MEHAU Just Signed a Nine-Time PPA Tour Champion
Andrew LeeMEHAU introduced itself to Malaysian players on 1 Sep, with Adam Harvey as its first signed professional. Seventeen days later, it added a second: Hunter Johnson, a player who has held the World No. 1 ranking in PPA men's singles.
Johnson is one of only four players to have reached that ranking, alongside Ben Johns, Federico Staksrud and Chris Haworth. He arrives at MEHAU fresh off his ninth career PPA Tour singles title, won on 6 Sep at the Veolia Pickleball National Championships in Cary, North Carolina.
Not a Malaysian Brand, But Now Selling Like One
MEHAU has been described online as a Malaysian paddle brand. It is not. Trademark filings tie the name to Shanghai Meihao Sports Co., Ltd, and the paddles are certified under UPA-A's equipment standards for competitive play.
What is genuinely new is the retail push into Malaysia. MyPickleball brought the S5 AIRPOOM paddle to its Strand Mall superstore in Kota Damansara on 1 Sep, with a demo court on site so players can try it before buying. MEHAU says it has also become an Official UPA 2026 Sponsor, UPA being the parent organisation behind both the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball. That is a credibility marker most challenger paddle brands take years to earn.
Harvey's Results Are Doing the Talking
Signing two American pros in under three weeks would mean little if neither was winning. Adam Harvey has been. He reached his first PPA Tour Asia singles final in Singapore by upsetting the No. 1 seed, then went on to win the Men's Singles title at the PPA Asia 500 MB Ho Chi Minh City Open, beating Luc Pham in straight sets.
A Playbook Borrowed From Franklin
MEHAU's approach mirrors a move already visible elsewhere in the paddle market. Franklin Sports signed Anna Leigh Waters, the world No. 1 across women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles, to a multi year deal in January, months before Franklin built out its own roster of sponsored Malaysian players. A marquee global name gives a challenger brand something a spec sheet cannot: proof the paddle holds up against the best players in the world.
What's on the Shelf
MyPickleball carries three MEHAU lines. The S5 AIRPOOM, the paddle both Johnson and Harvey compete with, retails at RM1199. The E4/E5 Precise Series is RM898, and the X4/X5 Power Series is RM570. All three are available online and at the Strand Mall superstore, with a demo paddle on site for players who want to test it first.
Two signings in seventeen days is a start, not a finish line. If Harvey and Johnson keep winning with MEHAU's name on their paddles, MyPickleball's Strand Mall demo court may get busier before the brand's next signing lands.
This article is based on social media posts and historical data tracked by Pickle361.
