Noé Khlif and New Jersey Fives win MLP Columbus

The American pro circuit has delivered another milestone chapter for French pickleball. Noé Khlif and the New Jersey Fives won the first Major League Pickleball (MLP) event of the season in Columbus, Ohio, dominating the final 3-0 against the St. Louis Shock. For the French player, it is a striking confirmation of his status as a cornerstone of one of the league's most watched franchises.

Columbus: the Fives bounce back after a mixed season start

The MLP weekend in Columbus came with extra context. One week earlier in Dallas, the New Jersey Fives had finished fourth, including a tight loss to the St. Louis Shock in a DreamBreaker. The team arrived in Ohio with a clear mission: erase that stumble and impose their level against title contenders.

The answer was unequivocal. The Fives left the weekend undefeated, with 25 league standings points, the maximum available for an event winner. In group play, they notably posted a clean 4-0 against the hometown Columbus Sliders, after two defeats against that franchise in recent months. In the Super Sunday final, the same domination played out against the Shock: 11-3, 11-8 and 11-9 according to official results reported by specialist media.

For Noé Khlif, the individual performance confirms the rise of the mixed pairing he forms with Anna Leigh Waters. Across the event, he posted a remarkable record alongside the world number one, while the men's duo Khlif/Will Howells regained its efficiency after a more hesitant opening week. Above all, the Fives won the closest matches, a decisive factor in a format where every point counts.

How Major League Pickleball works

Unlike classic PPA tournaments, where players enter individually or in pairs, the MLP is built around a city franchise model. Each matchup pits two six-player teams against each other across several games: women's doubles, men's doubles, then two mixed doubles. The goal is not only to win an individual bracket, but to make your franchise win as a collective unit.

If the two teams are tied after those four matches, a DreamBreaker decides the result. In this spectacular format, all four players from a team rotate in singles until one franchise reaches 21 points. That is exactly what had cost the Fives dearly in Dallas. In Columbus, they avoided the trap by imposing their rhythm well before reaching that scenario in the final.

Rosters are built through drafts and transfer windows, following the model of major North American leagues. Players compete with fixed teammates throughout the season, which builds habits, team identity and a sports narrative different from individual tours. Team benches, live coaching and locker-room energy: the MLP deliberately moves closer to a traditional team sport, even though the paddle remains individual.

Noé Khlif, the French link in a star-studded roster

Raised on the French scene, Noé Khlif has gradually become one of the most visible European faces on the American pro circuit. His hybrid profile, capable of holding pace in men's doubles and mixed, matches exactly what MLP franchises seek in a balanced roster.

With Anna Leigh Waters, he forms one of the league's most feared mixed pairs. The duo played a major role in the 4-0 sweep against the Columbus Sliders in group play, including an 11-1 mixed win that set the tone. Will Howells and Jorja Johnson, meanwhile, confirmed the Fives' superiority in women's doubles, holding several opponents under five points across the weekend.

Beyond the stats, Khlif embodies a success story the French pickleball community follows closely: proving that a player developed in Europe can become a central piece of an MLP franchise alongside the world's biggest stars. His place in the Fives starting six, alongside Waters, Johnson, Howells, Martin Emmrich and Lina Padegimaite, puts France on the map of a league drawing more attention every season.

Why this win matters for the 2026 season

The 2026 MLP calendar is packed and power rankings shift quickly from one event to the next. Columbus served as a full-scale test of the real strength of the favourites after the surprises in Dallas. The St. Louis Shock, despite heavy investment in their roster, could not find an answer against a far more cohesive version of the Fives.

The stakes go beyond a single weekend trophy. Every MLP win feeds the league standings, shapes future seedings and strengthens the confidence of a group fine-tuning its lineups. The Fives appear to have validated their mixed pairings Khlif/Waters and Howells/Johnson, while restoring a competitive men's doubles unit. In a league where margins are tiny, that cohesion is worth as much as a winning forehand.

For French fans, the event also confirms the importance of following the MLP as a complement to the PPA Tour. Formats differ, stakes differ, but the level of play remains at the top of the world. Understanding who controls what between the PPA, MLP, UPA and the major opens helps read this news better: our article on PPA, MLP, US Open and UPA: who controls what in pro pickleball maps that landscape in detail.

St. Louis Shock vs New Jersey Fives: a rivalry shaping the league

The final matchup was no accident. The St. Louis Shock had made headlines early in the season, notably through aggressive recruiting that shook the MLP transfer market. We analysed that in our article on the financial shock triggered by St. Louis Shock around Anna Bright. Columbus showed that paperwork is not enough: on court, the Fives' collective consistency made the difference.

This rivalry is good for the show. Two ambitious franchises, star lineups, possible rematches at every event: that is exactly the story the MLP wants to build to reach an audience beyond the hardcore core. For Noé Khlif, playing these high-intensity fixtures also strengthens his profile with sponsors and organisers.

What this news changes for amateur players in France

It is easy to assume that an MLP win in Columbus only matters to pro circuit diehards. In reality, results like this feed the whole ecosystem. French clubs see new curious players drawn in by league images, media cover the sport more widely and young players identify concrete role models, including French ones.

To channel that momentum locally, the first step is still to join a well-equipped club or association. Our page Find a pickleball club lists entry points to play, improve and join a community. The American pro show inspires, but it is on neighbourhood courts that enthusiasm turns into regular practice.

Conclusion: the Fives send a strong message

The New Jersey Fives' first MLP title of the season is not just another line in a standings table. It proves that a franchise can bounce back after a disappointing weekend, tighten its lineups and impose its law against the most heavily funded contenders. Noé Khlif, at the heart of that success, confirms that French pickleball now belongs in the decisive moments of the North American circuit.

The rest of the MLP season promises more clashes between the Fives and the Shock, with DreamBreakers likely to get even tighter. For now, Columbus belongs to New Jersey. And for once, the championship belt handed out in the final looks like a symbol perfectly suited to a league that loves spectacle as much as competition.