They Won $25K at a Pickleball Tournament. Here's How.
Last Edited
Oct 02 2024
Category
Instruction
Juan Benitez and Claudio Quinones just won $25,000 by coming in first at The Kitchen Open (TKO) 2024 in Austin, Texas.
While many former tennis players bring an aggressive mindset to pickleball, Benitez and Quinones chose to outlast their opponents, relying on patience, control, and timing.
But that doesn't mean there weren't plenty of action-packed, stressful moments in their journey. They just had a solid plan to respond to them.
Not Your Average Tennis Converts
Juan Benitez and Claudio Quinones are no strangers to the court—just not the one with a kitchen.
Benitez, a Colombian who honed his skills at a tennis academy in Argentina and became a two-time All-American at Baylor, shifted gears to pickleball after a pro tennis stint in over 20 countries.
Quinones, who started swinging a racket at six under his dad's watchful eye, made his way from Mexico to the U.S. to shine as an All-American at Ottawa University.
Now, both are channeling their tennis prowess into pickleball.
"With my tennis background, we are wired to hurt our opponents in every shot and try to do something with every ball...In pickleball, patience is one of the major assets a player can have."
What's unusual about them as tennis crossovers, though, is their remarkable sense of patience.
"I see myself as a very consistent player," Quinones says. "My dinks and counters are the best part of my game. I like to speed up and be aggressive but only when necessary."
Benitez also stresses patience in his game, admitting it was a difficult skill to master considering his background.
"With my tennis background, we are wired to hurt our opponents in every shot and try to do something with every ball...In pickleball, patience is one of the major assets a player can have."
Their Tournament Strategy
The two came into the tournament firmly believing that nobody could out-dink them, and it turned out to be true.
Patience and consistency were the benchmarks, and they bet on their ability to outlast every opponent at the kitchen line.
"We tried our best to stay patient, waiting for their mistake or unwise attack," Benitez says.
The duo also knew when to mix it up. For example, isolating one opponent in a corner was a tactic that worked wonders. With Quinones relentlessly pushing the player deep and to the sideline, Benitez waited for an opportunity to make a decisive move—like a sneaky ERNE down the line.
“Claudio, even being on the right side with his backhand in the middle, managed to place the ball in a way that set us up perfectly,” Benitez explains.
“Sometimes I played the big brother role, taking the middle and looking for opportunities to be aggressive."
While their technical skills and strategy were on point, Quinones believes it was their communication that ultimately sealed their victory.
The two have played together before, notably at PPA Mesa earlier in the year, and their ability to speak openly—sometimes in Spanish—gave them an edge over the competition.
“We were honest with each other, even if it meant saying things we didn't want to hear,” Quinones noted.
The willingness to be upfront and adjust mid-match was a critical component of their success, keeping them aligned and sharp throughout the tournament.
How to Win a Pickleball Tournament
Juan and Claudio emphasize three core principles: patience, grit, and repetition.
For both players, high-quality repetition is key. Benitez puts it plainly: “REPS, REPS & REPS. No way around them.”
But it’s not just about logging hours on the court—it's about focused, intentional reps that target both strengths and weaknesses.
If there's a fundamental weakness in your game, Benitez suggests investing in a lesson or two to build a strong foundation.
“You will never win a tournament if you can't make a thousand good-quality balls without missing,” he stresses.
After every practice game, take a step back and analyze what didn’t work, then attack those weaknesses in your next round of practice.
TKO Part 2: Atlanta
Get ready for the next big pickleball showdown: TKO Atlanta.
From November 1-3, 2024, Atlanta, GA, will host men’s, women’s, and mixed divisions by age and skill. The OPEN DIVISION will battle for a $20,000 prize and eight PPA pro entries for 2025.
More information and registration available here.
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