Top 6 Best Men's Pickleball Players of All Time

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the US. As the sport continues to grow, some players have emerged as the best in the world. These players have managed to turn their passion for pickleball into full-time careers as they play tournaments nationwide and work to spread enthusiasm for pickleball and teach future pickleball stars of all levels.

Who Are the Best Men’s Pickleball Players of All Time?

1. Ben Johns
2. Tyson McGuffin
3. Jocelyn Devilliers
4. Zane Navratil
5. Frank Anthony Davis
6. Kyle Yates

1. Ben Johns

• First Professional Male to Triple Crown at a Major
• Ranked #1 globally in All Three Events
• First Professional Pickleball Player to Get Endorsement Deal
• 65 Pro Pickleball Association (PPA) titles

Ben Johns is both the best and most famous men’s pickleball player of all time. He began playing pickleball in 2016 and quickly became one of the biggest names in pickleball. Johns is ranked number one globally in men’s doubles, men’s singles, and mixed doubles and has well over twenty gold medals. Johns was also the first professional male pickleball player to triple crown, and he currently holds more triple crowns than any male pro in history. Thanks to these accomplishments, Johns was the first pro pickleball player to get an endorsement deal, proving that pickleball is rising in popularity. He also has a total of 65 PPA titles and frequently partners with his brother, Colin Johns, for men’s doubles matches. Johns is sponsored by  Jigsaw Health, DUPR, and JOOLA Pickleball. He plays with his signature JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16MM paddle, which Johns helped design.

2. Tyson McGuffin

• 2017 USA Pickleball Association National Championship Winner
• Five-Time PPA Major Champion
• Four-Time PPA National Champion

Tyson McGuffin has rode a fast train to success in pickleball, even winning his first tournament after only playing for about a month. McGuffin won his first championship in 2017 at the U.S.A. Pickleball Association National Championships in the men’s singles division. He developed a rivalry with Ben Johns during Johns’s meteoric rise to the top, and McGuffin and his frequent doubles partner Riley Newman often have close matches with Ben and Collin Johns, who are currently the number one ranked men’s doubles team. McGuffin spends much of his free time coaching through his camps, podcast, and personal coaching.

3. Jocelyn Devilliers

• 20 APP Titles
• Ambassador for French Pickleball Federation
• Triple Crown at the 2021 Pacific NW Classic

Jocelyn ‘Jay’ Devilliers is currently among the top five best pickleball players globally and excels in all three divisions.  He grew up in France with a background in many sports, including tennis, table tennis, badminton, squash, and handball. Devilliers began playing pickleball in 2019 after a severe injury damaged his tennis career, and he quickly became one of the best in the sport. Devilliers is an ambassador with the French Pickleball Federation in hopes of spreading education and enthusiasm about pickleball in France. He travels year-round to compete, educate, and train in an effort to enhance his own skills and grow an appreciation for the sport everywhere.

4. Zane Navratil

• Achieved Academic All-American Status
• Ranked #5 in Men’s Singles

Though fairly new to the sport, Zane Navratil is already one of the top and most decorated players in men’s pickleball. He grew up in Wisconsin, and though he started playing pickleball in 2013, he did not turn pro until 2020, in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. Navratil played Division III Tennis at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and achieved Academic All-American status while earning his Master’s Degree in Accounting. However, he soon left it all behind to pursue his passion and play and teach pickleball full-time. Navratil won over 20 medals in 2021 alone and is ranked number two globally in men’s singles. In his free time, Navratil travels the country teaching pickleball clinics.

5. Frank Anthony Davis

• Two-Time APP World Pickleball Open Champion
• Ranked #3 Men’s Player in 2019
• Co-founded PickleballByPros.com

Frank ‘FAD’ Anthony Davis is one of the best men’s pickleball players of all time, having won multiple championships on the APP tour. He grew up in Southern New Jersey and, unlike most professional pickleball players, had never played a racket sport until he started playing pickleball in 2013. Now, he holds a triple crown and is a two-time APP (Association of Pickleball Professionals) World Pickleball Open champion. He even ended 2019 ranked number three globally. Davis also co-founded PickleballByPros.com, a website that provides accessible training content for players of all levels. Additionally, he partners with local organizations to provide special exhibitions for events, such as the Pickleball Against Poverty Tournament.

6. Kyle Yates

• Took Gold on First day of First Tournament
• Six-Time US Open Gold Medalist
• 15 USAPA Nationals Medals
• Ranked #1 Doubles Player in 2018

Kyle Yates grew up in Florida playing tennis until he quickly transitioned to a spectacular career in pickleball. Yates took gold on the first day of the USAPA National Tournament, his first major tournament, in 2014 in the 19+ category. He knew pickleball was his passion, so he suspended his education at the University of Florida and pursued pickleball full-time. His history with tennis allowed him to rise through the ranks quickly, and he has since earned six U.S. Open gold medals, four USAPA Nationals gold medals, and 15 total USAPA Nationals medals. In 2018, he was even ranked number one globally in the men’s doubles division.

Honorable Mentions

Riley Newman

• 17 PPA Titles
• 5 PPA Major Titles
• 2021 National Men’s Doubles Champion

Riley Newman is a former college tennis player who is currently near the top of the pickleball rankings. Newman grew up in a sporting family and played basketball, soccer, baseball, and tennis as a child. Once a friend introduced him to pickleball in 2017, Newman quickly found success. He earned a triple crown at the 2019 Canadian Nationals. In 2021, Newman won the gold in mixed doubles at the US Nationals alongside his sister, Lindsey, which remains one of his favorite pickleball memories. Newman endorses his Riley Newman 206 Pickleball Paddle made by GAMMA. He is also sponsored by TAKEYA and Digital Position.

Tyler Loong

• 6.71 DUPR Rating
• Ranked #7 Globally in Men’s Singles
• Triple Crown Winner at 2018 Canadian Open

Though he has not won any APP titles, Tyler Loong has gotten close many times over the seven years he’s played. He began playing pickleball in 2015 and has slowly risen to the #7 spot in global ranking for men’s singles pickleball. He also boasts a 6.71 DUPR rating in men’s singles and a 6.50 DUPR rating in men’s doubles. He has consistently gotten second or third at most major pickleball tournaments, his greatest accomplishment thus far placing second at 2018 Nationals in the men’s singles event. He is sponsored by Vulcan, The Picklr Shop, and Pinnacle Sports Group.

Adam Stone

• 3 APP Titles
• 2 US Open Medals
• Silver Medalist at 2021 US Open

Texan native Adam Stone has risen as a constant star of both men’s singles and men’s doubles events. In fact, he has won multiple PPA medals and three APP titles at competitions in Punta Gorda, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Las Vegas. The crowning achievement of his short career has been winning two US Open medals and coming in second at the 2021 US Open Pickleball Championships. Though less official, he also carries the claim to fame of having won seven matches so far against pickleball legend Ben Johns.

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