JW & Jorja Johnson: MLP Drama, Signing Underwear, and Pickleball's Sibling Reign | S4 E1

JW and Jorja Johnson are the most decorated sibling team in professional pickleball, known for transforming the game with the JW Johnson flick and the Jorja Johnson fire — two of the most talked-about weapons on tour.

In this episode, JW and Jorja sit down with Roscoe and Jared to trace their unlikely path from Pittsburgh, Kansas to the top of the pro game. They get into the zero-pressure upbringing that made it all possible, the South Florida training culture they helped build, and what it actually takes to stay dominant in a sport evolving as fast as pickleball.

Jorja breaks down what it was like to be stolen from the Dallas Flash in the MLP draft, landing on the New Jersey Fives alongside Anna Leigh Waters — a move nobody saw coming. JW also reveals he's never had a real conversation with Ben Johns off the court, and addresses for the first time whether a JW-Ben partnership has ever been on the table.

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Timestamps:

1:07 — Welcome & Introducing JW and Jorja Johnson

2:33 — Growing Up in Pittsburgh, Kansas

5:20 — How COVID Sparked Their Pickleball Journey

8:52 — Early Days: Bad Reps, Johnny Goldberg & First Tournaments

10:21 — The $300 Hilton Head Moment That Changed Everything

13:06 — Building the South Florida Training Scene

19:51 — Julie Johnson's Academy and the Rise of a Squad

24:43 — When the Money Started Getting Real

26:26 — Power Balance Scam, Franklin Deal & Seeing Your Face in Dick's

29:04 — Signing Underwear and Knowing You've Made It

34:46 — MLP, the Dallas Flash, and Becoming Stars

40:33 — The Draft Shock: Jorja Stolen to the New Jersey Fives

45:06 — Playing with Anna Leigh & What That Partnership Looks Like

47:26 — How They Stay Dominant: Film, Evolution, and the Tui

49:08 — JW's Hands: The Secret Behind the Fastest Reactions on Tour

54:22 — Life Off the Court: Padel, Cinnamon Bread & Movies

56:44 — Biggest Rivals and the Mindset Behind Not Having One

59:19 — Has JW Ever Thought About Teaming with Ben Johns?

1:01:09 — Greatest Moments