can tame it. Its elongated shape and extra-long 5.8” handle suit Hunter perfectly, giving him ample room for his two-handed backhand and moving the sweet spot higher for extra pop. In short, this paddle is a spin monster and a power paddle – ideal for a player who rips forehands from the baseline and loves to “stay on the attack” pickleballcentral.com. Johnson, who was briefly a “paddle free agent,” tested several brands before settling on the Bantam TKO-CX and never looked back. With an average weight of around 7.9 ounces and Paddletek’s textured carbon surface, it lets him roll those passing shots with maximum RPM and “rocket the ball off the paddle face” when he wants to crank up the pace. Watching Hunter play, you can practically hear the pop as that paddle launches another topspin missile.
Paddletek Bantam TKO Top Power Paddle
On his feet, Johnson remains loyal to his tennis roots. He’s often spotted wearing Babolat Jet court shoes in competition – the same French brand he trusted during his tennis career. In fact, Babolat doesn’t officially sponsor many pickleball pros, but Hunter chooses their shoes for the lightweight, stable feel that suits his explosive movement. He needs to sprint from baseline to kitchen in a flash when he finally decides to attack, and his Babolats give him that confidence. “I like them because they’re lightweight and stable… and pretty durable,” fellow pro Zane Navratil has said of the Babolats – sentiments Hunter surely echoes as he slides into yet another passing shot. It’s a telling sight: Johnson may have a paddle in hand instead of a racquet, but from the ankles down he still looks every bit the touring tennis player.
When it comes to apparel and style, Hunter keeps it classic and functional – with the occasional flair. During the 2024 season finale, PPA Tour Finals in California, he turned heads by rocking a sharp all-navy outfit on Championship Sunday: navy shorts, navy hat, and a navy blue Wilson polo with subtle striped mesh texture. The look was so clean, in fact, that a PPA fashion blogger crowned him one of the “best dressed” of the tournament, quipping that “if you look good, you feel good, and you play good” – and noting that Hunter promptly “took home his second singles title of the year” in that winning Wilson kit. Clearly, the man can pull off the champion’s glow and a stylish ensemble at the same time. Off court, Johnson tends toward casual athletic wear (you’ll often see him in a comfy tee or tank top and cap in Instagram photos), but he’s not above throwing on a show for a big occasion. After all, he understands the adage: look like a champion, play like a champion. And when you’re holding a trophy aloft in front of cheering fans, it doesn’t hurt to do it in style.
Twins, TikToks, and Off-Court Life
Hunter’s talent on the court is undeniable – but it’s his personality and quirks off the court that truly endear him to the pickleball community. First, there’s the twin factor. Hunter and Yates Johnson are one of the rare identical twin duos in pro pickleball, and their brotherly dynamic is equal parts heartwarming and hilarious. They might not always partner in doubles these days, but when they do, sparks fly (and not just on the ball). The two brothers are notorious for their on-court bickering, which often leaves spectators chuckling. “People always say we’re fighting on the court, but it’s not really fighting,” Yates insists – it’s just that the twins are “blunt and to the point because we already know what the other is thinking.” Indeed, their candor can come across as telepathic. They’ll sit across a stadium from each other, mouth a few words, and instantly understand – no further explanation needed. It’s a special connection that most partners could only dream of. Of course, it also leads to some comical spats: “Maybe we coach each other too much or butt heads. …When we play with our twin, you can say whatever you want, unfortunately,” Yates laughspickleball.com. One common scene: if one brother isn’t performing, the other might bark “Switch sides, you’re not playing well!” mid-match – blunt feedback only a twin could get away with. Fans have learned to love these Johnson & Johnson dialogues on court, knowing it’s just sibling competitiveness boiling over. As Yates puts it, “at the end of the day, I’d much rather play with him… it’s special and what sets us apart”. Seeing the twins hug it out after a win (or even after a heated loss) has become a feel-good staple at tournaments.
Twin brother Yates (left) gives Hunter (right) a quick courtside pep talk. The Johnsons’ frank on-court communication is all in the family! Off the court, the Johnson twins show a lighter side. They’ve been known to bust out coordinated dance routines on social media – yes, you read that right. In one viral clip, the “dancing twins” appeared in the Tennis Channel studio for an episode of PickleballTV Weekly, grooving in sync and laughing it up between takes. The video made the rounds on Instagram and had fans both amused and impressed by their moves (who knew footwork drills could translate to TikTok-worthy choreography?). Hunter doesn’t mind goofing around; it’s part of what makes him a relatable, down-to-earth guy. When he’s not training or competing, he might be posting a funny reel with Yates, chatting with fans on Facebook, or showing a behind-the-scenes look at pro tour life. His social media presence gives off friendly vibes – more “guy next door who loves pickleball” than remote superstar. It’s not uncommon to see him cracking jokes with fellow players, doing impromptu Q&As, or giving followers a peek at his training routine (which apparently involves a lot of banded stretches and coffee, if his Instagram stories are to be believed).
Another intriguing chapter of Hunter’s off-court life was his high-profile pickleball romance. For much of 2023-2024, he was one half of pickleball’s “power couple” alongside women’s pro Parris Todd. The two literally found love on the pickleball court – though as Hunter jokes, it “wasn’t love at first serve.” In fact, the first time they ever played together, they were on opposite teams in a Major League Pickleball match, and Todd absolutely “destroyed” him. “She’s a fierce competitor, no matter the opponent,” Hunter recalls with a grin. Fresh off retiring from tennis, he felt nervous in that MLP debut, whereas Parris was already a pickleball star – and she promptly schooled him 11-2, 11-3 at 8 a.m. while barely awake herself. At one point, as Hunter tells it, Parris even trash-talked across the net with a flirty confidence: “You’re gonna be my boyfriend one day – get used to it,” she teased mid-matchpickleball.com! He didn’t know it then, but she was right. The two bonded after that competitive clash and soon became inseparable, often playing mixed doubles together (with much better results than their first meeting). Their practice court banter was legendary – lots of playful needling and dares. Parris loved to tell the story of how she “blew him a kiss” after body-bagging him with a ball during one particularly heated mixed doubles point just to return the favor for him tagging her earlier. It was like a rom-com playing out in real time on the court, equal parts sweet and spicy. While the pair eventually went their separate ways in 2025, they remain friendly. Hunter has reflected on how dating a fellow pro taught him about balancing competition and personal life. And if nothing else, the saga gave us one of the great meet-cute stories in pickleball lore – proof that the court that brings people together, even if it starts with a 0-11 beatdown.
Despite the spotlight and accolades, Hunter Johnson stays refreshingly humble. Faith and family are hugely important to him – his Instagram bio even references “2 Corinthians 5:7” (“walk by faith, not by sight”), indicating how he keeps perspective. He speaks openly about how leaning into his faith during tough times helped him relax and find joy in the sport again. After a rough patch of losses in 2024, he reminded himself that pickleball isn’t everything – an attitude that actually freed him up to play better. That grounded outlook is a big part of his persona. He’s the type to thank God, his family, and even the volunteers after a tournament win. Fellow players describe him as approachable and fun-loving – quick to congratulate opponents and crack jokes, the kind of guy who might celebrate a gold medal by inviting everyone out for tacos. There’s an undeniable sincerity beneath his competitive fire. As Hunter puts it, success in sports comes down to controlling what you can – your preparation, effort, attitude – and then just trusting the process. It’s that balance of fierce drive and easygoing gratitude that makes Hunter Johnson not just a champion athletes admire, but a human that fans adore.
Driven, Down-to-Earth Champion
In just a few short years, Hunter Johnson has authored one of pickleball’s most remarkable rise-to-stardom stories. He went from a late-starting rookie who ate humble pie against the sport’s giants, to the king of the mountain fending off all challengers – all while staying true to himself and having a laugh along the way. As of this writing, Hunter sits atop the PPA singles rankings at world #1, a position he earned through grit, guts, and plenty of grinding through qualifiers and up the ranks. But if you ask him, he’s nowhere near done. “I’ve reached the pinnacle of singles at this point, but in a way I’m still not satisfied,” he says determinedlythekitchenpickle.com. The hunter in Hunter Johnson is always stalking the next goal – whether it’s snagging one of the coveted “Slam” titles on tour, improving his doubles results, or simply continuing to prove that his top-dog status is no fluke. He trains hard in New Braunfels, Texas, where he now resides, often alongside Yates or other Texan pickleball pros, pushing himself to add new dimensions to his game.
Yet for all his ambition, Hunter never loses sight of the bigger picture. He’s the first to acknowledge the journey and those who helped him along it. In interviews he’ll express disbelief and gratitude that “to say you’re No. 1 in the world in any sport is pretty crazy”. He often mentions not taking the blessings for granted – a rare admission of vulnerability from a top athlete. That authenticity is precisely what makes his story so compelling. Hunter Johnson is both a fierce competitor and the relatable guy next door. One minute he’s locked in a sweaty, grunting duel with Ben Johns or Federico Staksrud, refusing to yield an inch; the next, he’s all smiles posing for photos with junior fans, or posting a goofy dance video with his twin brother. He’ll crack a joke in a press conference, then speak from the heart about working hard and staying humble.
As the pro pickleball landscape continues to evolve at warp speed, Hunter stands as a role model for the sport’s future. He bridged the worlds of tennis and pickleball, showing others that switching sports is possible with enough dedication – and that you can bring your own style to the game. He changed how singles is played, proving that sometimes patience and spin can beat brute speed. And he’s shown that you can be both intensely driven and a good dude who enjoys the ride. In the end, the “Hunter Johnson effect” on pickleball is simple: he makes the sport better by being in it. He raises the bar with his play, and raises our spirits with his personality.
So here’s to Hunter Johnson – the twin with the wicked spin, the one-time underdog who learned to soar. His story reminds us that even in a fast-growing sport, the cream rises through hard work and heart. And whether he’s blasting a passing shot or busting a dance move, Hunter will surely keep us cheering, chuckling, and inspired for many matches to come. Game on.
I hail from the picturesque landscapes of Denver, Colorado, where the pickleball scene is as vibrant as our city's sunsets. The game has changed my life in ways I never thought a sport could. You see, before I got hooked, my closest encounter with a racket was a fly swatter.
As far as my coaching credentials go, well, it's a classic underdog story. I was once the guy who couldn't tell a pickleball paddle from a pizza peel, and now I'm proudly sporting the title of Master Teaching Professional from the IPTPA. If that doesn't give hope to all my fellow klutzes, I don't know what will!
My love for pickleball goes far beyond the court. I run the In2Pickle YouTube channel, which is a blend of pickleball tactics, bloopers (mostly mine), and heartfelt stories from players whose lives have been touched by the sport. If you're more into listening than watching, you can catch me chatting about everything pickleball-related on my Pickleball Therapy podcast. And if that isn't enough, I've also penned a book titled "Play Pickleball", where I share everything from basic rules to advanced strategies, and of course, anecdotes of my own hilarious mishaps.
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