A powerful singles champion who combines tennis pace with chess-like anticipation
Goins arrived in professional pickleball with the serve, reach and passing-shot power of a highly rated junior tennis player. His game is not built on pace alone: he studies body language, closes angles and tries to anticipate the next ball before it leaves an opponent’s paddle.
That blend of force and calculation reflects his love of chess. Goins has described anticipation as one of the strongest parts of his game, and his point construction often looks like a sequence of planned moves—serve big, keep the pass low and create the next attack rather than forcing every ball.
What has John Lucian Goins won?
Goins won back-to-back PPA men’s singles titles in August 2025, capturing the Veolia Bristol Open and Walgreens Open at the Las Vegas Strip while still 17 years old. He has also recorded two professional singles wins over Ben Johns.