Pickleball’s rapid rise has also accelerated the emergence of younger professional talent, with teenage players increasingly making deep runs at major tournaments across the PPA Tour. As competition intensifies, younger athletes are beginning to challenge established names more consistently on the professional circuit.
That trend continued in San Clemente on Saturday as 18-year-old John Lucian Goins produced one of his strongest performances of the season to reach the men’s singles final.
Goins defeated Connor Garnett 11-5, 11-2 in straight games to secure his place in Sunday’s gold medal match and guarantee himself his first medal final appearance of 2026.
The semifinal lasted just 22 minutes, with Goins controlling large sections of the contest through aggressive passing shots and deep returns that kept Garnett away from the kitchen line.
Garnett entered the semifinal in strong form after completing an undefeated run during pool play, but he struggled to handle the pace and consistency produced by Goins throughout the match.
“I feel like I was passing well and trying to keep him back, and those two combined just worked out for me in the end,” Goins told Pickleballtv after the victory.
The result marks an important moment in Goins’ season after a difficult stretch following his back-to-back titles in Bristol and Las Vegas during August 2025. Since then, medal finishes had become harder to secure, although he returned to the podium with a bronze medal finish at last month’s Greater Zion Cup.
His performance in Southern California now guarantees at least a silver medal and offers another sign that the teenager is rediscovering his best form heading into the middle part of the season.
Goins will face Chris Haworth in Sunday’s final after Haworth defeated Federico Staksrud 11-5, 4-11, 11-0 in the other semifinal.
The upcoming final is expected to feature two players who have built momentum through contrasting routes during the tournament, with Goins relying on controlled baseline pressure while Haworth has showcased resilience during longer three-game battles.
The growing presence of younger athletes such as Goins also reflects the changing landscape of professional pickleball, where emerging players are increasingly challenging experienced competitors as the sport continues expanding rapidly across the United States.
