MLP, Johns Brothers Agree on Payout Forfeiture After Abrupt Columbus Withdrawal
Major League Pickleball will not be sanctioning Ben and Collin Johns after withdrawing from the MLP Columbus 2025 event recently. But the two also would not be receiving their payout.
Ben and Collin withdrew from the event over the weekend due to issues with the lighting at Pickle & Chill in Columbus, Ohio. Before their official withdrawal, the Johns brothers and their Carolina Hogs teammates competed in two matches.
The withdrawal of the Johns brothers forced the Hogs to field in two on-site substitutes in order to have a complete team. These substitutes were Martin Emmrich and Ross Whittaker. Carolina ultimately ended the weekend with a 0–6 record as they dropped to 0–8 for the.
“After formal review of the events at the MLP Columbus 2025 event, it has been determined that Ben Johns and Collin Johns were granted permission to withdraw from their remaining matches through on-site league approval. Ben Johns and Collin Johns have agreed to forfeit their event payouts for the four matches in which they did not appear,” the MLP wrote on their official ‘X’ account.
“Our Tour Operations Team will continue to aim to have lighting standards for all future events, while also balancing the realities of our event venues. Many factors go into the venues that MLP and PPA select, including operations, the opportunity to play in new communities, the ability to showcase the sports within iconic and unique facilities and more – all with the overarching goal to grow the game,” the post added.
Ben also took to X to defend the withdrawal. The bemedalled pickler, who is dealing with an eye impairment from a childhood sledging accident, noted that pickleball should follow the same lighting requirements as professional tennis. However, the playing venue at Columbus in Ohio fell far short of those requirements in Ben’s estimation.
Carolina will return to action only on June when they compete at MLP Salt Lake City. In the interim, Ben and Collin will participate in the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships the next week.
