Meet Team USA: The Giant Everyone Wants to Take Down
Ben Johns, the greatest player of all time. Anna Bright, one of only four players with 40 PPA titles. Kate Fahey, Tyra “Hurricane” Black, CJ Klinger and MLP champion Will Howells. The United States plays the MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash at home with a team of superstars… and a target on its back.
It’s the country where pickleball was born. It’s the host team. It’s the big favorite.
And that’s exactly why it’s the team the other seven want to beat.
Canada wants to beat its neighbor. Europe wants to prove the old continent has arrived. Asia wants to show the giant has awakened. Latin America wants to land the punch of a lifetime. They all have the same match circled in red: against the United States.
Team USA knows it. And it doesn’t care. Because this team was built to play under pressure.
The Roster
Captain: Johnny Goldberg
Ben Johns
Anna Bright
Kate Fahey
Tyra Black
CJ Klinger
Will Howells
Johnny Goldberg: The Captain Who Came From The Bottom
His story is an inspiring one. Johnny Goldberg discovered pickleball while he was in law school, looking for a new hobby. He grew up playing baseball, basketball and football, with no racquet sports experience at all. In his first year, he was playing at a 3.0 level.
A year later he was a pro, and in his debut season he won men’s doubles gold at the APP New Jersey Open. Now he has the sweetest and toughest job of all: leading a team of stars that everyone expects to win. With this much talent, his challenge isn’t finding players. It’s finding the perfect pairings.
Ben Johns: The Goat
There’s not much to explain. Ben Johns is the greatest pickleball player of all time.
More than 80 PPA Tour titles, including 15 Triple Crowns
The first man to win a Triple Crown at a major, at the 2019 Tournament of Champions
A 108-match winning streak in singles
World No. 1 in men’s doubles and mixed doubles in 2026
And a materials science and engineering graduate from the University of Maryland
But watch out, because even the GOAT bleeds. Just weeks ago in Las Vegas, he lost three finals in a single weekend. And Group A is full of familiar faces with something to prove: Will MacKinnon of Europe – West already faced him this year in Hong Kong. And if the U.S. advances, Rafa Lenhard of Latin America, the Brazilian who beat him in 2025, could be waiting in the knockout rounds.
The greatest of all time against the world? That’s exactly what we came to see.
Anna Bright: A Legend In The Making
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Some players win titles. Others write history.
In October, in Las Vegas, Anna Bright became only the fourth player in PPA Tour history to reach 40 titles. And she did it in the biggest way possible: alongside Hayden Patriquin, she beat Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns in the mixed doubles final, 11-9, 11-7, denying Waters her 200th title that day.
At the 2026 National Championships, she took double gold: mixed with Patriquin and women’s doubles with Waters, with a dominant 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 final.
And here’s a delicious twist: her mixed doubles coach is Juan Manuel Benítez… the captain of Latin America! If the two teams meet in the knockout rounds, the teacher will have to face his student.
Kate Fahey: The Queen Of The Comeback
When a match looks lost, nobody turns it around like she does.
Kate Fahey has earned a reputation as the queen of epic comebacks in singles. Her first PPA title came in Milwaukee in 2024, in a three-game final against… Zoey Wang of Asia Domestic, who plays in this very group. In 2026 she kept adding singles gold, including at the Sacramento Open.
Unfinished business? She has also beaten Judit Castillo, Europe – West’s star, several times. In Group A, Kate has familiar rivals everywhere. And she has already beaten them all.
Tyra “hurricane” Black: The Storm
They don’t call her “Hurricane” by accident. Tyra Black plays with an intensity that sweeps everything away.
In April, at the Sacramento Open, she played the mixed doubles final injured, with her leg taped after a medical timeout in the women’s doubles final earlier that day. The result? Alongside Eric Oncins (yes, the one from Latin America), she won the title in five games against the Johnson siblings: 11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-8. Pure grit.
In MLP, she was at the center of one of the most talked-about moves of the year: a trade from the Dallas Flash to the Columbus Sliders in exchange for Danni-Elle Townsend, Australia’s star.
And one more Group A storyline: in 2024 she won a mixed doubles medal with Augie Ge, who now plays for Asia Domestic. Yesterday’s partners are today’s rivals.
Cj Klinger: Son Of The Road
His story is the American dream, pickleball edition. CJ started out playing tournaments with his dad, Darrin, at the 3.0 or 3.5 level. His father became his coach, his doubles partner and his driver: they crossed the country in an RV from tournament to tournament.
“It’s always been just him and I,” Darrin says.
Today CJ competes at the elite level of the PPA and MLP. This month, at the Veolia Chicago Cup, he reached the men’s doubles semifinals alongside Eric Oncins. Young, explosive and on the rise. The future of American pickleball is already here.
Will Howells: The Champion With Attitude
He arrives in Dallas with a ring on his finger: Will Howells is a 2026 MLP champion with the New Jersey 5s, Anna Leigh Waters’ team, where he was her mixed doubles partner.
After winning just about everything on the APP Tour, he signed a three-year deal with the PPA Tour and made his debut on that tour in January 2026. He’s confident, he’s got swagger and he’s afraid of no one. And in a team event, that’s contagious.
Group A: The Group Of Fire
The U.S. didn’t get an easy draw, and the group is packed with storylines:
Team Canada, led by captain Steve Deakin: the North American classic, neighbors and rivals in everything
Team Europe – West, with Judit Castillo practically playing at home and Will MacKinnon, who has already faced Ben Johns
Team Asia Domestic, with Zoey Wang, looking for revenge against Kate Fahey, and Augie Ge, Tyra Black’s former partner
Everyone against the host. And the host against everyone.
The Details
Dates: October 30 – November 1
Venue: Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch (Dallas), Texas
Format: group play Friday and Saturday; single elimination Sunday
The MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash kicks off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, running through November 8
The greatest player of all time. A 40-title legend. The queen of the comeback. A hurricane. A son of the road. And a champion with attitude.
Team USA plays at home, carrying the pressure of being the favorite, with seven countries trying to take it down. But giants don’t hide. They step onto the court.
Let’s Go, Team Usa!
Ben Johns, the greatest player of all time. Anna Bright, one of only four players with 40 PPA titles. Kate Fahey, Tyra “Hurricane” Black, CJ Klinger and MLP champion Will Howells. The United States plays the MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash at home with a team of superstars… and a target on its back.
It’s the country where pickleball was born. It’s the host team. It’s the big favorite.
And that’s exactly why it’s the team the other seven want to beat.
Canada wants to beat its neighbor. Europe wants to prove the old continent has arrived. Asia wants to show the giant has awakened. Latin America wants to land the punch of a lifetime. They all have the same match circled in red: against the United States.
Team USA knows it. And it doesn’t care. Because this team was built to play under pressure.
The Roster
Captain: Johnny Goldberg
Ben Johns
Anna Bright
Kate Fahey
Tyra Black
CJ Klinger
Will Howells
Johnny Goldberg: The Captain Who Came From The Bottom
His story is an inspiring one. Johnny Goldberg discovered pickleball while he was in law school, looking for a new hobby. He grew up playing baseball, basketball and football, with no racquet sports experience at all. In his first year, he was playing at a 3.0 level.
A year later he was a pro, and in his debut season he won men’s doubles gold at the APP New Jersey Open. Now he has the sweetest and toughest job of all: leading a team of stars that everyone expects to win. With this much talent, his challenge isn’t finding players. It’s finding the perfect pairings.
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Ben Johns: The Goat
There’s not much to explain. Ben Johns is the greatest pickleball player of all time.
More than 80 PPA Tour titles, including 15 Triple Crowns
The first man to win a Triple Crown at a major, at the 2019 Tournament of Champions
A 108-match winning streak in singles
World No. 1 in men’s doubles and mixed doubles in 2026
And a materials science and engineering graduate from the University of Maryland
But watch out, because even the GOAT bleeds. Just weeks ago in Las Vegas, he lost three finals in a single weekend. And Group A is full of familiar faces with something to prove: Will MacKinnon of Europe – West already faced him this year in Hong Kong. And if the U.S. advances, Rafa Lenhard of Latin America, the Brazilian who beat him in 2025, could be waiting in the knockout rounds.
The greatest of all time against the world? That’s exactly what we came to see.
Anna Bright: A Legend In The Making
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
Some players win titles. Others write history.
In October, in Las Vegas, Anna Bright became only the fourth player in PPA Tour history to reach 40 titles. And she did it in the biggest way possible: alongside Hayden Patriquin, she beat Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns in the mixed doubles final, 11-9, 11-7, denying Waters her 200th title that day.
At the 2026 National Championships, she took double gold: mixed with Patriquin and women’s doubles with Waters, with a dominant 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 final.
And here’s a delicious twist: her mixed doubles coach is Juan Manuel Benítez… the captain of Latin America! If the two teams meet in the knockout rounds, the teacher will have to face his student.
Kate Fahey: The Queen Of The Comeback
When a match looks lost, nobody turns it around like she does.
Kate Fahey has earned a reputation as the queen of epic comebacks in singles. Her first PPA title came in Milwaukee in 2024, in a three-game final against… Zoey Wang of Asia Domestic, who plays in this very group. In 2026 she kept adding singles gold, including at the Sacramento Open.
Unfinished business? She has also beaten Judit Castillo, Europe – West’s star, several times. In Group A, Kate has familiar rivals everywhere. And she has already beaten them all.
Tyra “hurricane” Black: The Storm
They don’t call her “Hurricane” by accident. Tyra Black plays with an intensity that sweeps everything away.
In April, at the Sacramento Open, she played the mixed doubles final injured, with her leg taped after a medical timeout in the women’s doubles final earlier that day. The result? Alongside Eric Oncins (yes, the one from Latin America), she won the title in five games against the Johnson siblings: 11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-8. Pure grit.
In MLP, she was at the center of one of the most talked-about moves of the year: a trade from the Dallas Flash to the Columbus Sliders in exchange for Danni-Elle Townsend, Australia’s star.
And one more Group A storyline: in 2024 she won a mixed doubles medal with Augie Ge, who now plays for Asia Domestic. Yesterday’s partners are today’s rivals.
Cj Klinger: Son Of The Road
His story is the American dream, pickleball edition. CJ started out playing tournaments with his dad, Darrin, at the 3.0 or 3.5 level. His father became his coach, his doubles partner and his driver: they crossed the country in an RV from tournament to tournament.
“It’s always been just him and I,” Darrin says.
Today CJ competes at the elite level of the PPA and MLP. This month, at the Veolia Chicago Cup, he reached the men’s doubles semifinals alongside Eric Oncins. Young, explosive and on the rise. The future of American pickleball is already here.
Will Howells: The Champion With Attitude
He arrives in Dallas with a ring on his finger: Will Howells is a 2026 MLP champion with the New Jersey 5s, Anna Leigh Waters’ team, where he was her mixed doubles partner.
After winning just about everything on the APP Tour, he signed a three-year deal with the PPA Tour and made his debut on that tour in January 2026. He’s confident, he’s got swagger and he’s afraid of no one. And in a team event, that’s contagious.
Group A: The Group Of Fire
The U.S. didn’t get an easy draw, and the group is packed with storylines:
Team Canada, led by captain Steve Deakin: the North American classic, neighbors and rivals in everything
Team Europe – West, with Judit Castillo practically playing at home and Will MacKinnon, who has already faced Ben Johns
Team Asia Domestic, with Zoey Wang, looking for revenge against Kate Fahey, and Augie Ge, Tyra Black’s former partner
Everyone against the host. And the host against everyone.
The Details
Dates: October 30 – November 1
Venue: Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch (Dallas), Texas
Format: group play Friday and Saturday; single elimination Sunday
The MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash kicks off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, running through November 8
The greatest player of all time. A 40-title legend. The queen of the comeback. A hurricane. A son of the road. And a champion with attitude.
Team USA plays at home, carrying the pressure of being the favorite, with seven countries trying to take it down. But giants don’t hide. They step onto the court.
