There have been 240 medals handed out in 10 PPA Tour events in the U.S. in 2026.

Almost 1/3 of those medals (32.5%) were won by a player using a JOOLA paddle, continuing the brand’s dominance when it comes to the pro game.

Franklin (22.1%) also maintained a strong presence on the medal stand, aided by world No. 1 women’s player Anna Leigh Waters making the switch to the brand in January. 

Here’s how the numbers shook out for every brand and every medal in the tournaments from January-May:

While the big brands have kept their place at the top, a few newcomers had good showings on the pro tour.

Brands on the podium for the first time ever in 2026 include Friday, Facolos and Arronax.

Another thing I always like to look at is which unsponsored players had success, and which paddles they chose to use without being paid to use them. There were several big-name players who were without a paddle sponsor at one time or another this spring, including JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson, Catherine Parenteau, Rachel Rohrabacher and Alix Truong.

What do all those players have in common? They all reached for a JOOLA paddle while winning at least one of their medals.

JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson in particular tried a lot of different paddles in their tournaments.

JW Johnson won medals using four different brands (JOOLA, Franklin, PIKKL and Paddletek) while Jorja Johnson won medals using three different brands (JOOLA, Franklin and PIKKL).

JW Johnson also alternated between widebody paddles and elongated paddles. I counted six different paddle models total in his hands throughout the year, which makes his consistent success even more impressive:

▪️Franklin C45 Tempo 16mm
▪️Franklin C45 Dynasty 16mm
▪️JOOLA Perseus Pro IV 16mm
▪️JOOLA Scorpeus Pro IV 16mm
▪️PIKKL Hurricane Pro X (unreleased)
▪️Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X (unsure on thickness)

What paddles the top players have been using recently

Below are the specific models that were most recently being used by the Top 10 men and women on the PPA Tour.

Top 10 men’s players

Ben Johns — JOOLA Perseus Pro V 16mm (shop here — get a FREE Kitchen hat with your purchase)

Gabe Tardio — Facolos EliteX Extreme Edition Elongated 16mm (shop here)

Christian Alshon — Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 10% off)

JW Johnson — Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 10% off)

Hayden Patriquin — Franklin C45 Dynasty Hayden Patriquin Edition 16mm (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 15% off)

Andrei Daescu — CRBN1 TruFoam Barrage (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 10% off)

CJ Klinger — Adidas AdiPower Pro EDT 16mm (shop here)

Federico Staksrud — JOOLA Kosmos Pro V 16mm (shop here — get a FREE Kitchen hat with your purchase)

Eric Oncins — Engage X2 (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 10% off)

Dylan Frazier — Volair Shift HYB (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 10% off)

Top 10 women’s players

Anna Leigh Waters — Franklin C45 Hybrid 14mm (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 15% off)

Anna Bright — JOOLA Scorpeus Pro V 14mm (shop here — get a FREE Kitchen hat with your purchase)

Tyra Black — PIKKL Hurricane Pro 14mm (shop here)

Catherine Parenteau — JOOLA Scorpeus Pro V 14mm (shop here — get a FREE Kitchen hat with your purchase)

Jorja Johnson — Unreleased PIKKL Hurricane Pro X.

Parris Todd — Franklin C45 Parris Todd Signature 13.25mm (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 15% off)

Rachel Rohrabacher — Friday Fever 102 Elongated 16mm (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for $10 off)

Jade Kawamoto — Proton Peacock widebody (shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 15% off)

Lacy Schneemann — JOOLA Perseus Pro IV 16mm (shop here — get a FREE Kitchen hat with your purchase)

Tina Pisnik — Warping Point Phoenix 13.3mm (shop here — use code “The Kitchen Pickle” for 10% off