American pickleball team signs world number 1 player Ben Johns to replace prodigy Quang Duong

Ben Johns during a pickleball event in Vietnam in March 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

The team struck a deal with the Carolina Hogs to acquire Johns, a major addition after the departure of Duong, who had been their key doubles player.

The deal involved a complex three-team cash and draft-pick exchange. Carolina previously paid 840,000 draft points and a US$420,000 retention fee to secure Johns, who is widely considered the greatest pickleball player of all time, Pickleball.com reported.

Although Johns could not help the Hogs win a title last year, his record speaks. The 26-year-old has won four MLP championships: one with BLQK Bears in 2021, two with Seattle Pioneers and one with Chicago Slice in 2023.

Currently ranked 1st in men's doubles and 6th in singles in the PPA Tour rankings, Johns is a dominant force. The PPA Tour in 2025 includes 25 domestic events, categorized as Slams (2,000 points), Cups (1,500), Opens (1,000) and Challengers (125). Argentina’s Federico Staksrud currently tops the singles rankings.

At LA Mad Drops, Johns joins a star-studded lineup featuring Catherine Parenteau, Hunter Johnson and Jade Kawamoto, along with substitutes Mehvish Safdar and Wesley Burrows. Parenteau previously partnered with Duong in mixed doubles, winning 9 of 16 matches last season.

Although LA Mad Drops currently sixth in the MLP standings, Johns' arrival makes them immediate title contenders. He ranks among the top in all three divisions: men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles.

Duong, 19, is in Vietnam participating in pickleball exchange programs after being dismissed from the United Pickleball Association for a repeated breach of contract.

His father, Duc Duong, confirmed that a lawyer has been authorized to resolve the dispute with the USA Pickleball Administration (USPA).