The rise in popularity of pickleball has given the world some of the world’s best pickleball players. The names Benjamin John and Anna Leigh are not new to anyone. These athletes have converted their passion into a long-term career. In addition to their full-time professions, some of them train new aspiring-to-be-great pickleball players.
Some important key points mentioned in this post are
● Top 10 Men’s Singles & Doubles Rankings
● Top 10 women’s Singles & Doubles Rankings
● Guide to Pickleball Rankings
| Strategy to Win Your First Game Simultaneously, move your feet while bending your knees. Without a doubt, it is an effective way to hit the low balls in pickleball. |
Guide To Pickleball Rankings
If you are wondering at which level you stand in pickleball, this guide will help you figure it out. In brief, we’ve got all the ratings and what they mean to make it easier for you to rank yourself. Summing up, pickleball has a ranking from 1.0 to 5.0+.
● Beginners: 1.0-2.0
You are at this level if you have only played a few matches. Meanwhile, you might be struggling with your serve, but with a little more practice and a solid understanding of the fundamentals, you’ll ace it.
● Novice: 2.5-3.0
Congratulations, now that you’ve reached novice status, thereafter you can serve more effectively and your court coverage is improving. Moreover, you should be able to demonstrate all fundamentals even so if you are making mistakes.
● Intermediate: 3.5-4.0
At the intermediate level, the amount of unforced errors is a major factor in winning the game. In any case, one must practice achieving a low number of unforced errors. However, it is also extremely important to demonstrate the rules of pickleball to serve and return the ball well.
● Advanced: 4.5-5.0
The player must be able to plan and play consistently at this level. Furthermore, the athlete is skilled in drop-and-dunk shots as well as hand precision. Besides devising a quick strategy under pressure, the player must also be capable of controlling the ball at this level.
Top 10 Men’s Singles Rankings
After years of training and playing professional tournaments, these players finally made it to the top pickleball players in the world.
| Rank | Name Record |
| 1 | Benjamin Johns 35-2 |
| 2 | Tyson McGuffin 35-11 |
| 3 | Frank Anthony Davis 26-15 |
| 4 | Collin Johns 22-11 |
| 5 | Jocelyn Devilliers 21-3 |
| 6 | Riley Newman 13-6 |
| 7 | Tyler Loong 13-10 |
| 8 | Adam Stone 47-20 |
| 9 | Zane Navratil 9-5 |
| 10 | Kyle Yates 16-10 |
Top 10 Men’s Doubles Rankings
| Rank | Name | Record |
| 1 | Benjamin Johns | 62-8 |
| 2 | Kyle Yates | 51-13 |
| 3 | Matt Wright | 45-12 |
| 4 | Tyson McGuffin | 41-20 |
| 5 | Steve Deakin | 44-21 |
| 6 | Adam Stone | 47-20 |
| 7 | Collin Johns | 47-18 |
| 8 | Riley Newman | 30-16 |
| 9 | Wesley Gabrielsen | 26-15 |
| 10 | Jose Farias | 34-22 |
Benjamin Johns
The youngest pickleball player and also the first man to win a triple crown in the history of pickleball. Benjamin Johns grew up in Maryland and was ranked #1 in singles, doubles, and doubles mixed by PPA. Firstly, in 2016, he was leveled up to a pro. He is also one of the players to switch from table tennis. Furthermore, he has a record in singles of 35-2 and doubles of 62-8, ranking #1 in both. Lastly, he has won over 50 PPA titles and 60+ professional tournaments.
Tyson Mcguffin
Tyson McGuffin is a 31-year-old former tennis star who grew up in Washington. Despite only one month of playing, Tyson won his first professional tournament. Afterward, he was offered a sponsorship by Selkirk. In 2017, he won his first tournament at the USA Pickleball Association National Championship with many gold medals in the Men’s 4.5 Singles division.
Frank Anthony Davis
Thirty-four years old, Frank Anthony Davis grew up in New Jersey and is also a player whose first racquet sport was pickleball. Formerly ranking #3 worldwide in 2019, he now ranks #6. Furthermore, he won a Triple Crown and APP World Pickleball Champions twice with doubles records of 41-20.
Kyle Yates
Growing up in Costa Rica, Kyle Yate was introduced to pickleball by his uncle. Being one of the few professional players who turned pro, Kyle has proven to be unquestionably worthy of being a top-ranked pickleball player.
In addition to 15 USAPA National medals, he also received 4 USAPA Nationals gold medals with 6 US Open gold medals.
Riley Newman
Riley Newman, a professional athlete residing in Phoenix, started playing in 2017 with a natural talent for pickleball.
Besides, ranking #3 for Men’s doubles and mixed, some of his other achievements are
● Won Gold in Men’s Doubles in 2021
● In 2019, he won the World Championship in all three divisions
● In 2020, he won the Georgia Open PPA Men’s Doubles Gold
Tyler Loong
One of the few professionals who play left-handed, Tyler Loong has been playing pickleball for the last seven years. Subsequently, he came first place in the Men’s Pro Doubles, in 2019.
Some of his other wins are
● 2nd place in US Open in 2022
● 3rd position in Men’s Doubles Pro in PPA Tour Round up
● 2nd place in Men’s Doubles Pro in PPA North Carolina Open
Adam Stone
Famous for his 7 wins against Benjamin Johns, Adam Stone, formerly a top-ranked tennis player, and is also well-respected on the court of pickleball. In the 2021 U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, he won a silver medal in Men’s doubles. Next, he received one US Open Gold Medal.
Zane Navratil
Zane Vavratil is 26 years old and from Brookfield. He is known to have over 80 titles to his name and has proven to be a tough competitor. What’s more, Franklin Sports offered him a sponsorship back in 2021.
Matt Wright
Matt Wright switched from tennis to pickleball and turned pro in 2016. Some of his achievements are
● Won USA National Champion four times
● Twice won the Tournament of Gold Medalists.
● Won US Open Champion seven times
He played doubles with Lucy Kovalova. Furthermore, he received many gold medals.
Steve Deakin
Steve Deakin, an ATP-rated tennis player, has been playing pickleball since 2017. His shoulder injury prompted him to switch to pickleball. In addition to being sponsored by Head Pickleball, he also received sponsorship from Pickleball Depot and Pickleball Canada.
Top 10 Women’s Singles Rankings
Some women who made it to top-ranked pickleball players in singles and doubles are Catherine Parenteau, Lea Jensen, Anna Leigh Waters, and Simon Jardim among others.
| Rank | Name |
| 1 | Catherine Parenteau |
| 2 | Lea Jansen |
| 3 | Anna Leigh Waters |
| 4 | Irina Tereschenko |
| 5 | Callie Smith |
| 6 | Lauren Stratman |
| 7 | Simone Jardim |
| 8 | Michelle Esquivel |
| 9 | Annica Cooper |
| 10 | Vivienne David |
Top 10 Women’s Doubles Rankin
| Rank | Name |
| 1 | Catherine Parenteau |
| 2 | Simone Jardim |
| 3 | Lucy Kovalova |
| 4 | Anna Leigh Waters |
| 5 | Leigh Waters |
| 6 | Callie Smith |
| 7 | Jessie Irvine |
| 8 | Lea Jansen |
| 9 | Lauren Stratman |
| 10 | Corrine Carr |
Top Female Pickleball Players
Catherine Parenteau
Cather Parenteau, a well-known female pickleball player, has risen to the top of the sport. She began playing tennis at the age of four while growing up in Montreal. Following her passion for this sport, Catherine turned pro in pickleball in 2016. She won 13 PPA titles in addition to the US Open Pro Women’s Doubles title in 2021.
Anna Leigh Waters
Anna Leigh Waters is the youngest professional woman pickleball player who turned pro in 2019. In 2021, she won her first gold medal in Orlando Cup. She and her mother simultaneously invented a pickleball style that was based on power and reflex. Besides, winning gold medals in all three divisions, Anna ranked top 5 in the world in women’s professional pickleball.
Callie Smith
Known as “Rapunzel” because of her signature long braid, Callie Smith was ranked #1 in tennis. Not only did she earn herself a spot in the top five of all three women’s pro pickleball divisions, with two PPA titles, but she also won a gold medal in the US Open Women’s Doubles. What’s more, she is the founder of “Paddle Up,” a pickleball academy that offers tennis and pickleball training. Moreover, she has also earned 22 medals out of the 25 professional tournaments she played in.
Lucy Kovalova
Lucy Kovolova, originally from Slovakia, was a member of the junior national tennis team. In 2018, she won the Tripple Crown. In fact, she was ranked #2 in women’s doubles and had 19 PPA titles to her name.
Simon Jardin
Simone Jardim, a 41-year-old Brazilian-American pickleball player, is also known as the “Queen of Pickleball.” Since she began competing in 2015, she has won 36 PPA titles in addition to more than 90 gold medals. She was ranked #1 from 2016 to 2020. Furthermore, she won the US Open Pickleball Championship thrice.
Lea Jensen
Lea Jensen, a top-ranked pickleball player out there in the pacific northwest, has a background in tennis. She started playing pickleball in 2019 and has won all three
pickleball tournaments in singles, and doubles, and mixed with 2 PPA titles to her name.
Irina Tereschenko
Irina Tereschenko has coached racquet sports for almost 20 years and is one of the top pickleball players among women in the world. In addition to one PPA championship and two US Pickleball Association titles, she has also won the US Open Pickleball Championship five times.
Some of her undeniably amazing achievements are
● Winner of Women’s Pro Singles in 2021
● At US Open, she won Women’s Pro Doubles in 2019
● In 2016, she won the Women’s Pro Singles.
FAQs
Benjamin John, residing in Austin, Texas, turned pro in 2016. Benjamin John has over 50 PPA titles and more Triple Crowns than any other player. He is also the youngest player on the PPA tour at 23.
Benjamin John, the best pickleball player, is also the richest pickleball player. He has the highest net worth of any pickleball player, with an estimated annual salary of $250,000. Back in 2019, Ben John was the first pickleball player to secure an endorsement deal with Franklin Sports. Benjamin is one of the top-ranked men, with estimated prize money of $146,325.
Yes, there is a 6.0 rating in pickleball. The rating goes from 1.0 to 6.0+. The rating or skill level 1.0 is for beginners, while the 6.0 rating is for the best professional players. However, it can also go to 8.0.
In conclusion, from ranked tennis players to the world’s best pickleball players, the players mentioned above have proven worthy of where they are today.
Hey, fellow pickleball player!
My name is Ethan Josephson. I am a pickleball enthusiast who has been playing this fantastic game for more than 5 years. Before that I had almost 20-years-experience with tennis and table tennis, but pickleball fascinated me completely.
