Justin Ancona

Justin Ancona is a former collegiate tennis standout who brought his competitive fire to pickleball and hasn't looked back. At Wheaton College (2014-2017), he earned First Team All-CCIW honors multiple times, qualified for NCAA Championships in both singles and doubles, and was named CCIW Player of the Year in 2015-16. His senior year numbers (21-4 in singles, 23-4 in doubles) showed the kind of consistency that would translate perfectly to the paddle sport. Ancona teamed up with partner Elisha Hougland for his first pickleball tournament in January 2021, and the duo went on to win gold in men's doubles at the APP Tour Zimmer Biomet Chicago Open.

What makes Ancona's story unique is how he balances pro-level pickleball with a full-time career as a financial planner at Raymond James Financial. Unable to find quality online drills when they started training, Ancona and Hougland launched Pickleball Journey on YouTube, which grew into a popular resource for players looking to improve. Their 5:30 a.m. training sessions became the stuff of legend among their followers. Based in the Naperville, Illinois area, Ancona proves you don't have to quit your day job to compete at a high level.