Jay Devilliers: Figuring Out Ben Johns, Bringing Pickle to France, and The Body Bag Debate | S4 E10

Jay Devilliers, "the Flying Frenchman," is one of pro pickleball's most accomplished veterans — a former Wichita State tennis standout who transitioned into the pro ranks in 2019 and has stayed near the top of the sport for over half a decade.

In this season-closing episode, Jay sits down with Roscoe and Jared for a wide-ranging conversation tracing his path from a hyper-competitive French sporting family through Spanish tennis academies, Wichita State doubles, and into the earliest days of pro pickleball. They cover his partnership with Pat Smith, his rivalry with Ben Johns and Collin Johns, and how he's stayed relevant through injuries and the sport's rapid evolution.

Jay breaks down his surreal run as a US Open hitting partner, including a 90-minute session with Rafael Nadal, strategically set up by Carlos Moya, that left his hands blistered and bleeding. He also details the six-month ultimatum his wife gave him in 2020 to prove himself in pickleball or go find a real job, a deadline COVID nearly wiped out before he committed to the sport full time in 2021.

Jay also opens up about splitting from longtime partner Pat Smith after sponsor pressure pushed him toward a pairing with Tyson McGuffin, the epic finals battles with Ben Johns and Collin Johns that helped shape Riley Newman and Matt Wright's rise, and his philosophy on body bags, including firing one back at an opponent and the unforgettable moment Anna Leigh Waters caught him with one of her own. He closes out reflecting on raising four kids while grinding on tour and his goal to grow pickleball in Europe.

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Timestamps:

1:44 — Welcome to the season finale

6:48 — Growing up the youngest of six in France

10:56 — Chasing tennis to Spain and Wichita State

13:07 — Becoming a dad as a senior in college

16:05 — Becoming a US Open hitting partner

17:39 — Practicing with Rafael Nadal

21:33 — Building a career after the US Open

24:01 — Finding pickleball at Chicken N Pickle

26:51 — The six-month ultimatum to go pro

27:53 — Wichita's early pickleball hotbed

33:31 — Cracking the code on Ben Johns

37:08 — Why he and Pat Smith split up

41:03 — Battling back from injury in 2024

45:03 — How the sport has changed since 2020

50:09 — Reinventing his game every year

51:48 — The body bag debate

53:56 — The Anna Leigh Waters body bag

55:31 — Tennis vs. pickleball: which is harder

58:22 — The "Two Anna Leighs" hypothetical

1:00:03 — The craziest moment: Zane's chainsaw serve

1:02:03 — Who talks the most trash on tour

1:03:24 — Legacy, longevity, and growing pickleball in Europe