2022 Pickleball Magazine September/October

 

September/October Pickleball Magazine Franklin Family Ad Featuring JW, Julie & Jorja  

Franklin Sports Signs Pickleball Power Players

The Johnson Family

August 11, 2022

Franklin Sports, a manufacturer and retailer in the sporting goods industry, signed a partnership with pro pickleball players JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson and Julie Johnson. With the partnership, Franklin Sports becomes the exclusive paddle provider to the Johnson family. The partnership will also introduce a signature paddle designed with JW Johnson in 2023.

JW Johnson, 19, is currently the No.1 ranked APP men’s pickleball pro, medaling 47 times in 2022 with three triple crowns. Jorja Johnson, 15, is the No.1 ranked APP women’s pickleball pro, winning 26 medals and placing first in seven pro events in her first full season on the APP tour this year. Julie Johnson, 50, is the No. 2 ranked APP Senior Women’s pickleball pro, medaling 26 times and placing first five times in senior professional divisions in 2022. (Read More)

Pickleball is exploding, and it’s getting messy

Washington Post

MASON, Ohio — The public address announcer’s voice boomed as balls flew amid the chaotic symphony of plastic pops and thwacks. So many greats had played and won here at the Lindner Family Tennis Center outside of Cincinnati: McEnroe and Agassi, Djokovic and Federer, Nadal and Serena. But center court was suddenly the stage for something very different.

“We love tennis, and this is an incredible tennis facility,” the announcer bellowed, “but for today we are piiiiickleball!”

The tour features former lawyers, accountants, college professors and many, many former tennis players. Its highest ranks also include teenagers (Anna Leigh) Waters, Jorja Johnson (15) and her brother JW Johnson (19). (Read More)

2022 APP Chicago Open: Pickleball takes over Highland Park

 

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HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — In what other sport than pickleball could you play professionally alongside your kids?

“I can’t think of one, it’s amazing,” said Julie Johnson, the number one ranked senior women’s pickleball player in the world. 

The Johnsons are the first family of pickleball with mom Julie, 19-year-old son JW—the second ranked men’s player in the world—and his 16-year-old sister Jorja—the 4th ranked female singles player. (Read More)

Six Exercises to Turbocharge Your Pickleball Game

 

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Wall Street Journal

ANATOMY OF A WORKOUT
Six Exercises to Turbocharge Your Pickleball Game
More people are taking the fast-growing sport seriously—here’s how to keep up 

Americans are obsessed with pickleball. This humble hybrid of tennis, ping pong and badminton is among the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., with 4.8 million people now playing, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Pickleball is a low-impact, highly social alternative to tennis, says Julie Johnson, one of the world’s top-ranked pro senior women’s singles players.

“The sport doesn’t take a lot of skill to pick up,” says Ms. Johnson, who trains her two pickleball-playing teenagers—who are also highly ranked—in Boynton Beach, Fla. “But with some training, you can really up your game.” (Read More)

The New Yorker: Can Pickleball Save America?

As in politics, a few famous families dominate pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in America. One is the Johnsons, of Florida. In January, on a breezy afternoon in Boca Raton, J. W. Johnson, a strapping nineteen-year-old with short brown bangs and a leather necklace, took to the court for a semifinal match at a tournament. Johnson is taciturn, with an often impenetrable expression. 

He was seeded second in the tournament; his opponent, Zane Navratil, a twenty-six-year-old former C.P.A. from Wisconsin, was seeded first. Pickleball, a tennis-like sport played on a smaller court, places a gentle strain on the body, and both men had the oxygenated flush of a long day of exercise. 

They began by dinking—softly bouncing the ball back and forth—before Navratil, with gazelle-like grace, executed two snazzy moves at once: an Erne (which involved a flying leap) and a body shot (which involved hitting Johnson in the gut). He chuckled with contentment. Then, as a storm front moved in, the tide began to turn. “Wow, what an inside-out dink there from J. W. Johnson!” a commentator at a nearby media booth said. Johnson, jaw slack with concentration, took control. (Read More)

 

Johnson Family Top APP Pros 2021-2022

 

 

The Association of Pickleball Professionals Top 25 Pros Points from July 2021 Beer City Open to June 2022 APP LA Open are JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson, Julie Johnson and Mircea Morariu (Julie's Mixed Doubles Partner). 

 APP Tour Facebook Posts

15 year old Floridian Jorja Johnson, with her gold medal championships at both the APP So Cal Classic and LA Opens, is the new #1 ranked Women’s APP Tour female pickleball professional on the 2022 Standings Lists.

Her brother, JW Johnson, is atop of the men’s standings lists now for a 25th straight week.

Julie Johnson and Mircea Morariu, continue their rein on top of the APP Senior Pro Standing’s Lists

The APP Standing’s List is a 52 week cumulative list where all tournaments are included within a 52 week time period. Points that are earned, will drop off if not defended 52 weeks later.

This is a standings list for just APP Tour events. The APP Tour endorses the World Pickleball Rankings put out by Pickleball Tournaments.

Click here to view the entire pro, senior pro and amateur standings through APP LA Open

2022 Minto US Open Pickleball Championships: Fox 4

JW, Jorja and Julie Johnson Featured On Fox 4 Now News

U.S. OPEN PICKLEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS BACK IN NAPLES

And for one team, it's a family affair. Mother-Daughter duo Julie and Jorja Johnson played in the new Split Age Pro Division.
"I'm competing in Split Age Women's Doubles with my mom," 15-year-old Jorja Johnson said. "That means one senior pro plays with one regular pro under 50 and they compete with other teams matched up the same way."
"We are thrilled to be here at the U.S. open together today," added mom Julie Johnson.
The pair ended up winning their first game Tuesday, which had to happen for 15-year-old Jorja, because on the other side of the tournament, her brother James 'JW' Johnson was also competing.
"I was hoping so, I didn't want to hear about it later," Jorja said.
James Johnson was also played in the Split Age Men's Division and also won that game.
"It was a lot of fast action up in the net as well as a lot of quick movement there, so it's a lot of fun for the elderly and the young too," Johnson said. (Read More)

 

Delray Beach Teen Wins 2nd Pro Pickleball Triple Crown At South Carolina Open

Boca Raton Tribune

JW Johnson Sets His Sights On Naples US Open Championship April 23-30

Boca Raton, FL — Last week, at the 2022 Association Of Pickleball Professionals (APP) South Carolina Open, JW Johnson, 19, won his second Triple Crown.  A Triple Crown is achieved when three gold medals are won at the same event in three brackets: Singles, Mixed Doubles and Doubles. 

JW’s Gold Medal Matches To 2nd Triple Crown 

• Singles: 8:22:42 JW Johnson vs Federico Staksrud 11-5,11-8
• Mixed Doubles: 7:20:53 Simone Jardim/JW Johnson vs Michelle Esquivel/Rob Cassidy 11-2,11-8
• Men’s Doubles: 5:57:20 Zane Navratil/JW Johnson vs Eden Lica/Andrei Daescu 13-11,11-7

Next week, the teenage pickleball pro superstar will be competing in the 2022 Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida. The 7-day international event will showcase the top ranked pickleball players and nearly 3,000 athletes of all ages.  

JW Johnson Triple Crown Highlights/Interviews Reel (12+ mins)

JW’s Gold Medal Matches To Triple Crown 

• Singles: 11:34 JW Johnson Pickleball vs Federico Stasrud: 4-11,11-3,12-10
• Mixed Doubles: 2:24:10 Simone Jardim/JW Johnson vs Susannah Barr/Austin Gridley: 11-4,11-2
• Doubles: 3:17:07 JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier Pickleball vs Adam Stone/Dekel Bar: 11-3,9-11,6-11,15-10

This year JW has won a “Singles” Family Triple Crown with his sister, Jorja, 15, and mother. The Family Trio’s first Singles Triple Crown was at the January APP Boca Raton Masters and their second Triple Crown was at the APP Plantation Open earlier this month.   

The Sun Sentinel

Teen pickleballer wins second Triple Crown event

2022 APP Tour Delray Beach Open

 

Singles

11:34 JW Johnson Pickleball vs Federico Stasrud (Gold)

2:06:41 JW Johnson vs Federico Staksrud

1:23:33 Jorja Johnson vs Anna Bright (Gold)

6:11:36 Jorja Johnson vs Megan Fudge

Doubles

3:17:07 JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier vs Adam Stone/Dekel Bar (Gold)

3:35:54 Johnny Goldberg/Joey Farias vs JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier 5:23:46 JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier vs AJ Koller/Thomas Wilson

6:51:56 JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier vs Adam Stone/Dekel Bar

37:12 JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier vs Eric Gilbert/ Jay Campbell

1:43:16 Julie Johnson/Mircea Morariu vs Kim Kesner /David Furman 6:09:01 Jorja Johnson/Sarah Ansboury vs Maggie Remynse/Susannah Barr

Mixed Doubles

2:24:10 Simone Jardim/JW Johnson vs Susannah Barr/Austin Gridley (Gold)

41:29 Simone Jadim/JW Johnson vs AJ Koller/Regina Franco

4:31:59 DJ Young/Lee Whitwell vs JW Johnson/Simone Jardim

6:07:28 Anna Bright/Dylan Frazier vs JW Johnson/Simone Jardim

1:25:05 Jorja Johnson/G. Tardio vs Blackwood/Auvergne 4:29:39 Simon/Julie Johnson vs Bellamy/Bagby

WPTV News - FL Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast

JW Wins 1st Triple Crown

Delray Beach Medals

Singles	JW	Gold	Triple Crown
Doubles	JW	Gold	Dylan Frazier
Mixed Doubles	JW	Gold	Simone Jardim
Singles	Jorja	Silver