Pickleball is increasingly being seen as the "new golf" due to its benefits as a networking and social activity, particularly among high-ranking business professionals. It’s more accessible, more time-efficient, more affordable and more widely available than golf.

And as Whole Foods Founder John Mackey said on our most recent episode of the Pickleballers Podcast, “You can tell a lot about people when you play pickleball with them.”

So if you’re not sure you want to go all-in with a new business partner, get them out on the pickleball court and see how you get along when it’s 10-9-2.

Also in this issue:

• We have a candidate for point of the year 👀

• Former olympic gymnast now a senior pickleball pro 👏

• Special edition JOOLA “Summer Daze” paddles sell out quick ⏰

• We consulted with a pro to rank the top 20 men’s players 📋

Let’s cook. 🧑‍🍳

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

We live for points like this

We may have seen a candidate for point of the year over the weekend at MLP San Clemente.

In the men’s doubles game between the Los Angeles Mad Drops and Columbus Sliders, the LA duo of Hunter Johnson and Quang Duong put on a masterclass in defense and patience.

They had no business winning this point, but just kept getting ball after ball back over the net until they found an opportunity to get back up to the kitchen line and regain control.

🔗 Johnson finishes it off with a speed up down the line

PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST

Whole Foods founder John Mackey on how he became obsessed with pickleball

In case you missed it last week, Whole Foods founder John Mackey joined the Pickleballers Podcast to talk about how he built a billion-dollar brand and then became obsessed with pickleball.

Hosts Jared Paul and Roscoe Bellamy get Mackey to open up about lessons learned from running a business, so if you are an entrepreneur or are intrigued by a behind-the-scenes look at an iconic, multi-billion dollar company, you're going to love this episode.

🔗 Watch the full episode on YouTube or Spotify

FOURTH OF JULY SWAG

Rep The Kitchen and the USA — ONLY 100 HATS AVAILABLE

We recently released this limited-edition Fourth of July hat featuring The Kitchen’s classic 3D-puffed logo and an American flag patch on the side. Patriotic, clean and ready for every Fourth of July celebration on and off the pickleball court.

We only made 100 of these hats, so you’ll want to act fast.

🔗 Order yours today

THE PROS

The definitive top 20 men’s pickleball players

We recently consulted with an anonymous men’s pro to put together our inaugural Top 20 player lists, which we intend to update every 6 months.

It’s been a year of unprecedented parity in men’s pickleball, with several players and teams gunning for the top spot that used to belong to Ben Johns by a country mile.

Times have certainly changed and the field has made up ground on the GOAT, but despite a handful of losses in men’s doubles and mixed doubles early in the season, Ben Johns still get’s our No. 1 spot on the list.

And since Johns is still the clear No. 1 with 5 golds in men’s doubles and 6 golds in mixed doubles on the PPA Tour through the first half of the year, he also gets the nod for our Mid-Season Player of the Year.

Our Mid-Season Most Improved Player: CJ Klinger. He comes in at No. 8 overall on our list, but he’s still on the rise and we wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a contender for a Top 5 spot by the end of the year.

THE KITCHEN'S TOP 5 AS OF JULY 1, 2025 ⬇️

1. Ben Johns — Since March he has won gold in 4 of the 5 tournaments he’s played in both divisions.

2. Federico Staksrud — He’s without a gold medal in doubles this season, but has been ultra consistent in men’s doubles especially, making it to 6 finals and earning one bronze on the season.

3. Andrei Daescu – He has 5 golds in men’s doubles on the season, but the last of those came at the Red Rock Open in March (an event Johns didn’t play). He also got one of those golds by playing with Johns at the Cape Coral Open.

4. Christian Alshon — You could make an argument that Alshon and Daescu should be flipped on this list due to Alshon having better results in mixed, but our anonymous pro said they should be in this order, so that’s what we’re going with.

5. Hayden Patriquin – Patriquin and Staksrud have played most of the season together, so it’s hard to separate them in a list like this. But here’s our logic: When Patriquin played a one-off event with Johns at the PPA Tour Tucson Open in February, they got bronze. When Daescu played a one-off event with Johns at the PPA Tour Cape Coral Open, they won easily. Therefore, Daescu > Patriquin.

We also have consulted with an anonymous women’s pro for our top 20 women’s list, which will be released later this week.

🔗 Find the full Top 20 men’s player list here

TRENDING

The second weekend in a row of pro pickleball in southern California wrapped up Sunday with the conclusion of MLP San Clemente.

It's hard to declare a clear winner at the Premier Level from the weekend, as Brooklyn and Columbus both went 3-1 while Los Angeles went 4-1, and each of their losses exposed their relative weaknesses.

At the Challenger Level, Las Vegas was handed its first loss of the season, but the Night Owls still went 4-1 on the weekend and they continue to look like the team to beat in the division. The Nashville Chefs -- The Kitchen's MLP team -- went 3-2 for the second event in a row and are now alone in second place in the standings.

🔗 Major League Pickleball Week 6 Power Rankings

FEATURED STORY

From floor routines to firefighting and now pickleball: The unstoppable Roxanne Pierce

Roxanne Pierce has been an inspiration to others at every point along her journey from Olympic gymnast to first responder and now a senior pro pickleball player.

She represented the United States at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. While the spotlight was certainly on the competition, some of her most cherished memories took place off the mat, sharing playful moments with athletes from around the world within the Olympic village.

“There were no language barriers,” she says. “We just connected through games and laughter.”

A DIFFERENT KIND OF CALLING

Pierce wanted a purpose after gymnastics, not just another physically demanding role. She became a firefighter and paramedic with the Albuquerque Fire Department after her gymnastics career, where she continued to push her limits in service of others.

“Those experiences taught me how to stay composed under pressure and project calm, confidence and control – even in high-stress situations,” she said.

DISCOVERING A NEW PASSION

Pierce’s relationship with pickleball started with a local newspaper article. Curious, she decided to give it a try.

That first swing of the paddle sparked something familiar — a competitive fire she hadn’t felt in years. Now a proud member of Team ONIX, Pierce brings that same passion and focus to the court, combing her athletic background with her lifelong commitment to staying active.

🔗 Learn more about Pierce’s journey from Olympic athlete to pickleball player

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

A paddle so sexy it sold out in just days

Last week, JOOLA released a limited “Summer Daze” edition of the Ben Johns Perseus Pro IV. Unfortunately for those of us who didn’t pull the trigger immediately, it sold out very quickly.

But there’s still a chance to get one: JOOLA is giving one away (along with other summer essentials) through its “Summer Daze” giveaway, which runs through July 4. They’ve also hinted that the special color of the Perseus Pro IV could make a return later this summer due to high demand.

Check out our in-depth review of the Perseus Pro IV to learn more about why it currently sits at No. 1 on our list of the top 10 paddles on the market.

🔗 Shop the JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus Pro IV

QUICK HITS

• Top play: Jack Sock was No. 1 on SportsCenter for this shot

• WOW: This point had everything

• He said FU: Ryan Fu had himself a weekend

• GLO UP: Pickleball in the dark hits different

• I formation: What a scramble!

• Demoralizing: You can see the moment the momentum shifted