Gabe Tardio: Playing With Ben Johns, Handling Pressure, and Becoming a Star | S5 E1
Gabe Tardio is the No. 2 player in the world and half of the best men's doubles team in pickleball alongside Ben Johns. He grew up in Bolivia chasing a tennis career and went from thinking pickleball was "the dumbest game ever" to one of the most feared right-side players on the PPA Tour.
In this episode, Gabe sits down with Roscoe and Jared to open the Season 5 premiere. They trace his path from a COVID-shuttered tennis academy to his grandfather's pickleball courts in Florida, then to the Johnson family practice group that brought him onto the pro tour. It's a candid, funny conversation about strategy, partnerships, and what it takes to break into the top tier.
Gabe breaks down the decision that changed his career: seeing that everyone wanted to play the left, so he committed to mastering the right. He explains how film study, thousands of backhand counters against JW Johnson's flicks, and deliberately borrowing shots from Ben, Anna Leigh, Tyson McGuffin, and Kyle Yates built the aggressive right-side style he's known for.
Gabe also tells the full story behind partnering with Ben. He was nearly 80% set on leaving the PPA over a contract offer before Ben's Christmas text arrived while he was in Bolivia. That text helped him re-sign for almost 3x the money. He's honest about freezing up in their first tournaments in Mesa and how Ben's quiet belief got him back to his game. He also covers going from rivals to best friends with Hayden, life on the St. Louis Shock, and why he'd still pick tennis.
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Timestamps:
1:12 — The Quiet Kid With the Glasses
2:09 — Growing Up in Bolivia on the Tennis Court
3:03 — COVID Shuts Down His Tennis Academy
3:21 — Grandpa's Backyard Pickleball Court
6:38 — Giving Up the Pro Tennis Dream
7:54 — "The Dumbest Game Ever"
9:37 — Dad Saw the Future First
10:37 — Meeting Jorja at a Money Ball
12:14 — The Worst Player in the Johnson Practice Group
14:14 — Winning 5.0s and Turning Pro at 16
15:39 — $1,000 Money Balls at 15
16:27 — Watching Every Ben Johns Match
17:18 — Why JW Was His Idol
18:20 — No Pressure, No Problem
19:39 — The Split Personality
20:37 — The Right-Side Bet That Changed Everything
22:31 — How to Become an Elite Right-Side Player
25:04 — Reinventing the Right-Side Role
27:08 — Training His Brother Matias for the Pro Tour
29:25 — Every Shot Is Borrowed
32:34 — Hayden vs. Anna Leigh Trash Talk
34:28 — Anna Bright or Jorja Johnson?
35:33 — The Ben Johns Partner Sweepstakes
36:27 — Almost Leaving the PPA
37:54 — Ben's Text and a 3x PPA Raise
39:00 — Why Ben Picked Gabe
41:00 — The Christmas Text in Bolivia
42:07 — Freezing Up in Mesa
43:13 — Finding the Groove With Ben
44:17 — Collin Johns and the Biggest Threat
44:59 — What Ben Taught Him
46:13 — Inside Ben Johns' World
47:07 — From Rivals to Best Friends With Hayden
48:27 — Life on the St. Louis Shock Super Team
50:37 — Ranked No. 5? His Response
52:58 — Dealing With the Keyboard Warriors
54:39 — Tama and the Next Generation
57:15 — Most Underrated and Overrated
58:28 — The Pro Player Animal Round
59:52 — Pro Pickleball Matchmaking
1:02:38 — Stranded on an Island
1:03:23 — Why He'd Still Pick Tennis
