Opinion: Ben Johns Won't Win Another PPA Singles Title

"The game has passed Ben by when it comes to singles," says PicklePod co-hot Nico the Lefty

Nico the Lefty has officially made it to episode #2 as co-host of the PicklePod... and the dude is coming out hot with a few spicy takes.

As part of a segment looking at PPA predictions for 2026 (based off Erik Tice's deep-dive article on the topic), Nico wonders whether the era of total dominance in the singles bracket is coming to a close for the GOAT himself, Ben Johns.

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'The Game Has Passed Ben By' Nico stated flatly that Ben has likely seen his last singles gold medal, a statement that would have been unthinkable just a year ago.

"The game has passed Ben by when it comes to singles," Nico said.

"He's good enough to compete, not good enough to win." It is a wild claim considering the history of the sport and Ben's stamp on it.

However, the conversation suggests that the landscape of professional pickleball is shifting so rapidly that even the best men's player ever might be feeling the pressure.

After all, new players are coming in all the time, many of whom are singles specialists. Think Alex Crum, Grayson Goldin, John Lucian Goins, Chris Haworth, and more.

And that doesn't even consider the wave of juniors joining the pro ranks every day.

Ben is not playing singles in PPA Masters, the first tournament of the year that's currently underway. His las... FULL ARTICLE FOUND ON: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/opinion-ben-johns-wont-win-another-ppa-singles-title/