Short answer: Collin Johns is a 33-year-old former touring tennis pro who became half of the most successful men’s doubles team pickleball has seen — with his younger brother Ben — and who is now rebuilding his career on his own after the brothers split at the start of 2025.
The 30-second version
- The résumé: 35 PPA men’s doubles titles, per the PPA Tour, most of them won with Ben Johns.
- The brothers were the world No. 1 men’s doubles team for the 2022 through 2024 seasons, then ended the partnership after the January 2025 PPA Masters.
- Tennis first: six years on the pro tennis circuit, a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 978, and an unusual two-forehand game.
- 2026 has been a rebuild: no fixed partner, a Newport Beach semifinal with Len Yang, and a ranking in the high teens to thirties depending on the list.
- Steal this: his favourite shot is the reset block. It is the most useful shot a club player never practises.
I am Jason Regan, a USA Pickleball Ambassador here in New England, and this is the fourth entry in our Pro Spotlight library, after Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters and Federico Staksrud. Collin Johns is a different kind of profile. The first three are players at or near the top right now. Collin is a former world No. 1 working out what comes after the partnership that made him — and his game is closer to what most of us can actually copy.
Who is Collin Johns?
According to his PPA Tour athlete page and his pickleball.com player profile, Collin Johns is 33, stands 5 feet 11 inches, plays right-handed, goes by CJ, and lives in Austin, Texas. He grew up in Laytonsville, Maryland, the oldest of seven siblings — five sisters and one brother, Ben.
Before pickleball there was a real tennis career. His Florida Gulf Coast University coaching bio says he spent six years on the pro tennis circuit, until August 2018, reaching career-high ATP rankings of No. 978 in singles and No. 939 in doubles, and a final at the 2015 Gatorade Open in Guatemala. The same bio notes something unusual: he played with two forehands. He later coached at FGCU and worked as a club racquets pro.
He first picked up a pickleball paddle in spring 2018 and made his pro debut at the 2019 US Open, where he reached the men’s singles semifinals. If you want to know why so many tennis players make the switch, we wrote about it in pickleball vs tennis.
What has Collin Johns won?
The PPA’s athlete page credits him with 35 PPA men’s doubles titles, and pickleball.com’s stats page agrees: 35 titles, 11 finals, 12 semifinals, 58 medals. His most recent title came at the 2025 PPA Masters in January 2025 — the brothers’ final event together.
With Ben, he was part of the world’s No. 1 men’s doubles team for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons, per the PPA. Among the headline results: the US Open men’s doubles, and the February 2023 Arizona Grand Slam.
Here is where I have to be straight with you, because title counts in this sport rarely agree:
| What is being counted | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Collin’s career PPA titles, today | 35 | PPA Tour and pickleball.com |
| Collin’s career total, December 2024 | 31 | The Dink |
| Titles the brothers won together | 33 | pickleball.com and The Dink |
Those numbers do not reconcile neatly — 31 plus one title in 2025 makes 32, not 35. The likely cause is different definitions of what counts as a PPA event, but I cannot prove that, so I am showing you all three and crediting each one.
Why did the Johns brothers split up?
The Dink first reported the split on December 19, 2024, and pickleball.com described it as mutual and amicable. The context was results: 2024 was the longest drought of their partnership, including a run of five tournaments without a medal.
Collin’s own explanation, in a January 2025 interview with pickleball.com: From a mental health perspective, it’s what we needed to do.
That line deserves more attention than it got. These are brothers who had trained, travelled and competed together for years. Deciding that the partnership mattered less than the relationship is a mature call, and it is not one that shows up in a results table.
Ben went on to pair with Gabe Tardio — that team won men’s doubles at the 2026 Nationals, which we covered in our Nationals results. Collin has worked through a series of partners since, including Jay Devilliers, Noe Khlif and James Ignatowich in 2025.
Where is Collin Johns ranked in 2026?
It depends which list you read, and I would rather show you that than pick one.
- pickleball.com has him at No. 19 in men’s doubles (3,900 points) and No. 75 in mixed, as of September 28, 2026.
- His PPA athlete page lists him as World No. 30. That is the tour’s combined world ranking, which blends doubles, mixed and singles.
Over the last 12 months he is 32-16 in doubles, according to pickleball.com’s stats page. That is a solid record, but not the near-automatic podiums of 2022 and 2023. For the live picture, check ppatour.com/player-rankings. For how the systems differ, see the PPA’s global leaderboard and pickleball ratings explained.
What has 2026 looked like?
- Cape Coral Open (February): with Jaume Martinez Vich, a round-of-16 exit.
- Newport Beach Open (March): with Len Yang, a run to the semifinals that included a win over the No. 3 seeds, per pickleball.com.
- Veolia Arizona Open (September): with Hunter Johnson, a first-round win 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, then a loss to Diamond and McGuffin.
He is not currently on a Major League Pickleball roster. The Carolina Hogs waived him in June 2025, pickleball.com reported, and he does not appear in MLP’s 2026 draft results. New to MLP? Start with what Major League Pickleball is.
How does Collin Johns play?
The PPA lists his favourite shots as the reset block and the forehand dink. His own website calls him one of the sport’s most respected defenders, known for precision resets. That was his role for years: Ben supplied the finishing and Collin supplied the stability.
- Defence first. His game is built on taking pace off the ball and getting back to neutral.
- He can change. In a September 2024 film breakdown, pickleball.com found he had tripled his speed-ups and was driving his third shot 80% of the time. Commentator Dave Fleming called it the new CJ.
- Equipment: his PPA page lists the JOOLA Scorpeus Pro V 16mm, a control-leaning widebody. More in what paddle Collin Johns uses and our pro paddle list.
Off the court, the PPA says he has co-founded several businesses, including Pickleball 360 and Johns Design & Consulting with Ben, and he runs clinics.
Steal this from Collin Johns’ game
The transferable skill is the one he names himself: the reset block.
At the 3.0 to 4.0 level here in New England, most points are lost the same way. Someone drives or speeds up, the ball comes in hot, and the defender swings back — into the net or out. A reset does the opposite. You soften your grip, keep the paddle face steady, and let the ball die into the kitchen. Now the attacker has nothing to hit.
- Drill it with a partner. One player at the baseline drives at medium pace, one at the kitchen line only resets. Twenty balls, then switch. Full method in how to reset in pickleball.
- Pair it with the dink. A reset only works if you can hold the dink rally that follows — see how to dink.
- Then add Collin’s 2024 lesson. Pure defence can be read. Once your reset is reliable, mix in an occasional speed-up so opponents cannot sit on it. Winning hands battles covers the next step.
More profiles are coming in The Pro Corner. To work on your own game, start at the Learn hub.
Frequently asked questions
Are Collin Johns and Ben Johns brothers?
Yes. Collin is the oldest of seven siblings and Ben is his younger brother. They grew up in Laytonsville, Maryland, and were the world No. 1 men’s doubles team for the 2022 through 2024 seasons.
Do Collin and Ben Johns still play together?
No. They ended their partnership after the January 2025 PPA Masters, a split both described as amicable. Ben now plays men’s doubles with Gabe Tardio, and Collin has played with a series of partners.
How many titles has Collin Johns won?
The PPA Tour credits him with 35 PPA men’s doubles titles. Other counts differ, so treat any single number as a snapshot from the source that published it.
Did Collin Johns play pro tennis?
Yes. His FGCU coaching bio says he played six years on the pro tennis circuit, with career-high ATP rankings of No. 978 in singles and No. 939 in doubles.
What paddle does Collin Johns use?
His PPA athlete page lists the JOOLA Scorpeus Pro V 16mm. Pro paddle deals change, so check before buying on that basis.
Sources: the PPA Tour athlete page for Collin Johns; pickleball.com’s player profile and stats, checked September 28, 2026; FGCU Athletics; The Dink; and pickleball.com reports dated September 2024, December 2024, January 2025, June 2025 and March 2026. Rankings change constantly, so check ppatour.com/player-rankings for the current picture.