Juan Manuel Benitez

Juan Benitez is a professional pickleball player originally from Colombia who moved to Argentina at age 13 to train in tennis, eventually becoming a two-time All-American and the No. 1 player at Baylor University. After competing professionally in tennis across more than 20 countries, Benitez discovered pickleball through a tennis student and was hooked immediately, reaching a 4.5+ singles final in South Florida just one week after picking up a paddle.

Now competing on the PPA Tour and in Major League Pickleball, Benitez has played for teams including the California Black Bears and Miami Pickleball Club. His competitive highlights include men's doubles wins in Wisconsin, a PPA singles medal, and deep runs at the Veolia Lakeland Open where he reached the semifinals in mixed doubles and quarterfinals in men's doubles. His philosophy of patience, mental toughness, and relentless repetition, summed up as "REPS, REPS & REPS," reflects the discipline of an athlete who's trained at elite levels his entire life.