Jay Devilliers, “The Flying Frenchman,” is one of pro pickleball’s most accomplished veterans — a former Wichita State tennis standout who transitioned into the pro ranks in 2019 and has stayed near the top of the sport for over half a decade.

In this season-closing episode, Jay sits down with Roscoe and Jared for a wide-ranging conversation tracing his path from a hyper-competitive French sporting family through Spanish tennis academies, Wichita State doubles, and into the earliest days of pro pickleball. They cover his partnership with Pat Smith, his rivalry with Ben Johns and Collin Johns, and how he’s stayed relevant through injuries and the sport’s rapid evolution.

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Jay breaks down his surreal run as a U.S. Open hitting partner, including a 90-minute session with Rafael Nadal, strategically set up by Carlos Moya, that left his hands blistered and bleeding. He also details the six-month ultimatum his wife gave him in 2020 to prove himself in pickleball or go find a real job, a deadline COVID nearly wiped out before he committed to the sport full time in 2021.

Jay also opens up about splitting from longtime partner Pat Smith after sponsor pressure pushed him toward a pairing with Tyson McGuffin, the epic finals battles with the Johns brothers that helped shape Riley Newman and Matt Wright’s rise, and his philosophy on body bags, including firing one back at an opponent and the unforgettable moment Anna Leigh Waters caught him with one of her own. He closes out reflecting on raising four kids while grinding on tour and his goal to grow pickleball in Europe.

Catch the full episode on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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