Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships Men’s Draw: Ben Johns will try to win his first singles title of the year at the 2025 Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships, which begins Tuesday with the round of 64 and ends with the final on Sunday. Top players like Gabe Joseph, Dylan Frazier, Connor Garnett, and Hunter Johnson are also competing in this major event.
Johns, who last won a singles title at the Masters, enters as the fourth seed. If he advances, he could face Gabe Joseph in the round of 16, Dylan Frazier in the quarterfinals, and either Connor Garnett or Twoey Nation in the semifinals. The men’s singles draw highlights just how competitive the field has become.
Tough Road Ahead for Top Players
The draw is stacked with talent from the start. The number one seed, Federico Staksrud, could face Max Freeman early on. Freeman is a tough lefty who will first play Alhoon. Gabe Joseph will face Zane Navratil in another difficult early matchup.
“Gabe Joseph, that’s no picnic. He is flying all over the court. Has that beautiful two. No one covers the court better than Gabe. That will be a great match if it happens.” – (fleming)
Ross Whittaker, who joined the Carolina Hogs in Major League Pickleball, plays Lucian Goins from Bradenton, Florida. That’s a 44-year-old versus a 23-year-old. These early matches are set to be exciting as the tournament follows a progressive format, meaning one round is played each day.
Early-Round Battles and Stars to Watch
Jack Sock will meet Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez, a skilled left-handed singles veteran. Twoey Nation and Connor Garnett are seeded third. Jaume Martinez Vich, the fifth seed, has been playing strong this year in Major League Pickleball.
Jay Devilliers, known as “The Flying Frenchman,” is coming back from injury. He faces Shareef “Share Bear” for a fun 31 versus 35 seed matchup.
“Jay Devilliers with that injury last year lost a lot of his singles points. So he’s going to have to scrap his way back into the mix to improve his ranking and his seed 31 v 35.” – (fleming)
Hunter Johnson, the second seed, had to withdraw from Major League Pickleball Orlando due to a cut from washing dishes. He’s now healthy and back in the draw.
“Hunter had to scratch from MLP Orlando. Cut himself doing the dishes. That’s what happens when you help out around the house. He’s going to be fine here.” – (fleming)
Standout Matchups and Seeds
Roscoe Bellamy, who filled in for CJ Klinger in MLP Columbus, is the 13th seed. He faces Jimmy “Big Papa Jimmy” who rarely plays singles and is seeded 50th. Despite the seed difference, both are powerful players.
“That is going to be an absolute war with the two big fellas, wrecking serves and forehands.” – (fleming)
Quang Duong is seeded sixth, and Michael Loyd, who ended last year well, is also expected to do well. Ben Johns, the fourth seed, hasn’t played many singles matches this year and has dropped in the rankings.
“Ben Johns, yes, has slipped all the way down to the four seed. Hasn’t played a full schedule. Hasn’t had huge results in singles. So, we’ll see if this is his week or not.” – (fleming)
In another strong match, Zane Ford (15th) will play Eric Oncins (54th), who also hasn’t competed much. It’s an early match packed with talent.
“Zane Ford, the 15 versus Eric Oncins the 54. Again, hasn’t played a lot. Ridiculous early round match.” – (fleming)
More Key Matches to Watch
Spencer Alshon, the seventh seed, is one of the hottest singles players this year. He’s already picked up back-to-back wins. Blaine Hovenier from the West Coast will face Julian Arnold in a 28 vs. 34 seed matchup.
“No one’s a hotter singles player than him.” – (fleming)
All these players will start the competition on Tuesday. With such a deep field, it’s hard to predict who will make it to the finals on Sunday.
“The question is, who’s going to get it to Sunday? We shall see.” – (fleming)
News in Brief: Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships Men’s Draw
Ben Johns looks to win his first singles title of the year at a big pickleball tournament starting Tuesday. Top players like Hunter Johnson, Gabe Joseph, and Federico Staksrud face tough early matchups. The finals take place on Sunday. All rounds will be played daily in a progressive draw format.